Technical writing

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Technical writing is a specialized form of communication used by many of today's industrial and scientific organizations to clearly and accurately convey complex information to a user. An organization's customers, employees, assembly workers, engineers, and scientists are some of the most common users who reference this form of content to complete a task or research a subject. Most technical writing relies on simplified grammar, supported by easy-to-understand visual communication to clearly and accurately explain complex information.

Contents

An example of an "exploded" CAD diagram. Explosions with callouts are common visual communication created by technical writers, from CAD models, to help simplify technical writing content. Cone clutch.svg
An example of an "exploded" CAD diagram. Explosions with callouts are common visual communication created by technical writers, from CAD models, to help simplify technical writing content.

Technical writing is a labor-intensive form of writing that demands accurate research of a subject and the conversion of the collected information into a written format, style, and reading level the end-user will easily understand or connect with. There are two main forms of technical writing. By far, the most common form of technical writing is procedural documentation written for the general public (e.g., standardized step-by-step guides and standard operating procedures (SOPs)). Procedural technical writing is used in all types of manufacturing to explain user operation, assembly, installation instructions, and personnel work/safety steps. Written procedures are widely used in manufacturing, software development, medical research, and many other scientific fields. The software industry has grown into one of the largest users of technical writing and relies on procedural documents to describe a program's user operation and installation instructions.

In some applications, technical writing may be written for experts or fellow scientists within a field of work or study. In these applications, a "white paper" form of technical writing is used to describe a specialized topic and market a product/service or opinion/discovery to select readers. Organizations normally use the white paper form to publish technical writing as industry journal articles or academic papers. The white paper form is written to appeal to readers familiar with a technical topic. Unlike procedural technical writing, white papers often include unique industry terms and data. Sometimes called scientific technical writing, this secondary form of technical writing must show a deep knowledge of a subject and the field of work with the sole purpose of persuading readers to agree with a paper's conclusion. [1] Most technical writing, published in this format, is ghost written by a technical writer. A technical writer will closely collaborate with an organization's industry expert to author these documents but is rarely credited in the published version.

In most cases, however, technical writing is used to help convey complex scientific or niche subjects to end users in "laymen's" terms and includes purely factual content. Modern procedural technical writing relies on simple terms and short sentences, rather than detailed explanations with unnecessary information like personal pronouns, abstract words and unfamiliar acronyms. To achieve the right grammar; procedural docs are written from a third-person, objective perspective, with an active voice and formal tone. A more complete description of the technical writing style is provided in Strunk and White's book The Elements of Style. Technical writing grammar is very similar to print journalism and follows the same style. [2] Although technical writing plays an integral role in the work of engineering, health care, and science; it does not require a degree in any of these fields. Instead, the document's author must be an expert in technical writing. An organization's Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), internal specifications, and a formal engineering review process are relied upon to ensure accuracy. The division of labor helps bring greater focus to the two sides of an organization's documentation, ensuring greater accuracy and quality. Most technical writers hold a liberal arts degree in a writing discipline, such as technical communication, journalism, English, technical journalism, communication, etc. Technical writing is the largest segment of the technical communication field. [3]

Examples of fields requiring technical writing include computer hardware and software, architecture, engineering, chemistry, aeronautics, robotics, manufacturing, finance, medical, patent law, consumer electronics, biotechnology, and forestry.

Overview

Technical writing is most commonly performed by a trained technical writer and the content they produce is the result of a well-defined process. Technical writers follow strict guidelines so the technical information they share appears in a single, popularly used and standardized format and style (e.g., DITA, markdown format, AP Stylebook, Chicago Manual of Style). A technical writer's primary task is to communicate technical information in the clearest and most effective manner possible. [4] : 4  [5] To achieve the highest level of clarity, the authors of an organization's technical writing should be indistinguishable to the reader - with no variations in the established format, grammar, and/or style. The subject matter a technical writer communicates is often complex, so strong writing and communication skills are essential. Technical writers not only convey information through text, but they must be proficient with the latest graphics software. Technical writers use a wide range of programs to create and edit illustrations, diagrams, and CAD explosions. Proficiency in the latest graphics software is a requirement for most technical writing. [6]

In some cases, engineers may perform the technical writing for the project they are working on, but this rarely occurs in large organizations where products must be released or revised weekly. On the business side, marketing materials or press releases are usually written by writers trained in a marketing field, although a technical writer may be relied upon to provide editing and other input on any technical content an organization may produce.

History

Like the technical writing Ikea provides with their products, ancient Egyptian technical writers often relied purely on visual communication to explain a procedure. C+B-Egypt-Fig8-DraggingDhnthotepStatue.PNG
Like the technical writing Ikea provides with their products, ancient Egyptian technical writers often relied purely on visual communication to explain a procedure.

