#23394
Obey Standards or Follow Customer Needs?
What is more important in technical writing: obeying the standards and regulations or following the customer's needs?
Thiele, Ulrich. TC-FORUM (1999). Articles>Writing>Standards>Technical Writing
#30335
On Teaching Technical/Business Writing
Whether one teaches business communication or technical writing (or some amalgam of the two), the first statements an instructor makes in class should be to apprise students that the course upon which they are embarking is but a specialty within a larger field of writing, that their courses in English composition, philosophy and survey of literature (and the papers written for those courses) will all apply to the specialized communication field they now must address.
Wyld, Lionel D. Boston Broadside (1992). Articles>Education>Writing>Technical Writing
#18520
With wider acceptance and use of Engineering Cases in engineering education, there is a new form of engineering writing available. This paper presents some ideas based on our experience with cases over the last ten years, including writing over 25 cases (good or bad), assisting with several student-written cases, using cases extensively in our courses, and reviewing many cases, e.g., for Engineering Education. Use of Engineering Cases is still in its infancy; as use matures, things will change. We have adopted many ideas suggested by colleagues reviewing our cases. We have also drawn heavily on ideas from case writing for business schools. We do not view this as a definitive paper on case writing. We present these ideas as a compilation which may be useful to those who are considering writing cases and wonder what it is about. We also offer our compilation to seasoned case writers as a position with which to differ.
Kardos, Geza and C.O. Smith. Carleton University (1979). Articles>Writing>Engineering>Technical Writing
#10426
This article contributes two arguments to the disciplinary conversation of technical communication with the aim of exploring leadership opportunities our field has in the field of information technology. The arguments assert that 1.) Writing is the core technology in any IT system, and all IT systems attempt to leverage the core strengths of writing to make these systems more valuable. 2.) Technical communicators have a central role to play in IT systems consonant with our core competencies: we attend to the balance of situated as opposed to generalized strategies and the balance of appeals to identity in writing about the practical use of technology, and we are well prepared to attend to these balances in other important arenas of IT discourse. Together, these two arguments are meant to begin or continue conversations—in workplace and academic contexts alike—that bring the issues of IT development and the future of technical communication closely together.
Hart-Davidson, William. Technical Communication Online (2001). Articles>TC>Writing>Technical Writing
#22687
One Hundred Simple Tech Writing Errors
Here are the 100 writing errors that the author has encountered in his experience. (Followed by the subsequent article 'Ten More Errors in Technical Writing.')
Kamath, Gurudutt R. IT People (2003). Articles>Editing>Grammar>Technical Writing
#21224
Opportunities in Engineering Publications 
Doing technical writing from within an engineering department can offer some special opportunities for the more technically-inclined technical writer. Compared to customary technical publications departments, there may be a greater variety of projects. There may also be more chances for inexperienced writers, especially engineers and technicians who want to enter technical writing.
Harvey, Patrick. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Writing>Engineering>Technical Writing
#28133
A technical writer is not respected; information providers and reviewers do not understand the importance of documentation; my deadlines are not given priority. Do these statements sound familiar? Are there any solutions to these woes that will help us deliver the best output to the end-user?
Lawrence, Prema. International Journal for Technical Communication (2006). Articles>Writing>Technical Writing>Workplace
#21823
The Place of Communication in Technical Writing Programs 
The Modern Language Association recently outlined numerous changes in English Studies, citing the significant growth of jobs in technical and professional communication. Since 1997, thenumber of academic positions advertised in our field has increased by 76 percent. The reasons are simple: the job market for capable communicators has expanded (primarily due to technology), andmore and more students want a major or minor that provides the knowledge and skills necessary to meetthe increased demand. Many English departments, including our own (Virginia Tech and University of Nebraska at Omaha [UNO], are responding to students’ needs by hiring faculty to build programs inprofessional/technical communication.
Bridgeford, Tracy and James M. Dubinsky. CPTSC Proceedings (2001). Articles>Education>Writing>Technical Writing
#21582
Portrait of a Maturing Department 
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock's Department of Rhetoric and Writing has been an independent department since 1993. When we left the English Department, the writing programs -- composition, the shared B.A. program in Professional and Technical Writing, and the M.A. program in Technical and Expository Writing -- naturally came with us. What we didn't have was a developmental vision of a program.
L'Eplattenier, Barbara, Betty Freeland, Cindy Nahrwold, Karen Kuralt and Susann Barr. CPTSC Proceedings (2001). Articles>Education>Technical Writing
#30090
Preparing to Teach Technical Writing
To teach technical writing effectively, technical writing teachers should know enough about their students' fields to understand what their students write and help them learn how to write appropriately for non-academic audiences. This paper discusses the need for additional preparation to teach technical writing. It presents the results of an informal survey of science and business faculty, identifying resources teachers can use to learn basic concepts in science and business. Also, the paper considers the value of such a survey in developing writing assignments and rapport with faculty whose majors take technical writing courses.
Samson, Donald C., Jr. STC Proceedings (1999). Articles>Education>Writing>Technical Writing
#29695
The Presentation of Safety Information in Product Manuals
Technical communicators may be asked to design and develop safety information for a product manual. During this process, technical communicators can add value to the presentation of safety information. In addition to adhering to a manufacturer’s internal guideline for the content and formatting of safety information, other factors can be considered as well. This paper presents the following factors: (1) an overview of common failure-to-warn allegations, (2) an analysis of current practices in automotive owner’s manuals for presenting safety information, and (3) an update on a new ANSI Z535 consensus standard for the presentation of safety information in product manuals.
