The Technical Writer

            The definition of technical writing can vary, or in many cases be indefinable. In his article What’s Technical About Technical Writing?, David Dobrin defines technical writing as “writing that accommodates technology to the user. The key word is ‘writing’: it should be understood in the monadist sense as a way of thinking and establishing human relations in a group.” Dobrin further explains that the term “user” is more applicable than the term “reader” because technology is a way human beings deploy themselves in the use and production of material goods and services.

Technology is no longer limited to computers or machines since technology is now a major part of life and society. It is the role of the technical writer to bridge the gap between society and the technology in the effort to educate the public. This is reflected in Carolyn Miller’s article A Humanistic Rationale for Technical Writing, “To write, to engage in any communication, is to participate in a community; to write well is to understand the conditions of one's own participation—the concepts, values, traditions, and style which permit identification with that community and determine the success or failure of communication.” Technical writers are capable of applying critical thinking skills that are essential for providing clear and effective communication to the community they serve, which is a potential value to any company. Technical writing is about information—product manuals, web design, graphic design, instructional design, etc.—that present a set of skills and boundaries for the user. This allows for clear and effective communication for the user; however, it may be necessary for the technical writer to step outside of normal writing standards to provide this communication, but without creating ethical issues. According to Miller, the teaching of technical writing “should present mechanical rules and skills against a broader understanding of why and how to adjust or violate the rules, of the social implications of the roles a writer casts for himself or herself and for the reader, and of the ethical repercussions of one's words.”

Technical writers that receive degrees from humanities department have a greater understanding of how to employ the skills they have gained in the department. Humanities departments offer a broad range of skills that are not usually found in other departments. The English courses taken by technical writing students challenge their ability to recognize ambiguity and to interpret the meaning the author is implying. These courses also challenge the students to think critically and to use rhetoric effectively for their intended audience. These skills are used within their technical writing courses; however, this skill set would not be available if the student was not receiving their degree from the humanities department. Miller contends that “If we do begin to talk about understanding, rather than only about skills, I believe we have a basis for considering technical writing a humanistic study. The examination and understanding of one's own activity and consciousness, the "return of consciousness to its own center," is, as Walter Ong has suggested, the central impulse of the humanities.”

Sources
Dobrin, David "What's Practical About Technical Writing?"
Miller, Carolyn "A Humanistic Rationale for Technical Writing"