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Why do we need technical writers to write technical documentation? by swathi naik
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Why do we need technical writers to write technical documentation? |
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Writing,Business,Copywriting
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Description Technical writing is currently a booming industry in India. A professional technical writer is the one who handles technical writing in an organization. Knowledge on industry writing standards and also about the tools that are used to create a more appealing document is necessary for a technical writer. Here in Black & White Tech Writing Solutions we have a team of talented technical writers who possess the knowledge and talent in creating technical document of international standards. We help organizations to provide better user adoption and cut down cost on maintaining a technical support forum. What is technical writing? Technical writing is a process of creating documents on complex technical concepts and instructions in simple steps, so that users can perform intended tasks in a specific way with ease. The process of writing a technical document involves translating technical information into documents that are both precise and concise. There are different types of technical documentations that include release notes, product installation guides, walk through demos; whitepapers and case studies. The most commonly known technical documents are the user guides and product manuals. Users of any hardware or software products would be aware of these documents. Who is a technical writer? A technical writer is a professional who possess technical knowledge with good writing abilities. A technical writer should be able to create technical material in a concise and effective way. For a technical writer to present information in the most appropriate manner, he/she should first be aware of the target audience and the goal of the document. For example, a user manual for java JDK software will require minimum technical information as the audience here would have more technical knowledge when compared to audience for a user manual of a television, which is written for general public. Why do we need technical writers? Documents can be printed or posted online, but before doing that they should follow some similar guidelines, layout and structure in giving information to maintain professionalism in a consistent manner. A good technical document should follow many formal standards or guidelines. Technical documentation will have various styles and formats to choose from. These are usually chosen depending on the medium it is used and subject area it has to cover. Generally, technical writers follow formatting conventions described in a standard style guide. The two most used style guides being MSTP (Manual of Style for Technical Publication) and CMS (Chicago Manual of Style). There are also many tools used by technical writers to make a document more appealing and also professional. The tools are necessary to create or customize both text and visual graphics in the document. Technical writers generally follow five procedures in creation of a technical document. They are: 1. Analyzing the audience for whom the document is been created. 2. Collecting all the required information of a product that is been documented. 3. Coming up with a project plan and a document layout to give a structure for the document. 4. Proof reading the document created to make sure there are no typographical errors, such as errors in grammar or spelling. 5. Sending the document for detailed final review from subject matter experts or the technical team. On acceptance of the document there is a sign-off mail sent by the reviewed team confirming the successful completion of document creation. Conclusion: Though in some smaller organizations the developers themselves try and create technical documentation, their lack of writing skills are clearly displayed with inconsistent document structure and improper format. To create a good technical documentation it requires more knowledge about writing format other than just having a good command over language, which a technical writer is trained to possess. Documents that are created with proper documentation knowledge confirm proper use of styles and accuracy in both technicality and writing. About the author Black and White tech writing solutions is an end-to-end documentation company. We believe that a writer is a voice that promotes company’s products, success, commitment, and achievements. Black and white tech writing solution is based in Bangalore, India. We possess a well versed team of creative writers and technical writers. We provide end to end documentation service, which include marketing collaterals, user manuals, White papers, installation guides, and spec sheets. Black and White offers technical writing training for aspiring writers. For more information on technical documentation visit www.bwtechwriting.com If you have any queries on technical documentation, drop an e-mail to info@bwtechwriting.com
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technical documentation, technical writing, writing,
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