Course description
Technical Author Core Skills Training - 2-day Intermediate course
This 2-day comprehensive Intermediate technical authoring course has been designed to build on the concepts and skills taught in the introductory technical authoring course, teaching further techniques for producing effective content. Specifically, delegates will learn the basics of technical writing, the prewriting step, creative effective content and structure, clarity in technical writing, consistency and correctness.
This is a practical and 'activity-based' course that makes extensive use of practical exercises to give candidates the opportunity to gain experience in the techniques taught.
This course is part of a module comprising the Technical Authoring training programme, which is accredited by the ISTC.
Training is provided by highly experienced instructors, all of whom have 20+ years of experience in technical authoring.
Upcoming start dates
Training venue
This Intermediate technical authoring course is hosted at our centres in Bristol and Reading.
Delegates can enjoy fantastic facilities at our centres, with lunch and refreshments included.
Suitability - Who should attend?
This Intermediate technical authoring course is suitable for those embarking on a career in technical authoring and existing technical authors who want to improve their skillset.
Pre-requisites
Delegates should be familiar with the fundamentals of technical authoring, i.e. have attended Introduction to technical authoring training or have equivalent knowledge.
To find out if this course is right for you, please send an enquiry here.
Outcome / Qualification etc.
Technical Authoring e-Certificate
Upon completion of this Intermediate technical authoring course, delegates receive an e-certificate confirming that they have attended and successfully completed the course.
Training Course Content
The Intermediate technical authoring course is structured as follows:
Basics of technical writing
Why don’t readers use technical writing?
- Five key reader problems
- What readers want
- Why consistency is so important
Writers’ problems with technical writing
- The main cause of ineffective writing
- Types of writing
- Standards for technical writing
The technical writing process
Project managing your writing
- A process to achieve consistency
- The technical writing process
- Timings for a writing project
Planning your writing
- Setting document objectives
- Plan – draft – rewrite!
Analysing your audience
- Understanding your readers
- Audience analysis
- Four key audiences
- The global audience
- The audience you don’t support
Adding detail to your audience analysis
- Using personas
- Communication styles
- Other communication style issues
Creating effective content and structure
Creating a body of knowledge
- Defining structure and content
- Structuring with sections
- Topic-based authoring & DITA
Topic generation techniques
- Introductions and conclusions
- Generating topics for a structure
- Structuring with the LATCH principle
- Outlining tools
Creating an outline prototype
- Creating headings that work
- Writing better headings
- Testing the prototype
Creating cohesion:
- Handling repetition and redundancy
- Transitions that work
- Sentence structure
- Sections that work
Creating effective content and structure(continued)
The Building Blocks of Content
- Basic sentence structures
- Topic sentences and controlling ideas
- Writing a clear topic sentence
- Establishing the topic and controlling idea
Using paragraphs
- Paragraph structure
- Linked paragraphs help readers
- Creating effective paragraphs
Clarity in technical writing
Clarity issues with English
- Language customs
- Common writing styles
- Simplified Technical English
- STE controlled dictionary*
Grammar issues affecting technical writers
- Pronouns
- Modifiers
- Synonyms
Consistency and correctness
The Importance of consistency
- Achieving consistency
- Typographical errors
- Spelling forms
- Numbering
- Capitalisation
Punctuation standards
- Commas
- Colons, semi-colons, ellipses
- Hyphens
- Apostrophes in action
Copy editing and proofreading
Putting it all together
Building readability into your documents from the start
- Enough or too much?
- Capstone exercise
Technical writing tools
- Writing tools for technical writers
- Image creation tools for technical writers
Why choose Armada
4.9 stars Google Review rating
Over 96% delegate experience rating on our Autodesk courses in 2021
5 locations across UK and live online courses
Customer Outreach Award 2019
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Our Customer Outreach Award is presented to trusted providers who are excellent at responding to enquiries, making your search quicker, more efficient and easier, too.
Expenses
Course fees are inclusive of all relevant course documentation, including comprehensive courseware, refreshments and lunch. Delegates are also entitled to 30 days' after-course support via email.
In-house training
We can also provide technical authoring training as an on-request course (one-to-one or for a group) at our training centres in Bromsgrove (near Birmingham), Bristol, Sheffield, Reading, Milton Keynes, or at your venue anywhere in the UK.
Continuing Studies
Intermediate technical authoring training is the second stage of our Technical Authoring Training Programme, comprising:
- Introduction to technical authoring (1 day)
- Intermediate technical authoring (2 days)
- Advanced technical authoring (2 days)
This programme is accredited by the ISTC, the UK-based society for professional technical authors. It is typically attended by new and budding technical authors.
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