(by 3 people)
I am a newbie Tech Writer -- at least new to the title. I have always loved writing out instructions, procedures, and manuals when it comes to sharing my knowledge to educate others. I'm a computer addict and hope to combine these loves into my work. There's a lot of information out there about Technical Writing. Hopefully this will get you started!
General Reference
- Bartleby.com: Great Books Online -- Encyclopedia, Dictionary, Thesaurus and hundreds more
- Bartleby.com publishes thousands of free online classics of reference, literature and nonfiction.
Dictionaries
- OneLook Dictionary Search
- "Think of this web site as a search engine for words and phrases: If you have a word for which you'd like a definition or translation, we'll quickly shuttle you to the web-based dictionaries that define or translate that word. If you don't know how to spell the word, we'll help you do that too. No word is too obscure: More than 5 million words in more than 900 online dictionaries are indexed by the OneLook(R) search engine."
Grammar
- Webgrammar
- Webgrammar (Judy Vorfeld) offers tips, tutorials, and references for writers, students, educators, editors, businesses, organizations, and Web developers
Web Style Guides
- Web Style Guide, 2nd Edition
- WEB STYLE GUIDE, 2nd edition
This online style guide gives you great information to reference when you are planning a web site -- and you do plan, don't you?
Style Guides and Manuals
It seems there may be disagreement on which style guides to use. However, it is better to be consistent. Use your company's style guide (or the entity you are writing for) or pick one and stick with it. If you stray from a style guide, at least know why you're doing it.
The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition
Amazon Price: $9.95 (as of 10/07/2008)
Usually ships in 24 hours
Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications
Amazon Price: $19.79 (as of 10/07/2008)
Usually ships in 24 hours
Read Me First! A Style Guide for the Computer Industry (2nd Edition)
Amazon Price: $32.57 (as of 10/07/2008)
Usually ships in 24 hours
Xerox Publishing Standards: A Manual of Style and Design
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
Links
- Newbie Tech Writer
- Site for people who want to break in to technical writing. Includes job links, tool information and advice.
- TECHWR-L
- Home of the TECHWR-L mailing list. Features many useful links, archives, educational resources, job listings, and a topical "chat" section for the technical writing professional.
- Technical Professional Communications
- Directory of resources for the technical writer, provides writing tips and links to various writing sites.
- TechWriters.com
- Learn more about technical writing. Contribute to an online community of technical writers. Staffing services and placement agency for technical writers provided.
- Resources for Technical Writing
- Internet search engines, mailing lists, professional associations, software and technical support
- Allyn and Bacon TechCommunity
- Resources for Technical Communicators on studying, teaching or practicing technical communication.
- Writers Write
- Links to technical writing jobs, resources for technical writers, technical information and a technical writing message board.
- Online-learning.com
- Online courses for the professional development of technical writers.
- Suite101.com - Technical Writing by Vicki M. Taylor
- This column focuses on technical writing by providing helpful tips and suggestions for being a successful technical writer.
- Functional Spec Tutorial
- Learn what a functional specification is, why they're used, and how to write one.
- The Institute of Technical Writing
- Learn how to become a technical writer. Study where and when you want, supported by your own tutor.
- David A. McMurrey Technical Writing Resources
- Online text book and web sources, includes links to listings of resources of Purdue, UCLA, and University of Michigan.
- APEX Awards for Publication Excellence
- Annual awards competition providing recognition for outstanding publications from newsletters and magazines to annual reports, brochures and Web sites. Over 90 categories under 11 headings. Deadline 15 March 2002.
- Suite101.com - Technical Communication by Paula Puffer
- Technical Writing can encompass a myriad of skills including writing, graphic design, and programming. Information about networking, technical communication resources, and How to for new technical communicators.
- Man, Machine and Technical Communication
- A study the needs that companies have in organizing their technical communication, what type of equipment is needed and how this equipment can be developed to optimize human-computer interaction
- Tech Writing Marketplace
- Sells e-books about technical writing, and offers a free email newsletter with jobs, advice, and resources for aspiring to advanced technical writers.
- EServer Technical Communication (and Technical Writing) Library
- Comprehensive site offering links to articles, online resources, journals, professional organizations and materials of importance to the field.
- Longman: English Pages: Technical Writing
- Provides examples of technical writing model documents with and without annotation, including in bibliography, software manuals, extended definitions, feasability studies, technical descriptions.
- Russian State Archive of Scientific and Technical Documentation
- Keeps scientific and technical (planning, designed, technological, science-research), patent, administrative documentation on Russian territory.
- Untechnical Press - Tech Writers' Manifesto
- A manifesto for technical writers with an associated discussion forum.
- Writing Technical Articles
- Notes which apply to technical papers in computer science and electrical engineering, with emphasis on papers in systems and networks.
- Biomedical Writing
- Learn about biomedical writers and biomedical writing with articles, links and resources.
- Userdox.com: Delivery Mechanism for User Documentation
- For technical writers and others who create user documentation; focused on usability aspects.
- AAAS Annual Meeting
- Science journalists recognizes outstanding reporting for a general audience and honor individuals (rather than institutions, publishers or employers) for their coverage of the sciences, engineering and mathematics.
- Technical Writing: A Short Course on Writing Technical Reports
- Online course for technical writers.
- Quotations for Technical Writers
- Quotes for writers of software manuals and articles.
- Exploring Technical Communication
- A 30-minute streaming documentary about the field of technical communication, including documentation writing, usability testing, project management, user interface design and rhetorical theory.
- Great Technical Writing
- Resources for people who want to become technical writers and for people who want or need to hire them. Many detailed articles.
- Klariti.com - Technical Writing
- Articles, tutorials, and recommended readings.
- Tech-Writer.net
- Articles on getting started, skills, standards, templates, techniques, graphics, and education. Site also has articles about fountain pens, calligraphy, and imagery intelligence.
- Writing Effective Proposals
- The California Department of Education provides information on writing about educational plans and programs.
- The Write Team UK
- The Write Team is an independent technical writing group based in London UK.
