Articles
This page provides information of general interest to technical communicators and clients interested in topics related to technical communication.
About technical communicators
- Who are technical communicators?
Article describing what technical communicators do and different routes into this profession. Includes personal accounts from technical writers across the globe. - Interested in a career in technical communication? Recommended!
Find out how to become involved in technical communication.
View HTML version - Technical communicators in Cambridge
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Describes technical writing in Cambridge, UK: industries where technical writers are employed in Cambridge and opportunities for technical writers in Cambridge. This article was published in the Summer 2008 edition of ISTC's Communicator. - Technical communicators in London
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Describes technical writing in London, UK: industries where technical writers are employed in London and opportunities for technical writers in London. - How Technical should a technical communicator be? NEW!
This article discusses the type of technical skills and core competencies required of technical communicators - Technical communicator UK salaries 2014-2016
Data over the last three years for technical author permanent salaries and day rates in the UK.
Skills improvement
- Interviewing Skills for technical writers
Excellent communication skills is often listed as a prerequisite for a position as a technical writer. This article provides tips for interviewing subject matter experts (SMEs), to gather information on a project or subject. The article was published in 2008 in the STC's Intercom. - Tips for Obtaining Effective Reviews
Encouraging reviewers to respond to review requests can seem a daunting task. This article discusses useful techniques for obtaining the review you need. This article was published in the Spring 2008 edition of ISTC's Communicator. - Putting together a training course
This article describes how to put together the documentation for a training course — including presentations, workbooks, demos and tests. This article was published in the Spring 2009 edition of ISTC's Communicator. - Don't be a writer's writer
A discussion by Roger Kirkham on the unnecessary complexity that tends to creep into writing style guides and how to avoid this. - Introduction to Adobe FramemakerRecommended!
This article provides an introduction to using Adobe Framemaker. It includes a crib sheet of common FrameMaker tasks and a step-by-step guide for migrating your projects from MS Word to Framemaker.
Technology and trends
- Introduction to Robotics
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This article provides an introduction to robotics and describes its relevance to technical communicators. This article was published in the Technology column in Autumn 2015 edition of ISTC's Communicator. - Introduction to Networks
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This article provides an introduction to networks such as the internet and describes its relevance to technical communicators. This article was published in the Technology column in the Technology column Winter 2015 edition of ISTC's Communicator. - Teleworking for technical communicators
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This article discusses the trend towards flexible working and tools and applications that can be used when teleworking. This article was published in the Autumn 2015 edition of ISTC's Communicator. - Digital Asset management solutions
This article provides an introduction to digital asset management (DAM) solutions, and describes our research in selecting a suitable DAM solution for our business. This article was published in the Autumn 2012 edition of ISTC's Communicator. - Documentation for a Data Centre Migration
This article describes some of the strategies and methods for collecting and managing the information required for a complex data centre migration. This article was published in the Winter 2008 edition of ISTC's Communicator. - The Zachman Enterprise Architecture Framework
A framework for describing an organisation's structure. This article was published in the Autumn 2007 edition of ISTC's Communicator. - Critical Incident Management Communications.
This article provides some insight into incident management procedures and best practise in determining policy for incident management communications. This article was published in the Autumn 2008 edition of ISTC's Communicator.
Legal
- Copyright Law and technical communication
A discussion of the application of corpcopyright law to technical communication. This article was published in the Winter 2012 edition of ISTC's Communicator. - Use of disclaimers Recommended!
A discussion on the use of disclaimers, exclusion clauses and warning notices in technical documents. This article was published in the Spring 2014 edition of ISTC's Communicator.
Career planning
- Working as a Freelancer
Discusses how to set up as a freelancer.
This article was published in the Winter 2013 edition of ISTC's Communicator - Planning your career
In order to work towards long-term career goals, it is important that you plan ahead. This article provides suggestions for planning your future career, by preparing a Road Map document. - Surviving the Ups and Downs
What can we do to enhance our feeling of security in the workplace and survive the ups and downs of a changing economy? This article provides some suggestions.
Management
- Managing complex and difficult projects Recommended!
A discussion on how to manage complex and difficult technical writing projects. View HTML version. - Guidelines For Producing Effective Documentation
This article is intended for subject matter experts who need to work on documentation projects with a technical or marketing writer. The guidelines are intended to help both you and the writer in producing clear and easy to read documentation. - Fostering good team dynamics
Discusses the theory and practise behind creating effective teams.
This article was published in the Winter 2009 edition of ISTC's Communicator - Stress management for technical writers Part 1
This article is based on a combination of job ratings, research findings and stress ratings from a survey conducted on a broad range of international technical writers. The article was published in 2002 on TECHWR-L. - Stress management for technical writers Part 2
This follow-on article explores strategies technical writers use to cope with stress, including personal annecdotes from a range of international writers. The article was published in 2002 on TECHWR-L. - Tips for Effectively Managing your Time
Inadequate organization of your time can lead to backlogs and delays, and affect the quality of your work. This article describes some strategies technical writers can use for effectively managing their time. - How to Keep Your Employees Happy
A good manager realises that their writers are valuable assets. The following suggestions may help to make your technical writers happier in their jobs and keep them on longer.
Humour
- Technical communication and the art of doodles
WIKIPEDIA defines the doodle as 'an informal scribble or sketch' - in short, scribbling without intent and little thought. Technical communicators are ideally suited to doodles, with their eye for detail and ability to creativity combine words and images.