Technical Writing in the Digital Age: Difference between revisions

Because technical communication is intended to guide an audience, it must be assembled in such a way that it is very easily understood. Successful technical documentation is accurate, logically sound, and appropriate. <ref>Perelman, Leslie, et al. The Mayfield Handbook of Technical and Scientific Writing. 1998, ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BA73264379?l=en.</ref> Communication can be said to be accurate in two different understandings: accurate in description and accurate in content. Accurate descriptions are easy to understand. Accurate content provides for the intended result. Communication that is delivered logically is well-organized and clear and can be approached in a manner that will be coherent for most users. Technical information that is appropriate contains elements and steps that are suitable for the intended purpose and audience.

There are many features of technical communication which lead to it being accurate, sound, and appropriate. <ref>smirti. “Features of Technical Communication.” Management Note, 27 Feb. 2022, www.managementnote.com/features-of-technical-communication. Accessed 3 Nov. 2023.</ref>

Many technical fields have industry specific regulations and guidelines which are determined by governing bodies and that also have an impact on their technical communication.

Accurate information that is delivered with precision and specificity is essential to providing communication that is unambiguous and free of inconsistencies.

Objective communication is presented in an unbiased and impartial manner and is free of personal opinions. It relies upon facts and evidence and avoids an overly emotional tone.  

Good technical communication expresses meaning in a way that is straightforward and that avoids redundant words or excessive explanations. It is easy to both absorb and process.  

Clear language is organized logically, is not unnecessarily involved, and is easily understood by the target audience. It will avoid needless jargon and complexity.   

Technical documents should be formatted in a way that is consistent with the norms and standards of applicable professional fields. Additionally, formatting should adhere to guidelines which enhance usability.

Technical communication utilizes visuals strategically to facilitate understanding of textual content. When presented properly, they can elucidate difficult concepts and make material accessible to a more diverse audience.

Where possible, technical communication should be customized to align with the knowledge and needs of its audience.

Online word processors such as [https://www.google.com/docs/about/ Google Docs] and [https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/sharepoint/collaboration SharePoint] allow documents to be easily disseminated. Comment capability allows audience members to interact with one another as well as with the document author. Hypertext permits online authors to link the works of various others to their personal websites and vice versa. In all, technical documentation posted online can grow a considerable audience over time. However, many aspects of effective technical writing, such as clarity, conciseness, completeness, and correctness, still need to be applied to technical writing created for digital interfaces. {{sfn|Carroll|2010|p=24}}

==Personas in Digital Writing==

Personas in the context of digital writing refer to semi-fictional characters that encapsulate the characteristics, behaviors, and needs of target audience segments.<ref>https://grlucas.net/grl/CompFAQ/Digital_Writing/Personas</ref>

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===Version Control===

One such program is [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ChatGPT ChatGPT], which uses machine learning to produce texts with human-like style and tone. <ref>{{cite web | url =https://uca.edu/cetal/chat-gpt/ | title =Chat GPT: What is it? | last = | first = | date = | website =University of Central Arkansas | publisher = | access-date =October 9, 2023 }}</ref> Another leader in this area, Contentbot, uses a WordPress plugin which gives blog writers ideas to enhance their posts which are shared via email. <ref>Siddiqui, Zafar (January 2022). "Will Best Artificial Intelligence Take Over any Technical Content Writer?" The Writing Cooperative. https://writingcooperative.com/intricacies-of-ai-tools-can-ai-tools-take-over-the-jobs-of-technical-writers-af36836f625c</ref>

Because of the ability of chatbots to imitate human-like language, some education administrators have taken precautions to minimize the occurrence of students passing off artificially generated texts as their own. In some instances, educators have taken the view that material drawn from artificial intelligence software must be handled in the same way as sources from human authors. <ref>Klein, Alyson. “ChatGPT Cheating: What to Do When It Happens.” Education Week (Bethesda, MD), 21 Feb. 2023. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=pwh&AN=2W64116997758&site=eds-live&scope=site.</ref> In such cases, students who incorporate artificially generated text into their work have been made to denote credit for the artificial intelligence program utilized.

The advent of chatbots has complicated the issue of credit where creative work is concerned. Because chatbots can simulate human speech, their ability to create cinematic dialogues and other types of creative writing have threatened the credits and financial condition of professional writers. According to an article by Aaron Mok and Jacob Zinkula on ''[https://www.businessinsider.com/ Business Insider]'', writing jobs are among the top 10 roles that AI is most likely to replace. <ref>Mok, Aaron, and Jacob Zinkula. “ChatGPT May Be Coming for Our Jobs. Here Are the 10 Roles That AI Is Most Likely to Replace.” Business Insider, 4 Sept. 2023, www.businessinsider.com/chatgpt-jobs-at-risk-replacement-artificial-intelligence-ai-labor-trends-2023-02.</ref>