Genres of Technical Writing
There are many different kinds of technical writing documents that are part of software development.
Product documentation – Information must be made available to backend IT departments of business who use software programs. This information includes the specifications and hardware requirements that will be needed to use the software. Release notes - Software companies are constantly updating their products. As updates are complete, release notes are made available to the public to provide them with information about the latest version of the software. Training manuals – Training manuals are a staple of software companies. Manuals are needed for end users. Manuals are also needed for backend technical issues for IT departments of clients. Video tutorials – More than ever, software companies use video tutorials rather than hard copy tutorials to provide help for end users. Announcements – On their websites, software companies frequently make announcements of upcoming updates, of conferences, of training opportunities, sales opportunities, etc. Community online forums – Online forums give end users a chance to ask questions and get advice from other end users and especially to get advice from developers and customer support individuals who work for the company. Newsletters – Software companies sometimes send out newsletters to the businesses that use their product. These newsletters are often online newsletters rather than hard copy editions. Webinars – For a variety of reasons, software companies often need to directly communicate with their clients. Webinars or web conferencing makes these kinds of meetings convenient and eliminates travel expenses. Even though these meetings take place online, there are still portions which are written as computer screens are shared among participants. Conference presentations – Software companies frequently attend conferences where potential customers can see their products and sample the software. Calendars – Interoffice calendars are frequently shared as employees work collaboratively on projects and deadlines. These calendars are usually online calendars. Schedules – Software companies use a variety of online tools to coordinate schedules and appointments. Security notices – For software programs, it is often necessary to write secrutiy notices to help IT departments deploy “fixes” for bugs in the software and to make IT departments aware of potential software security issues. Brochures - Brochures are often used to market software products. FAQs – Computer software companies usually have a Frequently Asked Questions section on their website to address issues that frequently come up. Emails - Communication between clients, team members, and management are often conducted via email. Progress reports - When developing updates and new releases, it is necessary to keep supervisors and other key personnel informed of progress. |