While technical writing has only been recognized as a profession since World War II, its roots can be traced to ancient Egypt where visual communication was regularly used to explain procedures. In ancient Greek and Roman times, technical writing by the works of writers like Aristotle and Democratus are cited as some of the earliest forms of written technical writing. The earliest examples of what would be considered modern procedural technical writing date back to the early alchemists. These early scientists developed what we now know as "recipes". Some of the earliest discoveries of written, procedural steps in Western Civilization date back to 1100 A.D. However, visual communication was used to describe procedures in ancient India and China much earlier.

With the invention of the mechanical printing press, the onset of the Renaissance and the rise of the Age of Reason, documenting findings became a necessity. Inventors and scientists like Isaac Newton and Leonardo da Vinci prepared documents that chronicled their inventions and findings. [7] : 1  While never called technical documents during their period of publication, these documents played a crucial role in developing modern forms of technical communication and writing. [7]

The field of technical communication grew during the Industrial Revolution. [8] : 3  There was a growing need to provide people with instructions for using the increasingly complex machines that were being invented. [8] : 8  However, unlike the past, where skills were handed down through oral traditions, no one besides the inventors knew how to use these new devices. Writing thus became the fastest and most effective way to disseminate information, and writers who could document these devices were desired. [8]

During the 20th century, the need for technical writing skyrocketed, and the profession became officially recognized. The events of World War I and World War II led to advances in medicine, military hardware, computer technology, and aerospace technologies. [7] : 2  This rapid growth, coupled with the urgency of war, created an immediate need for well-designed documentation to support the use of these technologies. Technical writing was in high demand during this time, and "technical writer" became an official job title during World War II. [7] : 1 

Following World War II, technological advances led to an increase in consumer goods and standards of living. [7] : 3  During the post-war boom, public services like libraries and universities, as well as transport systems like buses and highways, saw substantial growth. The need for writers to chronicle these processes increased. [7] : 1  It was also during this period that large business and universities started using computers. Notably, in 1949, Joseph D. Chapline authored the first computational technical document, an instruction manual for the BINAC computer. [9]

The invention of the transistor in 1947 allowed computers to be produced more cheaply and within the purchasing range of individuals and small businesses. [7] : 3  As the market for these "personal computers" grew, so did the need for writers who could explain and provide user documentation for these devices. [7] : 3  The profession of technical writing saw further expansion during the 1970s and 1980s as consumer electronics found their way into the homes of more and more people. [7]

In recent years, the prominence of computers in society has led to many advances in the field of digital communications, leading to changes in the tools technical writers use. [7] : 3  Hypertext, word processors, graphics editing programs, and page laying software have made the creation of technical documents faster and easier, and technical writers of today must be proficient in these programs. [4] : 8–9 

Technical documents

Technical writing covers many genres and writing styles, depending on the information and audience. Some examples of commonly used technical documentation include:

Tools

The following tools are used by technical writers to author and present documents:

List of associations

Related Research Articles

Software documentation is written text or illustration that accompanies computer software or is embedded in the source code. The documentation either explains how the software operates or how to use it, and may mean different things to people in different roles.

A document management system (DMS) is usually a computerized system used to store, share, track and manage files or documents. Some systems include history tracking where a log of the various versions created and modified by different users is recorded. The term has some overlap with the concepts of content management systems. It is often viewed as a component of enterprise content management (ECM) systems and related to digital asset management, document imaging, workflow systems and records management systems.

Documentation is any communicable material that is used to describe, explain or instruct regarding some attributes of an object, system or procedure, such as its parts, assembly, installation, maintenance, and use. As a form of knowledge management and knowledge organization, documentation can be provided on paper, online, or on digital or analog media, such as audio tape or CDs. Examples are user guides, white papers, online help, and quick-reference guides. Paper or hard-copy documentation has become less common. Documentation is often distributed via websites, software products, and other online applications.

A technical writer is a professional communicator whose task is to convey complex information in simple terms to an audience of the general public or a very select group of readers. Technical writers research and create information through a variety of delivery media. Example types of information include online help, manuals, white papers, design specifications, project plans, and software test plans. With the rise of e-learning, technical writers are increasingly hired to develop online training material.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IGES</span> Initial Graphics Exchange Specification

The Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) is a vendor-neutral file format that allows the digital exchange of information among computer-aided design (CAD) systems. It is an ASCII-based textual format.

The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) is a United States national association of more than 6,000 construction industry professionals who are experts in building construction and the materials used therein. The institute is dedicated to improving the communication of construction information through a diversified membership base of allied professionals involved in the creation and management of the built environment, continuous development and transformation of standards and formats, education and certification of professionals to improve project delivery processes, and creation of practice tools to assist users throughout the facility life-cycle. The work of CSI is currently focused in three areas being standards and publications, construction industry professional certifications, and continuing education for construction professionals.

Technical communication is communication of technical subject matter such as engineering, science, or technology content. The largest part of it tends to be technical writing, though importantly it often requires aspects of visual communication. Technical communication also encompasses oral delivery modes such as presentations involving technical material. When technical communication occurs in workplace settings, it's considered a major branch of professional communication. In research or R&D contexts, it can overlap with scientific writing.

