Defining Technical/Professional Writing

Dear Dr. Bushman,

Technical and professional writers have attempted numerous times to define what the technical and professional writing field should consist of, which aspects it should focus on, and where lines should be drawn before crossing into other niches like scientific writing. As it stands now, there are several conflicting points of view. One particular view suggests that there is a universal language possible and that there can be no room for misunderstandings if the correct words are chosen.

In the essay “A Humanistic Rationale for Technical Writing”, Professor Carolyn Miller of North Carolina State University explains that for a sort of universal language to be possible, it would need to be completely objective and devoid of any emotional verbiage (17). To be sure, the idea of a universal language is a view I subscribed to for a time. Believing along the same lines as Professor Elizabeth Tebeaux of Texas A&M University, that the only things I needed to learn were simply utilitarian technical writing skills (823), I imagined that all one needed to thrive in the technical and professional writing field was a large collection of words and objectivity from the readers, but I have since learned that much more is necessary if one is to prosper. A certain amount of psychological insight is useful in identifying the reader and comprehending their needs and desires, and a competent knowledge of design basics can really give a project life.

During the time I have worked as an intern with Writers’ Slate publication, I have had the chance to view some great opportunities available to us. One such opportunity would be to add an additional technical and professional writer to the publication team. Typically, technical writing is associated with very concise language being used to convey a certain concept or idea; however, since the majority of Writers’ Slate content is submitted by outside contributors, the technical writer’s role here is redefined. As the Writers’ Slate intern, I have spent time drafting acceptance letters, editing submissions, and working with authors to achieve a final product. My duties also included order selection of final pieces, a magazine redesign, and a degree of customer service.

When searching for a technical and professional writer that will fit Writers’ Slate magazine best, it is important not to discount the value of humanities experience. Humanities courses are considered to be those that examine the way in which humans conduct themselves, such as art, literature, history, and more. Choosing a technical and professional writer that has been educated in some of these fields can be immensely helpful for Writers’ Slate, where one person bears responsibility for many varied aspects of the publication. As Miller once again explains, the technical writer’s success is based in their culmination of knowledge, both practical and rhetorical, from all aspects of life (20). Obviously knowledge of language and keen perception of how plots in literature proceed are necessary, but an understanding of art and graphic design would make the design of the magazine easier and less time-consuming than for a writer with little to no experience. For these reasons and more, there is value in a technical and professional writer from a humanities department.

Sources:

Allen, Jo. "The Case Against Defining Technical Writing".

Dobrin, David N. "What's Technical About Technical Writing?"

Miller, Carolyn R. "A Humanistic Rationale for Technical Writing", "Carolyn Miller Responds", and "What's Practical About Technical Writing?"

Tebeaux, Elizabeth. “Let's Not Ruin Technical Writing Too: A Comment on the Essays of Carolyn Miller and Elizabeth Harris”.

Defining Technical/Professional Writing

Dear Dr. Bushman,

Although Dr. Franklin and I work well together as your Writers’ Slate team, the publication would benefit greatly from a third team member, especially if that team member were a technical writer, like myself. Technical writing is a broad term, and I understand if when you hear it you associate it objective writing, rigid and concise terminology, or writing that aims to be so exact that nearly any audience can understand it. These are the ways in which the term “technical writing” has been defined repeatedly in the past—these specific examples being paraphrased from a compilation David N. Dobrin lists in his article “What’s Technical about Technical Writing?”

 

Despite the ubiquity of these definitions of technical writing, they are limiting and misleading. As Jo Allen (technical writer and professor) discusses in her article “The Case Against Defining Technical Writing,” agreeing upon a definition is a great challenge “when we consider the recent expansion of our field” (68). The field is no longer limited to writing pamphlets and manuals, but now includes, among other things, “illustrations, communications management, public relations, editing, computers analysts and programming, [and] researching” (69). Technical writing has expanded far beyond writing and editing. It is now even crossing over into the humanities, and we at The Writers’ Slate should take advantage of this fact.

As Carolyn Miller is incessantly arguing, technical writing is both practical and has humanistic value. In other words, technical writers who earn their degree from a humanities department are not simply collecting skills that only apply to their field. They are also trained to think critically, communicate effectively, work in teams, work individually, research, improvise, design, draft, revise, and persevere. And because, as Allen informs us, there are now so many specialties in which each technical writer can focus and excel, the addition of a second technical writer can only make us a more well-rounded team.

I personally recommend searching for a candidate with a strong background in document design and communication—document design because it is not a great strength of either Dr. Franklin or myself, and communication because we are constantly discussing journal entries with contestants and their parents or teachers (many of the contestants are in grade school). Although our program has never, under the direction of Dr. Franklin, missed a deadline, there have been instances in the past in which excellent Slate entries had to be excluded or pushed back for a future edition simply because our two-person team can only do so much in such a short time frame. Having a third English major on board will help to ensure that we reach our deadlines without overlooking any important aspects of publication; having a technical writer on board will help to ensure that our product reaches a professional caliber.

Sources

Allen, Jo. "The Case Against Defining Technical Writing."

Dobrin, David N. "What's Technical About Technical Writing?"

Miller, Carolyn R. "A Humanistic Rationale for Technical Writing," "What's Practical About Technical Writing?" and "Carolyn Miller Responds"