1. Who Is Doing Technical Communication?
Professionals who need to communicate
.Technical writers

2. What Is Technical Communication?
Subject: scientific, technical, professional
.Audience: specific, often known
.Purpose: to inform, to instruct, to be used
.Style: clear, direct, precise, concise, illustrated, well designed

3. What Is Technical Communication?
Information creation
.Information compilation
.Information management
.Information distribution

4. Types of Technical Communication
Written
.Oral
.Visual
.Interpersonal
.Collaboration

5. Computer Technologies in Communication
Wordprocessing
.Spread sheet/data base
.Graphics
.Presentation
.Desktop publishing
.Web authoring
.Multimedia

6. Forms of Technical Communication
Print
.Web based
.Oral
.Visual
.Multi media

7. Demands of Technical Communication
Subject knowledge
.Language skills
.Graphics skills
.Document design skills
.Computer technology skills
.Understanding of audience and purpose
.Company culture and policies
.Honesty, integrity, ethics

8. Skills Needed for Success in Technical Communication
Clear and concise writing
.Interpersonal communication (negotiation and team skills)
.Computer technologies
.Editing
.Organization
.Presentation
.Critical thinking
Source: Southard and Reaves, "Tough Questions and Straight Answers: Educating Technical Communicators in the Next Decade," Technical Communication
Quarterly , Vol.42, No.4, 1995:560.

9. Skills Used in Writing Research and information gathering skills
.Interviewing skills
.Choosing the necessary/useful info from readers’ perspective
.Getting reviewers give feedback to drafts

10. Features of Technical Communication
Contextual
.Reader oriented
.Practical
.Factual
.Persuasive
.Supported with visuals
.Collaborative
.Done under constraints
.Done in a variety of media