Howdy or Hello?: Technical and Business Communications - Revised Pilot Edition

Abstract

The Society for Technical Communication (STC) states that “technical communication is a broad field and includes any form of communication” that is “about technical or specialized topics,” that “use[s] technology, such as web pages or help files,” or that “provid[es] instructions about how to do something.”1 Therefore, technical and professional communication is the process of making and sharing ideas and information in the workplace, as well as the documents you write such as letters, emails, instructions, reports, proposals, websites, and blogs. In this textbook, the word "document" refers to any of the many forms of technical writing, whether it is a web page, an instruction manual, a lab report, or a travel brochure. Specifically, technical writing involves communicating complex information to a specific audience who will use it to accomplish some goal or task in a manner that is accurate, useful, and clear. Whether you write an email to your professor or supervisor, develop a presentation or report, design a sales flyer, or create a webpage, you are a technical communicator. Technical writing courses build on what you have learned in other writing courses. But there is plenty new to learn! If you currently have a job in which you do some writing, you will discover that you can put what you learn in your technical writing course to immediate use.