Technical communication involves managing technical information in ways that allow people to take action. This definition is broadly stated, because the field of technical communication is evolving rapidly due to advances in electronic forms of communication. Only a few decades ago, a reasonable definition of technical communication might have stressed the importance of “translating” technical ideas into clear and accessible written text. What was then called technical writing involved gathering technical information, usually from engineers or software developers, and converting that information into paper-based documentation. Technical communication mostly involved producing documentation for procedures, specifications, software, and machinery.

The arrival and expansion of the networked computer since the 1990s, however, has dramatically changed the field of technical communication. Today, technical communication involves issues of knowledge management, information ...