Is technical writing an engineering discipline?

M. Harney

doi:10.1109/47.843649

IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication Jun 2000

Is technical writing an engineering discipline?

M. Harney

Abstract

Within the classic information technology (IT) engineering disciplines (software and hardware engineering), there is sometimes skepticism about the status of technical writing. How can the manipulation of words and images compare with the rigors of producing efficient code or densely populated boards? Many technical writers don't have a degree with "science" in the title. To outsiders, their world seems an odd one, where trivial matters like the location of hyphens are intensely debated. The author addresses the question of whether technical writing is an engineering discipline by examining an authoritative set of criteria used to define systems engineering. This examination will take the form of worked examples from systems engineering and technical writing to see how each discipline matches these criteria. The conclusion is that technical writing, done correctly, meets the strict definition of an engineering discipline. Technical writing is not consistently accepted as such because of cultural differences, most specifically noted in the relative weight of academic qualifications.

Journal: IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
Published: 2000-06-01
DOI: 10.1109/47.843649
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Topics: technical communication
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Is technical writing an engineering discipline?

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