A TECHNICAL WRITER

A TECHNICAL WRITER 

• Technical writing is a specialised field. 
• It requires: 
• personal discipline, skill in writing clearly and concisely, understanding of technical products and processes, organization skill, knowledge of software tools. 
• Technical writers have a liking for technology. Some background knowledge on the topic helps the writer a lot. 

NEEDS OF A TECH. WRITER

• A computer for word-processing, creating graphics and laying out of text. 
• Online documentation tools such as HTML, WinHelp 
• Communication skills – writing, editing and proof reading 
• Ability to work closely with people. 

A TECH. WRITER 

• Creates communication from product developers to users of products. 
• Produces the following: 
• product instructions, 
• reference and maintenance manuals, articles, project proposals, training materials, technical reports, catalogues, brochures, online documentation and help systems. 
• They also have to do the following: 
• design Web pages, 
• carry out multimedia presentations, 
• prepare parts lists, 
• write assembly instructions, 
• create sales promotion materials. 

Process for A Tech. Writer 

• Analyse needs of audience 
• Study data available 
• Interview subject specialists 
• Refer documents – bulletins, manuals 
• Produce or arrange for illustrations, charts, photographs to be included. 
• Edit, revise material prepared
• Prepare layouts, rough drafts for review 
• Create and edit Web pages. 
• Technical writers often specialise in a specific industry. 
• eg. Those in the computer industry might specialise in software documentation, tutorials or user manuals. 
• Technical writers are also known as specialists, developers editors, designers – most commonly used is the word ‘writer’. 

Skills Necessary for a Tech. Writer 

• Writing – communicate effectively 
• Active Listening – listening and asking questions 
• Speaking – to convey effectively 
• Information Gathering – knowing how to find and identify 
• Information Organisation – finding ways to structure or classify
• Synthesis / Reorganisation – for better approach to problem / task 
• Active Learning- working with new material to grasp implications 
• Product Inspection – inspecting and evaluating for quality 
• English language – Knowledge of structure, meaning and spelling for words, rules of composition, grammar. 

Work Environment 

• Usually at a desk in office 
• During planning and production stages – may be expected to travel 
• Keep to deadlines 
• May work on contract or free lance to produce: -instruction books, user guides, repair manuals, catalogues, brochures, policy guides, handbooks. 

Documents for Tech. 

• Writing Usually sales and marketing material 
• User and instruction manuals 
• Specifications and requirement documents 
• Online help 
• Web site material 

Purposes of Documents 

• Sales and Marketing 
• Communicate information about the product and or services available 
• Has limited space – words have to be concise. 
• User and Instruction Manuals 
• to assist the customer in some process. 
• Get the point across using the least number of words. 
• Specifications and Requirements Documents 
• Specification -a detailed description of something 
• Make sure there are no misunderstandings. 
• Be careful with the use of acronyms.
• conciseness and readability have to be maintained. 

Conciseness

• Giving the best words / phrases possible to get across the point in the least words possible. 
• Writing and editing help with conciseness. 
• Words have to be well chosen. 
• A technical writer needs to be concise and have an understanding of the product to communicate effectively. 

Documents Needed by Companies 

• Marketing Copy – to advertise products and services 
• User guides and Manuals – for products sold 
• Administrative Material – to keep business running smoothly 
• Published articles and Documents. 

Marketing Material 

• Provides customers information about the company and its products. 
• May include; 
• Promotional Brochures
• Advertisements, Flyers, Catalogues, other pre-sale literature 
• Informational Brochures. (Can come via CD-ROM or on WWW. Was done by marketing specialists but done now by professional documentation specialists.)

User Guides and Manuals 

• Explain how to use the product 
• Meant for both customers and for internal use. 
• Include: 
• Quick reference guides 
• Software user or reference guides 
• Hardware reference and user guides 
• combination guides. 
• Many companies have guides and manuals online. 
• Commercial software companies have help files with software. 

Other types of Documentation 

• Quick reference guides 
• Software user guides 
• Software reference guides 
• Hardware / Software combination guides 
• Hardware user guides 
• Hardware installation, reference and repair guides 
• Administrative material – to cover administrative requirements 
• Include;
• Organisation Manuals to guide employees or customers of an organisation about policies and procedures, styles and identity guides and benefit guides. May have online versions. 
• Training Materials for use in training and include manuals, tutorials, workbooks etc. 
• Annual reports - summarise activities or financial position. 

• Miscellaneous Material 
• Magazines / trade journals 
• Newsletters 
• Technical Reports 
• Speeches 

A Technical Manual 

• Writing - a team effort but a communicator gets only one portion of the whole thing. 
• Other parts go to the Graphics designer, editor etc. 
• The process involves finding out about the breakdown of tasks, the detail and the final product.
• Standard – a text based with illustrations. 
• Usually delivered on a paper but can be online. 
• Are usually user, service and training manual or guides. 
• Have to be user friendly. 
• Marketing material may follow same patterns. 

Tasks for a Technical Manual 

• Research and interview for information 
• Outline and organize technical material 
• Draw or collect pictures and graphics 
• Transform technical material into common language 
• Edit written material 
• Print and bind material 
• Deliver final product 

Interim Products in Complex Project 

• Many people involved - interim products get passed from one to another. 
• Interim products are: 
• research and interview documents or notes 
• material logically organised or outlines 
• pictures / graphics organised and entered 
• texts of technical material in common language
• final drafts after editing
• packaged products to be delivered.