Trends in Technical Writing

The Information Technology industry is abuzz with information flow that Technical Communication is one of the most promising professions. Yet, most people are hardly aware of what is actually happening in technical writing. This article tries to explain the trends in technical writing. It does not explain in detail the emerging technical writing concepts or industry standards. It tries to explain in brief the plight of technical communication as a profession and the nuances associated with the changing trends in this profession.

Broadly speaking, the trends can be either related to the process, tools, or industry changes. This article, thus, demarcates the trends according to this broad classification and provides a clear understanding of the emerging trends in each area. You will understand the influence of emerging tools and technologies such as XML, DITA, and other applications. You can get a clear view of the industry trends associated with the emergence of Web 2.0 as the next force to reckon with on the Internet area. Likewise, you will gain a clear understanding of the people trends in this profession. Indeed, every industry and profession has its own share of evolution and trends.

Technical writing has been on a continuous evolving mode since the first time a scientist started documenting his experiments. However, the recent trends in technical writing signify a dramatic shift toward better user experience akin to the software development and production processes. These trends can be broadly classified into the following areas:

1. Process trends


2. Tools trends


3. Industry trends


4. People trends