Technical Writing Skills
Technical writers often have a degree in English,
technical writing, the technical field for which they are writing, or a combination of
these.
It is most important that they have enough
expertise to understand their audience's background and needs.
For example, writers who develop documentation for
software APIs, microcontroller operation, and other technical subjects are often paid more
than those who write guides for a nontechnical audience (for example, how to use email),
because it is difficult to find good writers with advanced technical knowledge.
Desktop publishing tools
After the documentation is written, using a desktop
publishing tool or a help authoring tool, it is normally reviewed for accuracy by one or
more "subject matter experts" (SMEs).
Technical Communication
Technical communication is the process of
conveying information about technology to an intended audience. A technical communicator
is a person whose job involves technical communication. Technical communication jobs
include the following:
- Technical writer
- Technical editor
- Information architect
- Usability expert
- User interface designer
- Technical artist
- Technical trainer
The technology can be of any kind, including the
sciences, high technology including computers and software, consumer electronics, and so
on.
Role of Technical Writing
Technical communications are created and distributed by
most employees in service organizations today, especially by professional staff and
management.
Writing well is difficult and time-consuming, and writing
in a technical way and about technical subjects compounds the difficulties. The entire
point of communications is to disseminate useful information. To be useful, information
must be understood and acted upon.
Effective communications require quality content,
language, format, and more. The entire point of communications is to disseminate
information; this is where written content comes in. To present the appropriate content,
it is imperative to understand one’s audience and writing purpose.
If a document does not communicate the
information that the writer intends and what he or she wants the reader to understand,
then the communication is meaningless.
The writer has a self-interest in making the extra
effort: Looking credible is as important as being credible and getting results in
business. Respect and credibility of the writer/speaker are integral to effective
communications. Readers will not trust the information from an author if they do not
believe that author is a valuable source of information or the purveyor of worthwhile
ideas. Furthermore, being respected is essential to being persuasive, a key ingredient in
business.
This article is licensed under the GNU Free
Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Desktop
Publishing.
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