The words 'technical writer' evoke an image of someone sitting in a window-less office composing a manual for a DVD player. But the field affords many opportunities not nearly so austere and mundane. These days, technical writers provide information about products and services not just as instruction manuals, but through websites, e-learning materials, online help modules and FAQ pages, wikis, podcasts and blogs. And they focus on a range of projects - from composing step-by-step protocols for setting up an electron microscope and using the imaging software, to writing scientific manuscripts and regulatory documents. These writers work not in isolation, but as part of teams of researchers, engineers, physicians or computer scientists. Owing to the diversity of their duties, technical writers often refer to themselves as technical communicators; if they write about drugs or medical devices, they are medical communicators. Their tasks sometimes overlap with those of public-relations officers, authors and other types of writers, but technical communicators are set apart by their focus on presenting factual information about complex subjects as clearly and efficiently as possible.
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