The Society for Technical Communication defines the following:
"Technical communication is a broad field and includes any form of communication that exhibits one or more of the following characteristics:
Source: Unsplash by Glenn Cartsens Peters
How to Write and Present Technical Information, 4th Edition by
Thoroughly updated to discuss the use of tools such as Skype and social media, this concise volume shows how effective communication--via written text and spoken presentations--can positively impact project management in professional environments. Professional communications are the "information product" of all organizations and businesses. Based on that premise, this book offers communications strategies that will benefit any organization that disseminates technical information in-house and/or to customers. The popular work provides easy-to-understand and apply guidelines for designing and writing effective technical documents, as well as other related communications. What makes this new edition especially valuable is that it maintains the quality of information that distinguished the previous editions, but is now updated to encompass current technology and trends, including today's prevalent communication tools such as social media. The book begins by looking at skills common to all technical writing and offering general advice on designing and writing reports. Next is a discussion of specific types of reports along with common problems and issues writers face. Finally, the work overviews other forms of communications such as professional presentations. The updated material also considers the growing importance of interviews and focus groups as information-gathering tools, the influence of visual rhetoric, and the use of technologies such as Skype and webinars. * Maintains the quality of information that has made this text a longtime favorite while featuring significant updates to encompass current technology * Provides readers with clear guidelines for designing and writing a wide range of professional documents and associated communications * Offers effective strategies for solving communications problems * Includes primary source documents that illustrate the advice given
The Insider's Guide to Technical Writing by
Every complex product needs to be explained to its users, and technical writers, also known as technical communicators, are the ones who do that job. A growing field, technical writing requires multiple skills, including an understanding of technology, writing ability, and great people skills. Whether you're thinking of becoming a technical writer, just starting out, or you've been working for a while and feel the need to take your skills to the next level, The Insider's Guide to Technical Writing can help you be a successful technical writer and build a satisfying career. Inside the Book Is This Job for Me? What does it take to be a technical writer? Building the Foundation: What skills and tools do you need to get started? The Best Laid Plans: How do you create a schedule that won't make you go crazy? How do you manage different development processes, including Agile methodologies? On the Job: What does it take to walk into a job and be productive right away? The Tech Writer's Toolkit: How do you create style guides, indexes, templates and layouts? How do you manage localization and translation and all the other non-writing parts of the job? I Love My Job: How do you handle the ups and downs of being a technical writer? Appendixes: References to websites, books, and other resources to keep you learning. The Insider's Guide to Technical Writing builds on Van Laan's previous book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Technical Writing, but is significantly rewritten, extended, and brought up to date. About the Author Krista Van Laan has worked in, managed, and built from the ground up multi-level Technical Publications and User Experience departments in telecommunications, consumer software and hardware, enterprise software and services, and Internet companies, both in the United States and internationally. She is co-author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Technical Writing. Krista is currently the Director of User Experience at a Silicon Valley enterprise.
Practical Strategies for Technical Communication by
In Practical Strategies for Technical Communication, Mike Markel gives students the essentials they'll need to communicate successfully in today's workplace. The book offers concise and accessible yet thorough coverage of audience and purpose, research, style, and document design, and strategies for designing all of the major document types. For the second edition, Markel has worked with organizations to choose sample documents and annotate them with insights and advice from the employees who developed them. Throughout the text, a new set of engaging graphics provides visual explanations of key concepts.Practical Strategies for Technical Communication is now available with LaunchPad- a customizable course space featuring an ebook and an exciting array of digital resources including a test bank, adaptive quizzing, multimedia Document Analysis Activities, and more. To order or purchase the print book packaged with LaunchPad, use ISBN 9781319018207.
User Guides, Manuals and Technical Writing by
This book is intended for anyone whose job involves writing formal documentation. It is aimed at non-native speakers of English, but should also be of use for native speakers who have no training in technical writing. Technical writing is a skill that you can learn and this book outlines some simple ideas for writing clear documentation that will reflect well on your company, its image and its brand. The book has four parts: Structure and Content: Through examples, you will learn best practices in writing the various sections of a manual and what content to include. Clear Unambiguous English: You will learn how to write short clear sentences and paragraphs whose meaning will be immediately clear to the reader. Layout and Order Information: Here you will find guidelines on style issues, e.g., headings, bullets, punctuation and capitalization. Typical Grammar and Vocabulary Mistakes: This section is divided alphabetically and covers grammatical and vocabulary issues that are typical of user manuals.
Writing Health Communication by
Research has shown that information given to patients and materials designed to influence health behaviour often fail to achieve their aims. As a result, health professionals need proven strategies to ensure that information is selected, designed and presented appropriately for the target audience. In response, Writing for Health Communication provides a practical guide to designing health information, using evidence-based strategies to engage, inform and persuade different audiences. The book outlines the steps a writer needs to go through in creating successful materials. Starting with an understanding of how people read and process information and how behaviour is influenced, the book then covers the practicalities of " Choosing an approach " Message framing " Text design and layout " Using graphics " Computer tailoring Each chapter is illustrated with examples - including both good and bad practice and covering a range of health topics. For students and professionals in healthcare, health promotion, health education and public health, Writing for Health Communication is an invaluable guide to best practice.
Writing High-Quality Medical Publications by
The imperative to "publish and not perish" has never been more compelling. Yet millions of manuscripts are prepared each year without a clear path to publication by a peer-reviewed medical journal. Enter "The Gutkin Manual." Drawing from the author's distinguished, nearly 30-year career, this comprehensive and supportive guide helps to get your paper accepted--and by the journal of first choice. Elucidating pivotal principles of quality, and biostatistics, and informed by the belief that your writing can be engaging, elegant, and memorable--no matter how technical and complex the subject matter, this volume can be your trustworthy companion as you seek to enhance both the structure and substance of your manuscripts.