A piece of writing is only useful when it is easily understood by the average reasonable person. This is the purpose of technical writing: to make written material about complex fields, such as science and technology, more accessible and easier to understand.

Technical writing is synonymous with effective written communication. Its purpose is to convey a particular piece of technical information to a particular audience. Technical writing is essentially written explanations of scientific topics and other specialized science-related topics. In its simplest definition, technical writing is the process of transforming and translating technical ideas into a written result that will be understood by the target audience.

Therefore, a technical writer is responsible for documenting a specialized field or technology. He or she must be able to effectively translate technical information into something accurate, readable, and accessible.

Technical writers work in various fields. They are everywhere: in the hardware and software, chemical, robotics, consumer electronics, aerospace, and even biotech industries, to name a few. They are trained to identify the project’s target audience and then write effectively according to their level of understanding and familiarity with the topic at hand. Technical writers have to deal with different types of audience. They need to be able to write a very simple manual for a DVD player, for example, so that consumers can understand it. But they must also be able to write for a DVD technician who has advanced knowledge of the device on diagnosis, repair, or part replacement, for example.

Technical writers are called ‘technical authors’ in European countries like the UK. They are also known as ‘information designers’ in some industries.