Why Use Plain Technical Language?
Common success criteria for documentation projects often measure items such as: • Customer satisfaction with the documentation; • How long it takes a reader to locate information, understand it, and act on it; • The documentation’s impact on company reputation; and • The bottom line in costs versus savings to produce the documentation. Although many technical communicators have been trained to write in a formal, impersonal style, usability studies have long suggested that formal language: • Intimidates and confuses the reader. • Increases the time required for the reader to read, comprehend, and act upon the documentation. • Uses more words (potentially raising translation costs). While plain technical language: • Presents information simply, so that readers’ questions are quickly resolved. • Enables readers to more easily and confidently complete an action. • Reduces word count (potentially lowering translation costs).
