1 WHAT IS TECHNICAL WRITING?

Technical writing is about communicating key information to the people who need it in the most suitable way and format. That might be printed material, but it could also be a graphic or a video.

That information might be a tutorial for a software application, a guide to using heavy machinery safely, a diagnostic aide for medical practitioners or a guidance note about new legislation.

If you work in a technical or specialist field of any kind you may be a technical writer already.

According to the Society for Technical Communications, technical communication has one or more of the following characteristics:1

1. Communicating about technical or specialised topics, such as computer applications, medical procedures ...

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