Posts Tagged ‘Technical Writing’
A Title Should Identify the Object of the Text
A title should identify the object of the text. A title should be a brief, but informative, description of the text that follows. In order to establish a connection between the title and what is being discussed in the text, it is important to provide some basic information about what is going on in the…
Read MoreHow to Write Perfect Technical Article or Document Titles and Subtitles
Titles are sometimes also called “headings”, “headlines” or even “headers” (mostly by technical writers coming from a journalism background). Subtitles are sometimes also referred to as “subheadings” or “subheaders.” But a title is used only once in an article or a document: in the very beginning. That’s why an article, a book, or a document…
Read More5 Things That Will Never Change Despite Technological Changes in Technical Writing
© Ugur Akinci The technology of technical writing is changing really fast. But the thing is we don’t really need to keep up with all of it, depending on where we stand in the overall landscape of technical communications. Or let me put it this way: there are things that will never change as long…
Read MoreFeature Phone vs. Smartphone: the Challenge of Phone Terminology for Technical Writers
Fast changing state of phone terminology is a challenge for all technical communicators. Did you also notice that we’re not using the word “telephone” anymore? And of course I’m not even mentioning that other tele-word that has disappeared from our universe with the invention of email: telegram. But what about “phones”? And “mobile devices”? Or…
Read More4 Book Components to Disappear from Technical Documents in the Long Run
Here are four book components that I think we won’t come across too frequently in the future when we read a single-sourced technical document: 1) Headers and Footers 2) Chapters 3) Page Numbers 4) TOC Headers and footers have been inseparable components of the traditional book metaphor, the “codex” as it’s also known, for over…
Read MoreHow to Ensure High Quality in Technical Writing
“Can you tell us more about quality in technical writing?” a reader asked yesterday, in a private email. Here are my thoughts on the topic: 1) Quality starts with intra-team cohesion if you are working as a part of a technical writing team. If you’re a lone writer, this means you should either have your own…
Read MoreTechnical Book Review: THE STATE OF STRUCTURED AUTHORING by Alan S. Pringle and Sarah S. O’Keefe
“Structured authoring” and “single sourcing” have been hot buzz phrases for quite a few years now. If you’re a technical writer, I’m sure you’re either applying these documentation methods in your daily work, getting ready to implement them, or learning about them. I personally am in the last two categories, both still learning ins and…
Read MoreEasyBIB Automatic Bibliography Tool and Citation Maker
EasyBIB is a great online automatic bibliography tool that comes in both free and paid versions. It is versatile, comprehensive, and comes with productivity features that I’m sure all students, scholars, and writers would appreciate. The tool is easy-to-use and free to use for all, which makes it an excellent choice for students who need…
Read MoreFacts and Emotions in Technical Writing and Presentations
Balance the facts and emotions properly to get your point across more easily. Technical documentation readers are usually a “voluntarily captive audience.” They choose to read a user manual by their own determination. When we get to a piece of technical documentation we are usually ready and willing to believe in the author and follow…
Read MorePlain Writing Online Course
(Copyright-free photo by Nick Morrison at Unsplash dot com) © Ugur Akinci Plain Writing is not only a good idea but it’s now the law of the land in the United States since October 13, 2010. See: http://abcnews.go.com/WN/obama-signs-law-understand/story?id=11902841 http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-946 Very soon all U.S. Government departments and agencies will have to produce all their documents in…
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