{"id":5898,"date":"2015-03-11T12:07:48","date_gmt":"2015-03-11T12:07:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/technical-writer\/"},"modified":"2015-03-11T12:07:48","modified_gmt":"2015-03-11T12:07:48","slug":"technical-writer","status":"publish","type":"definition","link":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/9676\/technical-writer","title":{"rendered":"Technical Writer"},"content":{"rendered":"

What Does Technical Writer Mean?<\/span><\/h2>\n

A technical writer plays a specific role in developing a wide spectrum of business and technical documents. Key aspects of technical writing include attention to technological details or specifications, consistent writing style and standards, and the avoidance of any subjective or personal voice in writing.\n<\/p>\n

Techopedia Explains Technical Writer<\/span><\/h2>\n

Technical writers may help with items like:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • User guides and manuals<\/li>\n
  • White papers<\/li>\n
  • Product design resources<\/li>\n
  • Systems identification documents<\/li>\n
  • Plans<\/li>\n
  • Correspondence<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Although technical writing may be related to IT industries, it is not necessarily related exclusively to these industries. Any kind of business writing that values technical detail over conceptual creativity can be called technical writing.<\/p>\n

    Employers look for specific skills and experience for persons in technical writing roles. Technical writers must be able to handle a lot of technical detail and blend all of that information down into easily accessible writing. Technical writers must know how to write for a target audience and how to write in a way that is entirely objective and free of personal voice. In general, technical writing handles the generation of text in the junction of fields like engineering, marketing, business planning and public planning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    What Does Technical Writer Mean? A technical writer plays a specific role in developing a wide spectrum of business and technical documents. Key aspects of technical writing include attention to technological details or specifications, consistent writing style and standards, and the avoidance of any subjective or personal voice in writing. 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