Technical authoring and technical writing are often confusing to the target audience. In a nutshell, being a technical author requires conveying and describing complex products, machinery, software, and processes transparently and understandably. Who is a technical author, and what are the necessary skills and qualifications?
Who is a technical author?
A technical author is a person who writes documentations and technical manuals used in the scientific, technical and medical field.
The term “technical author” distinguishes this profession from other types of writing, such as journalistic or creative writing.
What are the necessary skills and qualifications?
Technical authors must have excellent writing skills and be able to write clearly and concisely. They must also be able to understand complex technical information and convey this information to the target audience in a clear way. In addition, they should know how to use different software applications to create their documentation and manuals.
Why is it worth investing in technical authoring?
If you’re a product owner who wants to:
- Ensure your product is well understood and used by your target audience.
- Reduce support costs by providing precise and concise documentation.
- Increase customer satisfaction by providing user-friendly documentation.
Then, benefiting from technical authoring services will help you reach your target audience and convince them that your offer is tailored to their needs.
What characterizes good technical documentation?
Are you wondering how to recognize a professional technical author? Here is a list of qualities you should focus on:
- Clarity – the document should be clear and easy to understand.
- Conciseness – the information should be presented in a straightforward manner.
- Accuracy – the documentation should be accurate and up-to-date.
- Formatting – keeping the texts adequately formatted and easy to navigate will make them more digestible.
Moreover, the layout should be consistent and transparent. The document should also use images and illustrations to support the text and improve understanding.
If you don’t have the necessary skills or qualifications to prepare such content, you can outsource the process to professional companies specializing in the field.
The takeaway
Technical authoring is creating documentation and manuals used in the scientific and technical fields. The technical author must have excellent writing skills and understand complex information. They should also know how to use different software applications to create documentations that appeal to readers.
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