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Welcome to the TechWriter Wiki, an on-line source of practical information for Technical Writers (a.k.a Technical Authors, Technical Communicators, Information Architects, etc.).

TechWriter Wiki is a restricted wiki. Visitors cannot edit articles directly, but are welcome to leave comments, questions, or suggestions for any article via the article's Comments page. (Sorry, I've removed that function due to excessive spamming. If you want to comment on anything, please email me.)

Theory of Communication

1. The communication process
2. Failures in communication
3. The Sender-Reader relationship
4. The scope and purpose of a communication
5. The role of the Technical Communicator

Planning

1. Planning documentation
2. Document format
3. Defining the audience
4. Choosing the best communication method
5. Deciding on the type of document
   1. Instructions
   2. Process documents
   3. User guides
   4. Troubleshooting guides
   5. Quick references
   6. Training presentations
   7. Lecture notes
   8. Technical reports
   9. Design documents
   10. Sales literature
   11. Press releases
6. Determining how the document will be used
7. Collecting and storing information

Layout and Design

1. Readability
2. Navigation
3. Illustrations
4. Document design
5. Structuring information
6. Indexing
7. Color

Writing

1. Preparing drafts
2. Using the correct language
3. Styles and standards
4. International communication
5. Legal responsibilities of Technical Communicators
6. Controlled languages
7. Handling revisions

Quality Assurance

1. Editing
2. Reviews
3. Usability testing

Reproduction

1. Preparing documents for reproduction
2. Printing
3. Binding and finishing
4. Distribution and dispatch

Documentation Project Management

1. Costs and their control
2. Interacting with other functions
3. Using third-party resources

Miscellaneous

1. Tools of the trade
2. Recommended books