Technical Writing: Overview
http://www.poewar.com/archives/2004/10/25/technical-writing-part-one-overview/

Hewitt, John
Writer's Resource Center
2004

Abstract:

Technical writing as a field covers many different areas. Many people, when they think of technical writers, think of user manuals for their favorite (or least favorite) software application. That is certainly one job a technical writer might have, but it is far from the only job. Some technical writers spend much more time working of reference materials, which can take the form of long books filled with technical information but very little in the way of instructions. Some technical writers spend their time creating online help files for people with specific problems that occur within an application. Other technical writers rarely work on new information at all; they spend their time updating old manuals or datasheets. Many technical writers work on a large team focused on creating a single document or set of documents. Other technical writers find themselves in charge of every single technical document an organization produces. A technical writer may create a single sheet of information or a thousand page book. The occupation is very diverse.