Definition of Technical Writing

Technical writing entails writing about a particular topic that requires direction, explanation, or instruction. The purpose and characteristics of this type of writing differ greatly from those of other types such as creative writing, academic writing, and business writing.

Uses for Technical Writing

An example of technical writing is explaining and/or providing instructions that are straightforward and easy to understand. Technical writing is an effective and clear way to explain something.

The subject of technical writing can either be:

• Tangible - Material that can be seen or touched, such as a computer or software program, or instructions for assembling furniture.
  
• Abstrakt - Relates to something that was not a tangible object. A process in an office could be an example of this.

Other technical writing examples are:

• instructions
  
• and policy manuals
• Procedure manuals
• User guides
• Analytical reports
• Assembly instructions
• A brief summary of a long report that highlights and summarizes the most important points

of the report

Technical writing requires the writer to learn their audience, write in a non-personal style, and conduct extensive research on the topic regardless of the type of document they are writing. This helps the writer to create clear instructions and explanations for the reader.

• Identify your audience. An expert in this field will understand certain abbreviations, acronyms, and lingo related to the field. The novice will not understand in the same way, so each detail must be explained to them.
  
• Write in an impersonal manner. Write from the perspective of a teacher instructing a student. Omit any opinions.
• For the reader to understand the process or instruction, writing should be straightforward, to the point, and as simple as possible. Often, this may appear as a list of steps to follow to achieve a goal or as a short or detailed explanation of a concept or abstract idea.
• Know how to research. Gather information from a variety of sources, analyze the gathered information in a thorough manner, and then present the information in an easy-to-understand format to instruct those who read the material. You will need to gather and explain more information.
• You should describe your points in enough detail, but remember to use an economy of words so that you do not bore your reader with unnecessary details.

A skilled technical writer can simplify difficult tasks and explain complex ideas quickly.