Writing for Technicians

Section 1.4.1.2

Writing for Technicians

Technicians are the people who construct, operate, and fix things. An office worker expert in desktop publishing is a technician, as is the person who repairs your telephone or washing machine.

Levels of Knowledge

Technicians are often more expert than anyone else in how a particular thing works or why it doesn't work. They are also usually familiar with the common technical terms associated with the devices they use and the processes they perform. They may not be familiar, however, with general or abstract concepts about a device or a process.

Purposes in Using Document

Technicians read technical and scientific documents for a variety of purposes:

to learn how to perform particular tasks

to learn how to solve specific problems

to learn about new devices and procedures relevant to their particular tasks

to acquire and expand background knowledge helpful to the performance of their tasks

Strategies for Writing to Technicians

Keep introductions and background information brief.

Make information accessible:

When appropriate, reduce information to instructions on how to perform a procedure or diagnose and fix a problem.

Use graphs and tables.

Keep sections and overall instructions as short as possible;

Index and cross-reference material.

Provide short definitions or explanations of any unfamiliar terms, tools, devices, or procedures.

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