A technical writer is a professional communicator whose task is to convey complex information in simple terms to an audience of the general public or a very select group of readers.
Technical writers research and create information through a variety of delivery media (electronic, printed, audio-visual, and even touch).
Inherent in such a concise and deceptively simple definition is a whole range of skills and characteristics that address nearly every field of human endeavor at some level.
), but are more likely to employ professional technical writers to develop, edit and format material, and follow established review procedures as a means delivering information to their audiences.
The job title emerged in the US during World War II,[4] Although it was not until 1951 that the first "Help Wanted: Technical Writer" ad was published.
[5] In fact, the title "Technical Writer" was not added to the US Bureau of Labor Statistic's Occupational Employment Handbook until 2010.
[6] During the 1940s and 50s, technical communicators and writers were hired to produce documentation for the military, often including detailed instructions on new weaponry.
To this day, most organizations still employ a team to produce and edit technical writing for an assigned product or service.
Regular one-on-one meetings with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and internal research references (e.g., mechanical drawings, specifications, BOMs, datasheets, etc.)
During World War II, one of the most important characteristics for technical writers was their ability to follow stringent government specifications for documents.
[6] According to Malone,[6] technical communicators/writers did so by creating professional organizations, cultivating a "specialized body of knowledge" for the profession, imposing ethical standards on technical communicators, initiating a conversation about certifying practitioners in the field, and working to accredit education programs in the field.
Many technical writers work remotely using VPN or communicate with their team via videotelephony platforms such as Skype or Zoom.
They may be responsible for creating content that will only be viewed on a hand-held device; much of their work will never be published in a printed booklet like technical documentation of the past.
[10][8] Lauer and Brumberger further assert, “…UX is a natural extension of the work that technical communicators already do, especially in the modern technological context of responsive design, in which content is deployed across a wide range of interfaces and environments.
According to Markel,[15] useful technical documents are measured by eight characteristics: "honesty, clarity, accuracy, comprehensiveness, accessibility, conciseness, professional appearance, and correctness."
To create effective technical documentation, the writer must analyze three elements that comprise the rhetorical situation of a particular project: audience, purpose, and context.
Context is the physical and temporal circumstances in which readers use communication—for example: at their office desks, in a manufacturing plant, during the slow summer months, or in the middle of a company crisis.
For example, if the document is a quick troubleshooting guide to the controls on a small watercraft, the writer may have the pages laminated to increase usable life.
Printed and online documentation may differ in various ways, but still adhere to largely identical guidelines for prose, information structure, and layout.
Typically, the writer finishes a draft and passes it to one or more SMEs who conduct a technical review to verify accuracy and completeness.
[20] The physical working environment of most company-employed technical writers typically entails an open office with desktop computers and individual desks.
As of 2023, after social distancing policies have been loosened, many organizations have decided to maintain the option for employees to work remotely.
Technical writers commonly produce training for the technologies they document—including classroom guides and e-learning—and some transition to specialize as professional trainers and instructional designers.
In April 2021, the U.S Department of Labor expected technical writer employment to grow seven percent from 2019 to 2029, slightly faster than the average for all occupations.