Technical writing

Technical writing is the writing of technical content, particularly relating to industrial and other
applied sciences, with an emphasis on occupational contexts.

 The range of audiences for technical writing varies widely. In some cases, it is directed to
people with specialized knowledge, such as experts or technicians.
 In other situations, technical writers help convey complex scientific or niche subjects to
end users who need a basic understanding of a concept rather than a full explanation of
a subject.
 Technical writing is the largest part of technical communication.
Examples of fields
Examples of fields requiring technical writing include computer hardware and software,
architecture, engineering, chemistry, aeronautics, robotics, finance, medical, consumer
electronics, biotechnology, and forestry.
Who use technical writing

 Technical writing is performed by a technical writer (or technical author) and is the
process of writing and sharing technical information in a professional setting.
 A technical writer's primary task is to communicate technical information to another
person or party in the clearest and most effective manner possible.
 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, diagramming programs to create
visual aids, and document processors to design, create, and format documents.

 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. 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.

 And for highly technical jobs (e.g., engineering and other applied sciences), aspects of
résumés and job applications can also be considered technical writing.
Technical Documents
Technical writing covers many genres and writing styles, depending on the information and
audience.[5]: 84–114 Technical documents are not solely produced by technical writers. Almost
anyone who works in a professional setting produces technical documents of some variety.
Some examples of technical documentation include:
 API guides are written for the developer community and are used to explain
the application programming interfaces.
 Case study is a published report about a person, group, or situation that has been
studied over time; also : a situation in real life that can be looked at or studied to learn
about something. For example, an individual's challenging situation at his or her
workplace and how he or she resolved it is a case study.
 Datasheets are the documents that summarize the features, key specifications, technical
characteristics, application circuits, and some other important information about the
product, machine, equipment, software, application, or system in brief.
 Descriptions are shorter explanations of procedures and processes that help readers
understand how something works.[5]: 564 For example, a technical writer might author
a document that shows the effects of greenhouse gases or demonstrates how the
braking system on a bike functions.
 Emails, letters, and memoranda are some of the most frequently written documents in
a business.[16]: 117 Letters and emails can be constructed with a variety of goals—some
are usually aimed at simply communicating information while others are designed to
persuade the recipient to accomplish a certain task. While letters are usually written to
people outside of a company, memoranda (memos) are documents written to other
employees within the business.[16]: 118
 Help systems are online help centers that provide users with technical information
about products and services. They provide content as web pages that are viewed in a
browser. The content may be created in help center software, such as Zendesk, or in help
authoring tools or component content management systems that can create a help
center as an HTML output.

 Instructions and procedures are documents that help either developers or end-users
operate or configure a device or program.[16]: 226 Examples of instructional documents
include user manuals and troubleshooting guides for computer programs, computer
hardware, household products, medical equipment, mechanical products, and
automobiles.
 Press releases. When a company wants to publicly reveal a new product or service, they
will have a writer author a press release. This is a document that describes the product's
functions and value to the public.[17]
 Proposals. Most projects begin with a proposal—a document that describes the purpose
of a project, the tasks that will be performed in the project, the methods used to
complete the project, and finally, the cost of the project.[16]: 191 Proposals cover a wide
range of subjects. For example, a technical writer may author a proposal that outlines
how much it will cost to install a new computer system, a marketing professional may
write a proposal with the product offerings, and a teacher may write a proposal that
outlines how a new biology class will be structured.
 Résumés and job applications are another example of technical documents.[16]: 284–
285 They are documents that are used in a professional setting to inform readers of the
author's credentials.
 Specifications are design outlines that describe the structure, parts, packaging, and
delivery of an object or process in enough detail that another party can reconstruct it.
[18] For example, a technical writer might diagram and write the specifications for a
smartphone or bicycle so that a manufacturer can produce the object.
 Technical reports are written to provide readers with information, instructions, and
analysis for tasks. Reports come in many forms. For example, a technical writer might
evaluate a building that is for sale and produce a trip report that highlights his or her
findings and whether he or she believes the building should be purchased. Another
writer who works for a non-profit company may publish an evaluation report that shows
the findings of the company's research into air pollution.
 Websites. The advent of hypertext has changed the way documents are read, organized,
and accessed. Technical writers of today are often responsible for authoring pages on
websites like "About Us" pages or product pages. They are often expected to be
proficient in web development tools.
 White papers are documents that are written for experts in a field and typically describe
a solution to a technological or business challenge or problem. Examples of white papers
include a piece that details how to make a business stand out in the market or a piece
explaining how to prevent cyber-attacks on businesses.