A medical writer, also referred to as medical communicator, is a person who applies the principles of clinical research in developing clinical trial documents that effectively and clearly describe research results, product use, and other medical information. The medical writer develops any of the five modules of the Common Technical Document. The medical writers also ensure that their documents comply with regulatory, journal, or other guidelines in terms of content, format, and structure.

The Open Settlement Protocol (OSP) is a client/server protocol used by Internet service providers to exchange authorization, accounting, and usage information to support IP telephony. Open Settlement Protocol is implemented in voice telephony gateways such as softswitches, H.323 multimedia conferencing gateways, and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxies.

The Microsoft Manual of Style: Your Everyday Guide to Usage, Terminology, and Style for Professional Technical Communications (MSTP), in former editions the Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications, was a style guide published by Microsoft. The fourth edition, ISBN 0-7356-4871-9, was published in 2012. Microsoft employees and partners also had access to a Microsoft Compressed HTML Help (CHM) version.

User experience design, upon which is the centralized requirements for "User Experience Design Research", defines the experience a user would go through when interacting with a company, its services, and its products. User experience design is a user centered design approach because it considers the user's experience when using a product or platform. Research, data analysis, and test results drive design decisions in UX design rather than aesthetic preferences and opinions, for which is known as UX Design Research. Unlike user interface design, which focuses solely on the design of a computer interface, UX design encompasses all aspects of a user's perceived experience with a product or website, such as its usability, usefulness, desirability, brand perception, and overall performance. UX design is also an element of the customer experience (CX), and encompasses all design aspects and design stages that are around a customer's experience.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Functional specification</span> Type of document

A functional specification in systems engineering and software development is a document that specifies the functions that a system or component must perform.

In technical communication, topic-based authoring or topic-based writing is a modular approach to content creation where content is structured around topics that can be mixed and reused in different contexts. It is defined in contrast with book-oriented or narrative content, written in the linear structure of written books.

A specification often refers to a set of documented requirements to be satisfied by a material, design, product, or service. A specification is often a type of technical standard.

A style guide is a set of standards for the writing, formatting, and design of documents. A book-length style guide is often called a style manual or a manual of style. A short style guide, typically ranging from several to several dozen pages, is often called a style sheet. The standards documented in a style guide are applicable either for general use, or prescribed use for an individual publication, particular organization, or specific field.

Technical translation is a type of specialized translation involving the translation of documents produced by technical writers, or more specifically, texts which relate to technological subject areas or texts which deal with the practical application of scientific and technological information. While the presence of specialized terminology is a feature of technical texts, specialized terminology alone is not sufficient for classifying a text as "technical" since numerous disciplines and subjects which are not "technical" possess what can be regarded as specialized terminology. Technical translation covers the translation of many kinds of specialized texts and requires a high level of subject knowledge and mastery of the relevant terminology and writing conventions.

An API writer is a technical writer who writes documents that describe an application programming interface (API). The primary audience includes programmers, developers, system architects, and system designers.

Technical documentation is a generic term for the classes of information created to describe the use, functionality or architecture of a product, system or service.

Shipdex is a collection of international business rules developed to standardize and improve the production and the exchange of technical information between equipment makers, shipyards and ship-owners according to international S1000D specifications already in use for about 30 years in the military sector and adopted more recently by Civil aviation. It enables equipment manufacturers and shipyards to structure, write and deliver technical manuals, and to load ERP and CMM systems with technical manual contents into a standardized electronic format, making them much easier to produce and manage, compared to traditional methods of writing technical manuals using a word processor.

References

  1. ↑ Hamlin, Annemarie; Rubio, Chris; Desilva, Michele (2015). "Audience Analysis".
  2. ↑ Marshall, Carrie (2018). Technical Writing For Business People (1st ed.). Swindon UK. p. 1.
  3. ↑ "Technical Communications - What is it? - Tech Writer Today".
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mike Markel (2012). Technical Communication 10th Edition. Bedford/St. Martins.
  5. ↑ "Technical Writers: Occupational Outlook Handbook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics". www.bls.gov. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  6. ↑ Johnson, Tom (December 19, 2011). "What Tools Do Technical Writers Use". I'd Rather Be Writing. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 O'Hara, Fredrick M. Jr. "A Brief History of Technical Communication" (PDF). Montana State University Billings. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 Crabbe, Stephen (2012). "Constructing a Contextual History of English Language Technical Writing" (PDF). University of Portsmouth. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 12, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  9. ↑ "History of Technical Writing". Proedit. 14 September 2012. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Dictionary and Thesaurus". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
  11. ↑ Johnson, Tom "What Tools Do Technical Writers Use". I'd Rather Be Writing. December 19, 2011. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
  12. ↑ Hewitt, John (January 18, 2005). "How Technical writers use Microsoft Visio". Poe War. Archived from the original on May 12, 2014. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  13. ↑ Brierley, Sean (2002). Screen Captures 102 (PDF). STC Carolina (Report). pp. 5–8. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  14. ↑ Johnson, Tom (December 19, 2011). "What Tools Do Technical Writers Use". I'd Rather Be Writing. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
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