Re: Good tech writing schools?

["Anthony Markatos" <tonymar -at- hotmail -dot- com>]

Sarah Park asked:

I am uncertain whether I should pursue a degree program or certificate 
program in technical writing.  Can any of you offer suggestions?  Also, I 
was wondering if you know the best schools that offer tech. writing 
programs?

Tony Markatos responds:

The key to answering this question is to pin-point the major requirement to 
creating highly usable end-user documentation (irregardless of the delivery 
vehicle).

I create technical communications for complex business systems.  It has 
always been my experience (15 years) that the major thing that a technical 
communicator needs to do to creat highly usable documentation is to gain a 
clear, concise, comprehenisve understanding of the essential end-user tasks 
that must be accomplished (in order to meet business objectives) and  how 
all of those tasks interrelate.

I would focus on finding a program whose primary purpose is to teach you how 
to go about obtaining such understanding.  I do not know of any such 
program.  The ones that I am aware of only teach the "other" stuff that a 
Technical Communicator may need to know - Writing, Editing, DTP, Interface 
Design, etc.

Tony Markatos
(tonymar -at- hotmail -dot- com)





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