What are the key skills for a new technical writer?
For those that are just starting out, what are key skills they should have or learn to be a good technical writer?
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Be clear. Write simply and plainly. Define your jargon and your acronyms, even if you think everyone knows them already, and use jargon as sparingly as you can.
Imagine handing your document to someone outside your field (or better yet, try to get an editor outside your field) and aim for your work to make some kind of sense to that person. Obviously an extremely sophisticated technical paper isn't going to make complete sense to a lay person, but that person should at least be able to get the gist of what you're saying.
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