Hyderabad Technical WriterA blog for Technical Writing Tips and Tricks, Quick Reference Guides, Technology, Hyderabad, and India
Responsibilities of the Technical Writer
Technical writers have a variety of responsibilities in the documentation process. They generally include:
Effective documentation
Writers should create documentation that is complete, accurate, and accessible to the user in style and presentation. Writers should obtain all available information and convey it to the target audience accurately and in an effective manner as defined by the audience and the medium.
Contribution to testing and quality
The process of documentation is often also a process of product testing and quality control. Where this is the case, writers should be diligent in observing and reporting problems and weaknesses that may affect the user.
Confidentiality
Writers often work with confidential material. Writers should scrupulously observe requests from the client regarding confidentiality and disclose any ongoing relations with potential competitors.
Timeliness
Creating product documentation usually has milestone tasks and periodic reporting. Writers should demonstrate progress or report regularly, and should meet deadlines or give adequate notice if that is not possible.
Communication
Writers should be open to suggestions, and should keep the employer informed of difficulties. Writers should initiate discussions when they see that one side or the other lacks information.
Wrapping up work
Documents are often part of a series that may be continued by other hands. At the end of a project, writers should make note of editorial suggestions, production procedures, and formatting specifications that have been developed. They should submit suggestions for future work and summarize the task.
