SINOGBA, Shem Johnry M.

Technical writing, a form of technical communication, is a style of formal writing and is used in fields as diverse as computer hardware and software, 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 usually not SMEs themselves (unless they're 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 writers often labour under titles or department names like Information Development, Technical Documentation, or Technical Publications. Technical writers themselves may be called API Writers, information developers, documentation specialists, documentation engineers, or technical content developers.

History

The origins of technical writing have been variously attributed to Ancient Greece, the Renaissance, and the mid-19th century. However, a clear trend towards the discipline can be seen from the First World War on, 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 on the East Coast: 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).

Deliverables

Technical writing is most often associated with online help and user manuals; however, there are other forms of technical content created by technical writers, including API programmers' guides, and many other corporate documents when they deal with technical subjects. These may include (for example) legal disclaimers, policies and procedures, business proposals, product release notes, product troubleshooting guides, product user guides and white papers.

Parodies

Technical writing is often subject to parody, due to publication of poor quality technical documents by unqualified individuals. Perhaps the classic parody of poor technical writing is the assembly instruction sheet for a complicated device such as a bicycle or barbecue grill, which is the product of writers whose native language is not that of the target audience, and who lack any sense of effective use of overview, naming, and sequencing in technical instruction documents.