Technical writing is a growing profession required in many of today's manufacturing, medical and research organizations. These organizations rely on technical writing to communicate complex information to customers/clients, co-workers or engineers/scientists by incorporating a mix of simplified content and visual communication.
The work of technical writing requires an ability to accurately research and interpret complex technical content and explain it in a format, style, and reading level readers will understand and/or connect with - depending on the audience. The range of audiences for technical writing varies widely. By far, the most common form of technical writing is for procedural documentation (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. 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, the content generally describes a specialized topic with a persuasive bias. Known as white papers, these industry journal articles and academic papers are considered a form of marketing and are written to appeal to readers very familiar with a technical topic. Unlike procedural technical writing, white papers often include unique industry terms and data. Sometimes called scientific technical writing, this form of technical writing must show a deep knowledge of a subject and the field of work with the sole purpose of persuading the reader to purchase a product/service, or support an opinion/discovery. [1] The majority of persuasive technical writing documents are ghost written by a technical writer for an organization's industry expert.
In most cases, however, technical writers help convey complex scientific or niche subjects to end users in "laymen's" terms and write purely factual content describing a product or service's assembly, installation or operational procedures. Modern procedural technical writing relies on simple terms and short sentences, rather than detailed explanations with unnecessary information like pronouns, abstract words and/or unfamiliar acronyms. [2] Although technical writing plays an integral part 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 is an expert in technical writing and relies on an organization's Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), internal specifications, and a formal engineering review process to ensure a document's information is accurate. This provides the necessary division of labor for growing organizations to produce and manage professional technical documentation. (e.g., Technical writers focus on documentation format, grammar, and style. Engineers and scientists focus on documentation accuracy). Most technical writers hold a degree in a liberal art writing discipline, such as: technical communication, journalism, English, technical journalism, communication, etc. Technical writing is recognized as 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, finance, medical, consumer electronics, biotechnology, and forestry.
Technical writing is almost always performed by a trained technical writer and the content they produce is part of a well-defined process. Technical writers follow strict guidelines so the technical information they share appears in a single, popularly used standardized format and style (e.g., DITA, markdown format, AP Stylebook, Chicago Manual of Style). The authors of any organization's technical writing should be indistinguishable to the reader - with no variations in grammar use and/or style. A technical writer's primary task is to communicate technical information to another person or party in the clearest and most effective manner possible. [4]: 4 [5] The information that technical writers communicate 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 computers as well. Technical writers use a wide range of programs to create and edit illustrations, diagrams, CAD explosions, and use the latest document processors to design, create, and format documents. [6]
While technical writing is commonly associated with instructions and user manuals, the terms technical writing and technical documentation can cover a wider range of genres and formats, including: memos, reports, business proposals, datasheets, product descriptions and specifications, and white papers are but a few examples of writing that can be considered technical documentation. [7]
Technical writing is not always handled by dedicated technical writers. Engineers occasionally write about their own work, but this rarely occurs at 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.
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 technical writing. Geoffrey Chaucer's work, A Treatise on the Astrolabe, is an early example of a technical document. The earliest examples of what would be considered modern procedural technical writing date back to the early German and English alchemists who documented their discoveries as " recipes" as far back as 1100 A.D.
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. [8]: 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. [8]
The field of technical communication grew during the Industrial Revolution. [9]: 3 There was a growing need to provide people with instructions for using the increasingly complex machines that were being invented. [9]: 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. [9]
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. [8]: 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. [8]: 1
Following World War II, technological advances led to an increase in consumer goods and standards of living. [8]: 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. [8]: 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. [10]
The invention of the transistor in 1947 allowed computers to be produced more cheaply and within the purchasing range of individuals and small businesses. [8]: 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. [8]: 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. [8]
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. [8]: 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 writing covers many genres and writing styles, depending on the information and audience. Some examples of commonly used technical documentation include:
The following tools are used by technical writers to author and present documents: