A technical writer creates documentation for a Technology. Their responsibility, like a graphic designer s, is to effectively communicate a message. A technical writer is responsible for writing text that is helpful to their intended audience: accurate, readable, and accessible.

Technical writing, a subset of technical communication, is used in fields as diverse as computer hardware and software, chemistry, the aerospace, robotics, consumer electronics, and biotechnology.

At the beginning of a project, the technical writer identifies the audience for the documentation. For example, a writer might be documenting a VCR for a nontechnical United States of average literacy who needs to know how to set the time and tape television shows, or for a technician who must diagnose, repair, or replace internal components.

Technical writers often have a certified academic degree in English language, technical writing, the technical field for which they are writing, or a combination of these. It is most important that they have enough expertise to understand their audience s background and needs. Writers who develop documentation for Software Application Programming Interfaces, microcontroller operation, and other technical subjects are often paid more than those who write guides for a nontechnical audience (for example, how to use email), because it is difficult to find good writers with advanced technical knowledge.

After the documentation is written, using a desktop publishing tool or a help authoring tool, it is normally reviewed for accuracy by one or more Subject Matter Experts (SMEs).

Technical Writers are known in United Kingdom and some other countries as Technical Authors.

=Deliverables=

Technical writing is most often associated with online Help and user manuals; however, there are other forms of technical content created by technical writers, including: *White papers *User guides *Reference documents *Training materials *Installation guides *Troubleshooting guides *Specifications *Proposals *Magazine articles *Policies and Procedures *Requirements documentation *Certification and Accreditation activities *Procedures

=Associations=

*Society for Technical Communication

=External links=