Technical Writing Guideline & Specification

Section One: Defining Technical Writing

• The Need For A Technical Writing Product
• The Benefits Of Using Technical Writing Products
• The Types Of Technical Writing Products: What Works, What Doesn't
• Understanding The Profession
• Overview Of The Project Phases

Section Two: Getting Started, The Planning Phase

• Defining The Objective Of The Technical Writing Product
• Assessing The Client Needs
• Assessing The Audience
• Choosing The Right Deliverable For The Environment/End Use
• Selecting The Authoring Tools To Develop The Technical Publication
• Establishing The Review And Approval Cycles With Your Client
• Determining The Work Methodology With The Team/Subject Matter Experts

Section Three: Authoring The Content, The Writing Phase

• Determining The Appropriate Technical Writing Style
• Understanding The Principles Of Technical Writing Rules
• Using The Organization's Publishing Standards
• Researching And Analyzing Technical Information
• Designing The Document Layout (Style Sheet And Template)
• Using Plain Language
• Chunking Information
• Designing Illustrations And Graphics
• Applying The Principles To An Exercise

Section Four: Reviewing The Product, The Review, Testing Phase

• Performing A Peer Review
• Testing The Product
• Editing The Content

Section Five: Managing Technical Publications, The Finalizing, Releasing Phase

• Controlling Versions And Saving Files
• Finalizing The Product
• Approving The Product
• Publishing/Releasing The Product
• Communicating The Product Release