Technical Writing, a form of technical communication, is a style of formal writing and business communication, used in fields as diverse as computer hardware and software, chemistry, the aerospace industry, robotics, finance, consumer electronics, and biotechnology. Good technical writing clarifies technical jargon; that is, it presents useful information that is clear and easy to understand for the intended audience.
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Next to writing an enthusiastic thank you note for socks received as a birthday gift, the most difficult task for many writers is creating a help wanted ad that succinctly defines the requirements of the position while encouraging only perfect candidates to apply.
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Helping Chinese-American Professionals To Develop Their Technical Writing Skills 
Three components of American English create great difficulty for Chinese-American college students and professionals trying to improve their technical writing. They are the articles ('a,' 'an,' and 'the'); prepositions; and verb tense. This paper reveals key reasons for these difficulties and explains how to ease them. It is meant to assist teachers, editors, and the Chinese-Americans who write for them. As a starting point, teachers and editors need to know how the Chinese language differs from English in its treatment of these three components. So informed, they can take appropriate actions to bring about improvement.
Mazzatenta, Ernest D. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Language>Writing>Technical Writing
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Helping New Writers Through Their First Year
Are you afraid to hire an entry-level writer? Are you asking yourself questions like: Will an entry-level writer take up too much of my time? Will she be able to work independently? Will she succeed in this organization? Is a new writer worth the risk?
Von Haas, Elaina E. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>Management>Writing
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HelpScribe Technical Communication offers tips on writing technical manuals, help authoring, software documentation, and managing a TC career.
HelpScribe (2008). Resources>TC>Technical Writing>Blogs
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Hidden Factors of Documentation Quality -- Part 1
The first impulse of many documenters is to turn our work over to editors and graphic designers, or to form committees and develop style guidelines. All of these measures are useful, but none can assure us of quality when there are basic problems with the way we go about producing documentation.
Sesnovich, Bruce A. Boston Broadside (1993). Articles>Documentation>Quality>Technical Writing
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The Hidden Power of the Online Manual
Writing software manuals is boring, isn't it? We often think, "My software is easy to use. The user interface is intuitive. Why should I waste so much time writing documentation which nobody will read anyway?" Sometimes it's true. I've never read the WinZip or Internet Explorer manuals. Everything seems clear enough without further explanation. Nevertheless, even if your manual isn't being helpful to your software users, it may be helpful to you. Publish your manual online and turn its hidden power into a real benefit for your business.
Crane, Dennis. Dr. Explain (2006). Articles>Documentation>Online>Technical Writing
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The Hidden Relationship Between Project Managers and Technical Writers 
Want to know the secret to better quality documentation and improved software design? Will Kelly outlines how the key is an effective relationship between project managers and technical writers.
Kelly, William T. TechRepublic (2003). Articles>Collaboration>Project Management>Technical Writing
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The Hidden Truth About Web Content
Many Web developers have failed to realize that Web content goes far beyond the text of the site. Most people throw around the word 'content' as if Web sites that have many pages and many words are great. Take a moment and reflect on this key question: Is text the same thing as content? The answer is simple: No, text is not synonymous or identical to content. You shouldn't think that content is all about words, sentences, paragraphs, and pages. Here is the reality: Web content is about user interactivity.
Rhodes, John S. WebWord (1999). Design>Web Design>Writing
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Hiding Humanity: Verbal and Visual Ethics in Accident Reports
Located at the critical intersection of technology and humanity, technical communicators must always try to avoid human injury and promote sensitivity to the needs of human beings. The reporting of human injuries and fatalities in accident reports, however, often strips victims of their humanity and hides the tragic human consequences of technological failures from individuals trying to devise appropriate public policy, establish effective safety regulations, and modify or abolish dangerous industrial processes—government officials, company executives, labor representatives, community activists, and ordinary citizens. Technical communicators have the rhetorical ability, the requisite editorial and graphic skills, and the moral responsibility to bring humanity to the verbal and visual display of information.
Dragga, Sam and Daniel W. Voss. STC Proceedings (2003). Articles>Writing>Ethics>Reports
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Hiding Humanity: Verbal and Visual Ethics in Accident Reports 
The work of technical communicators transcends the purely technical—it has implications for real human beings. Located as they are at the critical intersection of technology and humanity, technical communicators direct traffic to avoid human injury and to promote sensitivity to the needs of human beings. When technology fails human beings, it is the ethical obligation of the technical communicator to sustain the humanity of the victims of that failure—to make those victims visible.
Dragga, Sam and Daniel W. Voss. Technical Communication Online (2003). Articles>Writing>Ethics
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The remarkable growth of the information technology industry has created a tremendous opportunity for people with skill putting words on paper. Technical writers, once a rare and highly skilled position, are now as common as fruit flies—though they take up a lot more space. Yet the pay is pretty good considering how little work they actually do, so young English-major weenies desperate for employment continue to swarm around IT companies, hoping for a bit of rotting fru—er, looking for a plum position.
