CH 1: What is Technical Communication?

Defining Technical Writing / Technical Communication ​

Technical writing is a specialized form of reader-centered communication whose primary purpose is to convey information—sometimes highly complex information—in a clear, concise, accurate, and accessible way. It is used to help readers understand how to use, build, analyze, or interact with everything from products to systems to concepts.

Technical writing is especially prevalent in fields like technology, engineering, healthcare, finance, and science, but there are many forms of technical writing that we interact with regularly, such as user manuals and product specifications, assembly instructions, technical descriptions, summaries, and most workplace writing, including everything from emails , memos, and letters to reports, proposals, and press releases. You may have already done some technical writing yourself if you’ve written a cover letter or a resume.

Some of the academic writing you’ve done may also be considered technical, but there are key distinctions between the two, particularly around audience, purpose, writing style and tone (language), and format. Both are formal, but academic writing is more theory- and evidence-driven, while technical writing tends to be more reader/user-focused and action-oriented.

Here are some of the more specific differences in the two genres:

TABLE 1.1 Technical Writing vs. Academic Writing
ASPECT TECHNICAL WRITING ACADEMIC WRITING
Purpose
  • Explains processes
  • Provides instructions
  • Conveys information
  • Explores ideas
  • Analyzes theories
  • Contributes knowledge
Audience
  • Tailored to a specific audience, including end-users, non-experts, stakeholders, clients, co-workers, and/or the general public
  • Aimed at scholars, researchers, instructors, and/or other students familiar with the subject matter
Language
  • Concise, clear, and direct language
  • Avoids specialized terminology (jargon) when possible
  • States purpose early
  • Stays objective 
  • Formal and complex language
  • Uses specialized terminology (jargon)
  • May start with research and analysis and build toward a conclusion (inductive writing)
  • Persuasive in tone
Evidence
  • Uses data and examples when necessary
  • Less focus on citations and scholarly sources
  • Visual data and evidence used often
  • Strong emphasis on theories, prior knowledge, and scholarly sources
  • Citations used often frequently
  • Visual evidence used occasionally
Structure
  • Structured to make information easily accessible
  • Emphasizes visual cues like headings, bullet points, and numbered steps
  • Uses shorter sentences and paragraphs with main ideas      
  • Structured according to academic conventions
  • Less use of visual cues
  • Longer sentences and paragraphs
  • Indented paragraphs

 

More broadly, technical communication goes beyond just writing to include other types of communication, such as visual forms (charts and graphs, diagrams, and infographics; oral forms (presentations and speeches, training sessions, and workplace meetings); and digital forms (websites, help systems, and video tutorials), but they all share a common goal, which is to deliver clear and accurate information tailored to specific audiences and with a specific purpose. 

Put simply, technical communication is the delivery of technical information to readers (or listeners or viewers) in a manner that is adapted to their needs, level of understanding, and background. The Society of Technical Communications (STC) defines technical communication as a broad field that includes any form of communication that is about technical or specialized topics, that uses technology, such as web pages or help files, or that provides instruction about how to do something.

This textbook aims to introduce the basic conventions of technical communication, including learning how to take an audience-centered approach to your communications, how to assess the rhetorical situation, i.e., purpose, audience, and context, and how to use the tools and methods of technical communicators to deliver information to your target audience and achieve your desired results. For more information about rhetorical situation, see Chapter. 2.1 “Writing Purposes & Rhetorical Situation”.

 

Take the following short quiz to test your knowledge so far:

 

 

To learn more about what technical writing is, check out this video by LBCC Technical Writing Instructor Joyce Bower:

Take the following short quiz to test your knowledge so far:

 

 

To learn more about some of the basic conventions of technical writing, check out this video from Oregon State University Technical Writing faculty:

Chapter 1 Exercise: Analyzing Technical Writing

 

Additional Resources

 

 

CHAPTER ATTRIBUTION INFORMATION

"What is Technical Writing." Technical Writing Essentials. [License: CC: BY-SA 4.0]

 

License

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TPW: Technical & Professional Writing Copyright © 2023 by Will Fleming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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