Wisniewski, Elaine. STC Proceedings (2005). Articles>Documentation>Risk Communication>Technical Writing
#21228
The Procedure Writer©: A Wizard, A Writing Guide And Nine Magic Templates
The Procedure Writer is an easily navigable collection of steps: a wizard with seven windows, nine templates, and instructions that offer the user-cum-writer the maximum freedom in determining how a module is written. At the same time, the instructions and the nature of the templates are designed to obligate the writer/user to follow P&P standards.
King, Geoffrey, Tom Tomasovic and Mandy Huang. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Documentation>Writing>Technical Writing
#27497
The Process of Writing a Technical Manual
Whether you are doing the whole job, have been assigned a critical part of the project or are managing the production of the technical manual, you need to know the process involved.
Kurtus, Ron. School for Champions (2005). Articles>Writing>Technical Writing
#30542
Producing Brochures in the Technical Writing Classroom
Producing brochures for real clients teaches college-level technical writing students about constraints of cost, time, and the availability of materials. Brochure writing also provides opportunities for learning more about editing, collaborative work, document design, and the problems which may occur during the production of real documents. Brochures of good quality can be produced by a class in approximately three weeks, or nine classroom hours. Grading brochures is expedited through the use of a simple heuristic.
Ryan, Charlton. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Education>Document Design>Technical Writing
#13052
Prototypes in Technical Writing: What are They?
A prototype is, generally speaking, a preliminary model of a larger, more detailed object. In technical writing, a prototype might be a full table of contents (with summaries for each major section) and one or two complete chapters. If conducting a survey is an important part of your project, your prototype might be a complete survey of a small number of subjects, designed to iron out the kinks in the questions you want to ask. A good prototype will help you identify flaws (such as incomplete research or mistaken assumptions) before you have multiplied their harmful effects by investing additional effort in them. A sculptor makes a scale model in clay -- a prototype -- before chiseling away at a full-sized chunk of marble. It it much easier to fix major mistakes in clay than it is to throw away a ruined chunk of marble and start over again.
Jerz, Dennis G. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (2000). Articles>Writing>Online>Technical Writing
#27655
Putting the "Technical" in "Technical Writer"
By becoming more technical, you can interact more efficiently with software developers and qualify for a greater variety of software documentation projects. This article outlines ways to learn more about three prevalent technologies: programming languages, databases, and Web server technologies.
Owens, David. WritersUA (2004). Articles>Writing>Technical Writing
#20547
Putting the "Technical" in "Technical Writer"
Owens explains how technical writers can bolster their credentials as technically knowledgeable employees. He provides brief introductions to technologies that technical writers are most likely to encounter on the job: programming languages, databases, and Web server technologies.
Owens, David. Intercom (2003). Articles>Writing>Information Design>Technical Writing
#21990
Putting the Writer Back Into Technical Writing
It is one thing to complain about the shortcomings of technical writing but quite another to actually set forward a reasonable solution.
#28136
Quality Criteria for Indexes, Website Navigation and Search 
When users find the answers they are looking for, the investment in technical documentation gets a chance to pay off. In large volumes of technical information, just finding the answer can be half the battle. Microsoft found that users of its intranet were spending an average of 2.5 hours per day online - 50% of that being searching. This article was written as part of an experimental online workshop with the MITWA (Mentors, Indexers, Technical Writers & Associates) discussion group(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MITWA/). The article retains the workshop format including learning assignments.
Brown, Fred. International Journal for Technical Communication (2006). Articles>Information Design>Web Design>Technical Writing
#20134
Quality Documentation: ISO 9000 as a Process Model
While ‘quality’ is no longer the most popular buzz-word, there is still a need for thorough understanding of what it means to document a quality program. In preparing for ISO 9000 certification, I developed useful techniques which can be used to improve quality in other documentation tasks. Even if you're not involved in ISO 9000, it can serve as a good general model for documentation management. This paper briefly describes the ISO 9000 standard and the process of certification, how documentation in a quality program is different than usual technical documentation. and some of the useful tools and techniques.
Magyar, Miki D. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Management>Policies and Procedures>Technical Writing
#30560
ISO is a quality system that all companies interested in global competition must subscribe to. ISO certification includes hidden benefits for the technical writing area, which will improve the day-to-day operation of that area. Not only will these benefits help technical writing management in project and contingency planning, they will also help in performance appraisals. Most importantly, the final result is an overall definition of technical writing's role in the company.
Jahnke, Jean M. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Writing>Technical Writing>Standards
#27462
Real Costs Of Technical Publications
This workshop shows a technical publication manager or rising professional how to work in the following technical publishing/financial areas: project management, operating budget preparation and management, and quality control.
Caernarven-Smith, Patricia. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Publishing>Technical Writing>Project Management
#30561
Reducing Complexity in Documentation
With more emphasis being placed on customer satisfaction, technical writers need to focus on information strategies that will lead to happier customers. The complexity of the information is one common complaint of customers. Writers need to understand what customers think is complex. Then, writers need to develop strategies to combat these complexities.
Roscoe-Iverson, Ellen. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Documentation>Technical Writing>Minimalism
#19131
Reflections of a GTA on the Teaching of Technical Writing
Though I have a degree in technical communication and have worked as a technical writer for four years, I still had no idea what should be taught in a technical writing classroom, or how one should go about teaching it. Before I ventured into the arena as an instructor, I wanted to find out what goes on in a technical writing classroom. Two types of practical research that I thought would provide some insight into technical writing instruction were: an observation of different technical communication classrooms; and a survey of various textbooks available for technical communication courses.
Anderson, Ginger. Michigan Tech University (1998). Articles>Education>TC>Technical Writing
#22017
Review: Reporting Technical Information
When I first picked up Reporting Technical Information, I thought from the title it was going to be a primer on writing technical reports. Instead, this book turned out to be a basic, though somewhat better than average, textbook on technical writing.
Coleman, Colleen. Technical Communication Online (2002). Articles>Reviews>Reports>Technical Writing