PlainLanguage.gov (2005). Articles>Writing>Technical Writing>Minimalism
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High Tech Marketing Communication: The Method Behind the Madness
The software is tested, the documentation is written, and the training is in place. Now the product has to be marketed. Potential customers must understand what the product is and why they should buy it. Marketing communication for the high tech product is not just fluff or fiction. To attract attention in today’s competitive marketplace, it must be a unique combination of technical information and compelling creativity. As a technical communicator, you have an opportunity to put your planning, writing, and project management skills to work in the marketing arena. From developing a marketing plan to researching competitors and creating collateral copy or Web site content, you can participate in and even lead the marketing process.
Gallob, Beth M. STC Proceedings (1999). Articles>Writing>Marketing
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Hiring Contract Technical Writers
When you finally get the approval to hire a contract technical writer you'll want to go about it the right way in order to avoid problems and ensure success. This article provides insight on what you need to do before you start looking for a contract technical writing professional and how to go about finding one suitable for your project.
Hartmann, Scott. Writing Assistance (2006). Careers>Interviewing>TC>Technical Writing
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Hiring Writers: How To Get Results That Make You Look Good
Like many of you, each of us has played on both sides of the fence: We've worked as editors in the position of hiring freelance writers, and as writers on constant prowl for new markets and ways to make editors happy. Even if you've not strayed between camps, we're all communication professionals-so why does mutual disappointment or even frustration characterize the editor/writer relationship so often?
Canavor, Natalie and Claire Meirowitz. Communication World Bulletin (2005). Careers>Interviewing>Writing
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History of Modern Technical Writing
Technical writing has been around since the first technical writer, Cro-Magnon man, was drawing on cave walls. However, most experts would agree that the golden age of technical writing started with the invention of the computer. Here are some of the major milestones in technical writing history over the past 60 years.
ProEdit (1996). Articles>Writing>Technical Writing>History
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A History of Plain Language in the United States Government
Awareness of the need for clear language isn't new in the US government.
Locke, Joanne N. PlainLanguage.gov (2004). Articles>History>Writing>Minimalism
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Hockey Sticks and User Assistance: Writing in Times of Resource Constraints
If you have all the resources you need, do the very best job you can in all respects. But if your resources are tight, ask yourself whether you are writing the essential stuff at a level of quality users will notice. Also, ask whether the value of the documentation you are producing aligns with the economic pressures on your company.
Hughes, Michael A. UXmatters (2008). Articles>Writing>Technical Editing
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Hone Your Professional Skills: Find Your Writer's Voice
When concentrating on your daily tasks, you may lose track of your creative side. Discover four suggestions for how to stretch your creative muscles.
Tremmel, Martina A. Intercom (2007). Articles>Writing>Workplace
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Review: Hot Text: Web Writing That Works
This book will help you improve any type of written communication, and it's a fun read to boot. The authors know what they're talking about and have the experience to back up their words. Both have spent many years writing for Web audiences. In addition to Web writing, their combined relevant experience includes journalism, technical communication, art, TV and radio, and teaching.
Frick, Geri. TECHWR-L (2004). Articles>Reviews>Web Design>Writing
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Review: Hot Text: Web Writing That Works
When it comes to mentors in technical communication, Jonathan Price is as good as they get. If he were a novelist, I might describe his stuff with words like salty, earthy, and gut-level. What he provides is different from cold theory, and certainly not the same as statistics. It's street-smart. When Price talks, you know he's been there and done that, and you've got him sitting beside you as you work, helping you through the pitfalls, urging you on.
Sullivan, Bill. Technical Communication Online (2003). Articles>Reviews>Web Design>Writing
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As you might expect, salaries vary considerably based on location. I’ve looked over various surveys and believe the following are representative of salaries currently being offered.
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For many technical writing companies the issue of how to manage all the associated 'non-writing' costs can be a sensitive area. Do I charge for every email? Every phone call? Where do you draw the line? What do you charge for, besides the document you produced?
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How Can I Become a Successful Technical Writer? 
The best thing you can do to develop your skills and ability with technical writing is to actually do some technical writing. Find an open source project, such as WordPress.org or Pligg, and write some documentation for it. Most open source projects have poor documentation, so they provide excellent opportunities.
Johnson, Tom H. I'd Rather Be Writing (2008). Articles>TC>Writing>Technical Writing
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How come...everyone still says there is 'an error in the docs!'
Gooch, Chris. TECHWR-L (1999). Humor>Writing
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How Employee Publications Missed a Chance to Matter
About 20 years ago, employee publication editors everywhere were under assault from consultants like me who were carping about our colleagues' reluctance to move beyond reporting on employee outings, hobbies and similar fluff. On, we urged, to the serious business of directly helping our organizations win!
Nelson, Barry. Communication World Bulletin (2007). Articles>Writing>Workplace>Newsletters
