Writing for Technical Professionals: Preparation and Planning

Overview/Description
Being technically knowledgeable is a good start for anyone wishing to write about a particular technology. However, it is not a guarantee that what is written will achieve its ultimate goal. In fact, some of the greatest technical experts find it very challenging to write effectively on technical matters. While it is important to understand the subject matter, it is equally important to understand the audience and its needs. There are steps that all technical writers should follow before putting pen to paper, including defining scope, determining the objectives of the project, understanding the target audience, and planning the overall structure of the document. This course explores steps writers should take when embarking on a new writing project.

Target Audience
Technical professionals wishing to improve their writing skills. This includes all IT personnel such as programmers and systems engineers as well as all sorts of technical engineering and scientific professionals.

Prerequisites
None

Expected Duration (hours)
1.0

Lesson Objectives

Writing for Technical Professionals: Preparation and Planning

recognize a document's purpose in given examples

select an appropriate delivery medium in given scenarios

analyze a writing segment to determine the document’s appropriate audience

sequence the steps in planning a document in example form

identify how to integrate other authors' work into your draft

establish the purpose and an appropriate delivery medium in a given scenario

analyze the audience in a given scenario

prepare a document's structure in a given scenario