Principles for Effective Technical Communication - 2

You, as a writer should able to understand and anticipate the challenges listed in the previous post.  Your job is to make your users’ tasks easier. So, you can address the challenges using these seven writing guidelines.

7 - Habits of Highly Effective Technical Writer

1. Analyze the subject thoroughly
2. Group information wisely
3. Guide the user and help them find information
4. Elaborate or compress the information scope based on importance
5. Be precise while using words
6. Be crisp and clear with your information
7. Review, review and re-review your information 

1.  Analyze the subject thoroughly.

• Before you start writing a topic, you must have a knowledge base in your mind. You must gather information from existing documents. If possible, you must talk to subject matter experts and study the product extensively.

2.  Group information wisely.

• Group similar topics together
• Each section should be complete and should have an introduction, body and conclusion
• Order the information groups appropriately

            > If you are describing a process, list the steps chronologically

            > To explain something, move from general to specific points
            > To document a project try ordering by problems-methods-solutions
            > To persuade, order your arguments from most to least significant

3.  Guide the user and help them find information.

• Give introduction to let user know what should they expect
• Give summary of what you have covered in the topic
• Use headings, lists, and other formatting devices to make the information accessible.
• Highlight appropriate areas using Note, Tip and Warning statements.

4.  Elaborate or compress the information scope based on importance.

• If you are explaining a complex process involving multiple steps, it is worth adding elaborate steps. Whereas, if you are writing about a commonly used procedure you may write the steps concisely.

Note: Understand your audience before implementing this step.

5.  Be precise while using words.

• Use technical terms correctly and appropriately for the audience. Avoid unnecessary jargon.
• Avoid using vague and ambiguous words
• Avoid lengthy noun phrases
• Avoid using adverbs like actually, apparently, basically, briefly, certainly, clearly, conceivably, confidentially, curiously, evidently, fortunately, hopefully, ironically, etc

6.  Be crisp and clear with your information.

• Avoid wordy phrases: Keep the information simple and understandable. Some wordy phrases might sound "smarter" but they can make documents long and can annoy readers as well. Few examples,

Wordy	Consice
Adequate number of	Enough
At all times	Always
Except when	Unless
For the purpose of	For
In an effort to	To

• Combine short sentences wherever possible. Reconsider breaking a long sentence into short meaningful sentences.
• Generally, favor the active voice over the passive voice. Active sentences are generally shorter and direct. Active voice reduces ambiguity and conveys your message clearly.

   
7.  Review your information repeatedly.

• Review content for errors like formatting, spelling, punctuation, and labels (tables and figures).
• Proofread! Allow some time (even if just a few hours) to pass between drafting and revising the document.
• Edit in parts. Take short breaks while reviewing as well.
• Prepare a checklist based on your review mistakes and observations.

Though, this list is not complete, it  highlights some of the common areas where a technical writer can improve and thereby deliver quality documentation to the customers. For more information on challenges faced by beginners, see Challenges of an Aspiring Technical Writer.

Challenges of an Aspiring Tech Writer

Before diving into the field of technical communication, I would like to notify you about the challenges that you might have to face in your day-to-day work regime.

As majority of the technical authors in the industry are either from technical or communication background, I will limit the scope of this post to candidates from these prospective fields. But, in all likelihood, the challenges mentioned here are applicable to all the aspiring technical writers irrespective of their medium of study.

Technical Challenges

The primary problem with technology students is that they have never taken writing too seriously. Even if they are good with English language, they have never paid too much importance to grammar. If English is not their first language, it also adds to the chaos. So, here are the challenges and their possible solutions:

• Grammar Basics: If grammar is your pain area, you might want to reconsider your decision of getting into technical documentation. If not, I would suggest you should brush your English grammar skills. There are many websites that can help you in revisiting all the grammar you learnt in school. Links. Other alternatives can be renting a grammar book from your nearby library. Grammar Resources.
• Editorial Skills: If your grammar is good, you might not have much trouble in editing content. But, as an editor it is important to make the content readable. All the information put together should be directed to your audience.

 I am sure, the final year reports might have been a demanding job for many of you out there.

Communication Challenges

The primary problem the communication students have is their lack of exposure to technology. So, here are the challenges and their possible solutions:

• Technology: If you belong to the communication stream, it can be difficult to connect with technology at times. Here, the technology means greater things than Websites and Smartphone applications. We are talking out magnanimous ERP or Mainframe applications driving the telecom, security and manufacturing industries. So, it is really important for you to have a mind that anticipates technological assertiveness. 
• Understanding Product: The ability to understand the product can also be a major challenge due to the lack of academic exposure to various technology products. But, that can be solved over a period of time.
• Making Sense: Another connected aspect is making sense out of what you write. You might be an excellent English writer but if the information you provide is not as per the products requirements, the overall output will be hazy and incomplete. So, it really important to focus on getting exactly what is required for the product.

Common Challenges

• Audience Analysis: You must write for a specific reader. The audience is really important in technical writing and you should always have that at the back of your mind. More about it in the coming blog post on Audience Analysis.
• Understanding User’s Perspective: You must understand the user and usability of the application. It is again related to audience of the application. But, your insight on usability is fairly rated as you are the first user of the product.
• Documentation Tools: Though, technical writing is about writing, but it also employs various tools for creating content and generating output in required form. The regular output formats are: Web Based Help, PDF Help and Video Tutorials.

To sum it up, you must have zeal for writing, if you want to be a good technical writer. If have that fervor, there are enough online/classroom courses available that can help you learn the art and science of technical communication.