Editing Technical writer (section)

{{Short description|Professional information communicator}}
{{Infobox occupation
| name               = Technical writer
| synonyms           = Technical correspondent, Technical editor, Documentation writer,<br/> Medical writer,<br/> Technical Journalist
| pronounce          = 
| pronounce 2        = 
| image              = 
| imagesize          =
| alt                =
| caption            = 
| official_names     = 
| type               = 
| activity_sector    = [[Software]], [[Technology]], [[Manufacturing]], [[Medical]]
| competencies       = [[Analytical skill]]s<br>[[Critical thinking]], <br/>[[AP stylebook|AP]] or [[Chicago Manual of Style|CMOS]] style, <br/>Third-person grammar,<br/> Procedural formatting (DITA)
| formation          = 
| employment_field   = [[non-governmental organization|NGOs]], [[Corporations]], [[Business]]
| related_occupation = [[editing|Editor]], [[Speechwriter]], [[Screenwriter]], [[proofreading|Proofreader]], [[copy editing|Copy editor]]
}}

A '''technical writer''' is a professional communicator whose task is to convey complex information in simple terms to an audience of the general public or a very select group of readers. Technical writers research and create information through a variety of delivery media (electronic, printed, audio-visual, and even touch).<ref>David Farbey, [http://www.istc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/techwritercareer2008.pdf Technical writer career information] at the official website of the Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators. Retrieved February 28, 2013.</ref> Example types of information include [[online help]], manuals, [[white papers]], [[design specification]]s, project plans, and software test plans. With the rise of [[e-learning]], technical writers are increasingly hired to develop online training material.

According to the [[Society for Technical Communication]] (STC):<ref name="stc-psc.org">L. Lin. (2017, November). What is technical writing? [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.stc-psc.org/what-is-technical-writing/</ref> {{Blockquote|[[Technical writing]] is sometimes defined as simplifying the complex. Inherent in such a concise and deceptively simple definition is a whole range of skills and characteristics that address nearly every field of human endeavor at some level. A significant subset of the broader field of technical communication, technical writing involves communicating complex information to those who need it to accomplish some task or goal.}} In other words, technical writers take advanced technical concepts and communicate them as clearly, accurately, and comprehensively as possible to their intended audience, ensuring that the work is accessible to its users.

[[Kurt Vonnegut]] described technical writers as:<ref>[[Gary Blake]] and [[Robert W. Bly]], ''The Elements of Technical Writing'', pg. 3. [[New York City|New York]]: [[Macmillan Publishers (United States)|Macmillan Publishers]], 1993. {{ISBN|0020130856}}</ref>

{{Blockquote|...trained to reveal almost nothing about themselves in their writing. This makes them freaks in the world of writers, since almost all of the other ink-stained wretches in that world reveal a lot about themselves to the reader.}}

Engineers, scientists, and other professionals may also be involved in [[technical writing]] ([[developmental editing]], [[proofreading]], etc.), but are more likely to employ professional technical writers to develop, edit and format material, and follow established review procedures as a means delivering information to their audiences.