4-01 (December 2001)
Education and Training
by Chris Curwen
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4-01 (December 2001)
Education and Training
by Chris Curwen |
We all know that products are designed and developed by a variety of experts, such as engineers, programmers, scientists, and designers. And each of these experts belongs to a particular category. For example, engineers are divided into such categories as Mechanical Engineer, Electrical Engineer, or Aeronautical Engineer. Without that categorisation, there is no way that we can possibly know in what field a particular expert specialises.
But who creates product documentation? The answer - a group of experts known, generically, as Technical Communicators. And, although these are all people who are supposed to be experts in communicating factual information using a combination of words and illustrations, they each have a particular area of specialisation, like the engineers. But the title, "Technical Communicator", that so many of the readers and contributors to TC-Forum use, does not help anybody know their area of specialisation.
For this reason, I believe that people should stop calling themselves "Technical Communicators". They should rather use a title that reflects more accurately the area, or areas, in which they specialise. Typical examples would be, "Technical Author - Mechanical", or "Technical Author - Electrical". As there is a good deal of confusion about these titles, and their functions, I hope that the following definitions will help to clarify the situation.
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Technical Authors are people who create original technical documentation. To do this, they use such things as manufacturing drawings, specifications, models, and the equipment itself, as resources. They then use their technical knowledge and experience, as well as their communication skills, to create the necessary documentation. Because of this, Technical Authors specialise in particular areas such as mechanical engineering, hydraulics and pneumatics, or electrical engineering. They may still function as Technical Writers when working on those areas in which they do not have the necessary technical expertise.
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Technical Writers are people who use their communication skills to re-write existing information, or information they gather from experts, into an acceptable format for the required document. As they rely on technical experts to give them the necessary information, they do not have to be experts in the subject matter, although some technical background is obviously helpful.
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Technical Editors are people whose primary job is to evaluate the work produced by the Technical Authors, Writers, and Illustrators to ensure that it meets any specified requirements. As technical editing covers such things as language usage, document design and layout, and content, Technical Editors should have both technical knowledge and experience, and communication skills. In most cases, they will have worked previously as Technical Authors or Writers.
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Technical Authors and Writers use a combination
of words and illustrations to communicate with
their readers. But, to do this, they need someone
to prepare the necessary illustrations. These
illustrations may be of many different kinds,
ranging from simple isometric views of assemblies
to complex perspective exploded views. But,
regardless of the kind of illustration needed, they
must be prepared professionally. And this is the
Technical Illustrators’ job.
"transline Deutschland - Übersetzungsdienst für technische Übersetzung"