Table 1 — Conventions of Technical Writing
| Criteria | Technical Writing |
| Purpose | To communicate technical and specialized information in a clear, accessible, usable manner to people who need to use it to make decisions, perform processes, or support company goals. |
| Audience | Varied, but can include fellow employees such as subordinates, colleagues, managers, and executives, as well as clients and other stakeholders, the general public, and even readers within the legal system. |
| Writing Style | Concise, clear, plain, and direct language; may include specialized terminology; typically uses short sentences and paragraphs; uses active voice; makes purpose immediately clear. |
| Tone | Business/professional in tone, which falls between formal and informal; may use first person or second person if appropriate; courteous and constructive. |
| Structure | Highly structured; short paragraphs; clear transitions and structural cues (headings and sub-headings) to move the reader through and direct the reader. |
| Formatting | Can be in electronic, visual, or printed formats; may be long (reports) or short (emails, letters, memos); often uses style guides to describe required formatting features; uses headings, lists, figures and tables. |
| Other Features | Typically objective and neutral; ideas are evidence and data-driven; descriptors are precise and quantitative whenever possible. |
Content derived by Baye Herald, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, from Technical Writing Essentials by Suzan Last, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
