Technical writing is the umbrella term for numerous kinds of writing including theses, dissertations, journal articles, reviews, periodicals, even formal e-mails... the checklist goes on.

Usually the author is trying to inform the readers, the design is formal and factual, and it follows a precise format. People begin technical writing as early as elementary school with book reports or projects and structured essays. These days, most complex jobs (especially in engineering, science, and technology) involve some style of writing, from operations/training manuals to online stores to letters for clients; technical writing is a complex and precise undertaking.

As technical writing commonly uses a precise and detailed style guide such as MLA, APA or AP, the writing must be formal and correctly formatted. In technical writing, for example, writers do not use informal language such as contractions and colloquialisms. The style is direct and exact so that it tells the readers clearly and concisely what they must know. This type of writing assumes that the audience is somewhat aware of the content subject. While basic concepts do not need to be explained, concise explanation and definitions or clarifications are given where needed.

Normally reference materials must be used and need to be incorporated to conform to the style guide used so that they are documented appropriately in the paper as well as in the reference section, bibliography, or footnotes. In addition, all abbreviations should be defined so that the reader knows exactly what is being referred to.

For instructional manuals or reports, companies and colleges typically have a set template that must be adhered to - for academic faculties that may be APA, MLA, Chicago, etc. This ensures that every paper or set of recommendations are uniform. This standard formatting is particularly vital for the overall image of a business. Overall, for specialized writing, it is important to be concise, informative, formal and consistently formatted.

At FirstEditing.com, we can take your technical writing and perfect it so that it is error-free and conforms to the guidelines discussed in this article. We have academic editors who can transform your theses and dissertations, together with editors who have advertising backgrounds who can help increase the chances that your sales pitch will sell your product. Just send us your work and we'll prove it to you!

Ms. Todd is an award-winning, full-time professional editor, published writer and marketing consultant whose passion is to help others create a letter-perfect presentation in their writing. Her extensive experience in coaching and management has allowed her to independently consult for numerous international editing services and websites.

Ms. Todd is an independent contractor who provides advisory and consulting services worldwide to numerous corporations, a small sampling of such businesses include: www.firstediting.com