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→The nature of the work is evolving: Deleted sentence describing technical documentation as engaging and memorable. I can see the possibility of "engaging" tech writing, but *memorable*? Uh, no.
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== History ==
== History ==
The origins of technical writing have been variously attributed to ancient civilizations such as Indian, Greek, the European Renaissance, and the Chinese. However, a clear trend towards the discipline can be seen starting from the time of World War I, growing out of the need for technology-based documentation in the military, manufacturing, electronics, and aerospace industries. In 1953, two organizations concerned with improving the practice of technical communication were founded in the United States of America: the Society of Technical Writers, and the Association of Technical Writers and Editors. These organizations merged in 1957 to form the Society of Technical Writers and Editors, a predecessor of the current [[Society for Technical Communication]] (STC).
The origins of technical writing have been variously attributed to ancient civilizations such as Indian, Greek, the European Renaissance, and the Chinese. However, a clear trend towards the discipline can be seen starting from the time of World War I, growing out of the need for technology-based documentation in the military, manufacturing, electronics, and aerospace industries. In 1953, two organizations concerned with improving the practice of technical communication were founded in the United States of America: the Society of Technical Writers, and the Association of Technical Writers and Editors. These organizations merged in 1957 to form the Society of Technical Writers and Editors, a predecessor of the current [[Society for Technical Communication]] (STC).
==Technical Writing is Presentational==
==Technical writing is presentational==
Technical writing involves attractive layout for easy reading and comprehension. Presentational strategies help readers to grasp messages quickly.
Technical writing involves attractive layout for easy reading and comprehension. Presentational strategies help readers to grasp messages quickly.


Revision as of 08:06, 10 April 2011

Technical writing, a form of technical communication, is a style of writing used in fields as diverse as computer hardware and software, engineering, chemistry, the aerospace industry, robotics, finance, consumer electronics, and biotechnology. Technical writers explain technology and related ideas to technical and nontechnical audiences. This could mean, for example, telling a programmer how to use a software library or telling a consumer how to operate a television remote control.

Technical writers gather information from existing documentation and from subject matter experts. A subject matter expert (SME) is any expert on the topic that the writer is working on. Technical writers are often not SMEs themselves (unless they are writing about creating good technical documentation). Workers at many levels, and in many different fields, have a role in producing technical communications. A good technical writer needs strong language and teaching skills and must understand the many conventions of modern technical communications.

Technical writing teams or departments are often referred to as Information Development, User Assistance, Technical Documentation, or Technical Publications. Technical writers themselves may be called API Writers, information developers, documentation specialists, documentation engineers, or technical content developers. Advanced technical writers often move into specialized areas such as API writing, information architecture or document management.

Overview

For technical documents to be useful, readers must be able to understand and employ them without having to decode wordy and ambiguous prose. Good technical writing clarifies technical jargon; that is, it presents useful information that is clear and easy to understand for the intended audience. Poor technical writing may increase confusion by creating unnecessary technical jargon, or failing to explain unavoidable technical terms that reader would not be expected to be familiar with.

Consider a technical writer writing a cake recipe:

  • Audience: Is the audience composed of people in home kitchens or highly trained chefs in professional kitchens?
  • Source: Is there existing documentation—a rough draft? Who is the subject matter expert (SME)?
  • Deliverable: Is the deliverable simple text for inclusion in a book, or formatted to final form? Is the target a paper, a Web page, or something else?

The three C's of good technical writing are:

  • Clear
  • Concise
  • Complete

Clear, concise, and complete writing helps the reader to grasp the meaning quickly.

The technical writer determines that the recipe is written on the back of a napkin but is partially indecipherable, so he or she must also interview a subject-matter expert (SME)—the chef who created it. On being told that the audience consists of people in their own kitchens, the writer adjusts the writing style accordingly and replaces or defines terms such as "beurre mixer" or "springform pan," which may be more suited to an audience of highly trained chefs. The chef reviews a draft of the recipe (a technical edit) and notates corrections (bake at 350 degrees, not 325 degrees). The writer prepares a final draft, which the document owner and any other stakeholders review and approve before it is published in one or more formats, such as paper or HTML. Different versions of the document might also be published to meet the needs of different audiences. For example, the version intended for an American audience will use imperial measurements, whereas other versions will use metric measurements. Rather than creating an entirely new document for each audience, the technical writer will create a single document, and use variables and other methods to manage the differences.

Communicating with the audience

Audience analysis is a key feature of all technical writing. Technical writing is a communication to convey a particular piece of information to a particular audience for a particular purpose. It is often exposition about scientific subjects and technical subjects associated with finance, construction, medicine, agriculture, technology, and various sciences.

Procedural technical writing translates complex technical concepts and instructions into a series of simple steps that enable users to perform a specific task in a specific way. To present appropriate information, writers must understand the audience and their goals.

Persuasive technical writing attempts to sell products or change behaviors by putting forth compelling descriptions of how a product or service can be used in one's life. This type of writing often delves into features and benefits of the product or service, and may use illustrations to make the benefits easier for the audience to understand.

History

The origins of technical writing have been variously attributed to ancient civilizations such as Indian, Greek, the European Renaissance, and the Chinese. However, a clear trend towards the discipline can be seen starting from the time of World War I, growing out of the need for technology-based documentation in the military, manufacturing, electronics, and aerospace industries. In 1953, two organizations concerned with improving the practice of technical communication were founded in the United States of America: the Society of Technical Writers, and the Association of Technical Writers and Editors. These organizations merged in 1957 to form the Society of Technical Writers and Editors, a predecessor of the current Society for Technical Communication (STC).

Technical writing is presentational

Technical writing involves attractive layout for easy reading and comprehension. Presentational strategies help readers to grasp messages quickly.

  • The top-down strategy (tell them what you will say, then say it)
  • Headings (like headlines in newspapers)
  • Chunks (short paragraphs)
  • Plain, objective style so that readers can easily grasp details.

Types of technical documents

Technical writers use computers and other electronic communications equipment extensively in performing their work. They also work regularly with publishing software and various authoring environments to prepare material directly for the Internet. Technical writers frequently work with word processing, graphic design, page layout, and multimedia software.

The nature of the work is evolving

Increasingly, technical writers are combining text, graphics, images, and sound to create sophisticated deliverables.

Three fundamental types of technical documentation

Broadly speaking, technical documentation can be categorized into three types depending on the style of writing, the level of knowledge transferred and the target audience.

  • End user assistance. These information products help a user understand how to use a technical software or hardware product. User manuals for computer software, hardware, household products, medical equipment, cell phones, SmartPhones, and other consumer electronics belong in this category.
  • Traditional technical documentation. Here the objective of the writer is to communicate with a specific audience. Maintenance guides, appliance/application repair manuals, engineering specifications, research papers, works of reference, annual reports. and articles written for technical journals (to name a few examples) belong in this category.
  • Marketing communication. Product catalogs, brochures, advertisements, introductory pages for web sites, press releases, and ad copy belong in this category.

Note: Technical art is also considered a form of technical communication.

Typical deliverables

Technical writing is often associated with online help and user manuals. However, technical writers create many other forms of technical content. These include product release notes, product troubleshooting guides, product user guides, tutorials, software installation guides, API programmers' guides, legal disclaimers, policies and procedures, business proposals, and white papers. Technical writing specifically in support of software applications is commonly referred to as user assistance.

Associations

See also

References

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