The process of writing technical manuals requires a writer to be concise and structured. For the sake of being consistent, customers and programs will require their manuals to meet the standards of specifications.
The primary military specification for technical manuals is MIL-STD-38784. This document describes in detail every aspect of a technical manual, including formatting, layout, content, and many other practices. There are illustrations in the appendix to show you exactly how, for example, a U.S Army technical manual should appear. But even with this level of detail, it has been my experience that every acquiring command will have different ideas on how they want their manual to look.
One of the other primary standards used for technical manuals comes from the aerospace industry. The voluminous ATA 100 specification describes the proper way to create documentation for every aspect of an aircraft. For there are chapter codes assigned to each part of the airplane " for example 24 is Electric Power, 23 is Communications, and 49 is Airborne Auxiliary Power.
Most specifications will also include a detailed explanation of how illustrations should be presented. The militarys 38784 specification details line weights, callouts, and many other aspects of graphics that need to be correct for military technical manuals.
Software documentation is somewhat different. One of the best standards for software technical writing was a book originally published by Digital Equipment Corporation. The Digital Style Guide is an excellent document to follow when you are writing user guides for software products.
Microsoft has created its own Manual of Style for Technical Publications. This book is an excellent tool for the technical writer trying to figure out how to describe various elements of the software user interface.
When you are working in certain industries or with smaller customers, there may not be any clear specification to follow. I would recommend that you examine the publications of other companies in the same line of business (suppliers and vendors) to see what their technical manuals look like. Or you can adapt one of the aforementioned specifications to the task, even though they may be overkill for smaller projects.
Ultimately, any technical manual has to meet the standards of the end user. For technical writing companies, it is important to become acquainted with the key standards in the arena in which you intend to secure business. What you will find is that most of the specifications are just variations on a theme. Many of the key components of a technical manual " table of contents, foreword, introduction, theory of operation, etc. " are common to most technical manuals. However the arrangement and formatting of these elements will differ depending on which specification you are following.
Michael D. Bean has 20 years of experience writing technical manuals.. As president of Allard, Incorporated, he writes a blog about technical manuals. If you are interested in learning more, please visit our site. Thanks.
Orignal From: Specifications That Guide Technical Writers
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