The technical writing process consists of four main phases. These are planning, writing, delivery, archiving. These phases are not necessarily set in stone and some variations do exist. Every writer is different and they each have their own way of writing that is distinct. For those who are just beginning to do some technical writing however would be well advised to use these phases as a way of organizing their writing.
The planning stage of technical writing consists of gathering information. In this stage of the technical writing process you will determine which documents and other information that you will use for your writing. This is also where you will determine how the documentation will be delivered to the customer. In this stage you can also create any templates that are needed.
The writing phase in technical writing is where you write your documents. This is where you should also make a list of glossary of terms as you write. This can be left to the end but it always easier to do this as you go along. When the writing is complete you should always take the time to read over your material and correct any mistakes that you can detect. The most common mistakes are spelling errors. Someone else could find the harder to detect grammatical errors that you let read your writing. This of course is a good idea. You should always have someone else read your writing to pick up on any mistakes that you may overlook no matter how good of a writer you believe yourself to be.
The third stage of the technical writing process is called the delivery phase. This is the method by which you will present your writing to others. This may be done through text form. Today, with the increasing use of computers people are deciding to save their writing on CD or floppy disk and sell the writing in this format. Today people are just as will to buy a CD than they are a book. Printed materials should always be presented well. This should be done in a binder or folder of some sort. The material should be organized and it is a good idea to use tabs to separate sections so that people will make it easier to read.
The fourth and final stage of the technical writing process is the archiving phase. This includes naming the document and putting the archive number on the document. If you work for a company then your company may have their own way of archiving documents and you could use this system. Once this is all complete you are done.
interview with a technical writer. description of what she does for a living
The planning stage of technical writing consists of gathering information. In this stage of the technical writing process you will determine which documents and other information that you will use for your writing. This is also where you will determine how the documentation will be delivered to the customer. In this stage you can also create any templates that are needed.
The writing phase in technical writing is where you write your documents. This is where you should also make a list of glossary of terms as you write. This can be left to the end but it always easier to do this as you go along. When the writing is complete you should always take the time to read over your material and correct any mistakes that you can detect. The most common mistakes are spelling errors. Someone else could find the harder to detect grammatical errors that you let read your writing. This of course is a good idea. You should always have someone else read your writing to pick up on any mistakes that you may overlook no matter how good of a writer you believe yourself to be.
The third stage of the technical writing process is called the delivery phase. This is the method by which you will present your writing to others. This may be done through text form. Today, with the increasing use of computers people are deciding to save their writing on CD or floppy disk and sell the writing in this format. Today people are just as will to buy a CD than they are a book. Printed materials should always be presented well. This should be done in a binder or folder of some sort. The material should be organized and it is a good idea to use tabs to separate sections so that people will make it easier to read.
The fourth and final stage of the technical writing process is the archiving phase. This includes naming the document and putting the archive number on the document. If you work for a company then your company may have their own way of archiving documents and you could use this system. Once this is all complete you are done.
interview with a technical writer. description of what she does for a living
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