When professionals think about technical writing, they often focus on its function: to convey complex information in a usable, understandable form. But what too often gets overlooked is how we write this information matters just as much as what we write.
And evidence-based research shows that applying technical writing best practices improves comprehension and delivers measurable returns. Consider the case of FedEx, which realized $400,000 in labor savings within a single year simply by improving its operational documentation.
In other words, good technical writing isn’t just about technical correctness and mastery of the subject matter: it’s about written materials that generate desired outcomes.
Technical Writing Best Practices: Produce Measurable, Real-World Results
1: The Foundation of Technical Writing: Get the Basics Right
The starting point for all technical writing best practices is simply writing well. Spelling, grammar, structure: these fundamentals are what establish credibility and make a positive initial impression. In technical writing, where the entire purpose is to convey trustworthy, usable, and understandable information, poor writing becomes an unforgivable sin.
The alternative? Well, as a study published in Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly found, “Readers perceive stories with grammatical errors to be lower in quality, credibility, and informativeness.”
Teams looking to build these essential skills often turn to technical writing classes or enroll in a technical writing bootcamp to ensure that every writer begins with a strong foundation.
2: Framing Matters: The Kahneman Effect
Good grammar is just the starting point. Even the most technical of technical documents needs a strategy. Here’s an example of why: how information is framed can shape the reader’s understanding of the material and influence subsequent decision-making.
Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman demonstrated this through a classic experiment: participants evaluated two medical treatments, each leading to identical outcomes (200 survivors, 400 deaths out of 600 patients). When framed as “saves 200 lives,” 72% of participants favored the treatment; when framed as “400 people will die,” only 22% approved.
In technical writing, framing shapes how users interpret the information. As a result, it is always a technical writing best practice to consider the emotional and cognitive response of the reader, using framing not to manipulate, but to foster better understanding and decision-making.
3: The Power of Rewriting: Revise, Revise, Revise
Unfortunately, many writers don’t spend enough time revising, especially when the material is complex or technically challenging. In his State of Business Writing survey, Josh Bernoff found that professionals spend only 19% of their writing time on revision, despite allocating 45% to preparation and research.
Yet revision is where much of the real magic happens. That’s why technical writing workshops and technical writing bootcamp programs will often emphasize and teach revision as a separate skill from drafting, instructing participants not just how to write, but also how to rewrite effectively.
4: Keep It Simple, Silly: The KISS Principle
The old adage holds true, especially when the subject matter is complicated: simplicity aids comprehension. Readability studies consistently show that shorter sentences and paragraphs, with more commonly used words, improve understanding.
For technical material, it may not be possible to avoid unusual language or unusually long sentences, or paragraphs. It depends on the subject matter. But technical writers should always, as a best practice, keep the writing simple while still conveying the essential information.
Otherwise, the writer risks the material being lost on the reader. For instance, a study by the American Press Institute found that readers fully grasped 100% of information in sentences under eight words but only 10% of information when sentences stretched into dozens of words.
5: Give the Reader a “Because”
Especially if the technical writing needs the reader to do something—to follow instructions, to seek out more information, or to otherwise take action—give them reasons why.
Even when the reasoning is weak, simply providing a “because” increases compliance. Harvard research demonstrated that people were 34% more likely to comply with requests when a reason, even a flimsy one, was offered.
In technical writing, offering reasons provides context, helping readers follow instructions and understand why they are taking certain steps. When readers grasp the underlying rationale, they engage more deeply and are better equipped to act and troubleshoot issues independently.
6: Know Your Readers, Part 1: Expertise Level
At its core, technical writing is reader-specific. A user manual for a consumer electronics device demands a very different approach than API documentation for software developers.
Determining reader expertise is a crucial first step. Beginners require more background, step-by-step explanations, and visuals. Remember that studies estimate the average person’s vocabulary at about 15,000 words—a mere sliver of English’s full 172,000-word lexicon.
Experts prefer concise, technical precision. Pew Research Center found that 57% of adults tend to prefer more sophisticated written materials.
Ultimately, there’s no hard-and-fast rule defining whether to write with a basic vocabulary or an advanced one, especially in technical subjects. The key is to match your writing level to the reading level of your intended readers.
7: Know Your Readers, Part 2: Goals and Needs
Beyond expertise, writers must also address their readers’ specific objectives.
Technical writing is fundamentally problem-solving. Your documentation should help your reader solve real-world issues, whether that means troubleshooting a device, complying with regulations, implementing a new process, or filling a knowledge gap by understanding a subject better.
Plus, when technical documents directly address the reader’s pain points, they educate and enhance the perceived value of your organization’s expertise. Remember the FedEx example? Effective problem-solving documentation can lead to tangible cost and time savings.
8: Clarity and Specificity: Cut the Filler
In technical writing, every word must earn its place. Filler content—whether superfluous phrases, redundancies, or tangents— distracts and diminishes reader confidence. A 2020 study found that filler words like “well,” “oh,” and “um” correlate with lower perceptions of speaker confidence. In writing, similar fillers (“actually,” “absolutely,” “could possibly,” “assemble together”) add noise. Similarly, avoid confusing language, clichés, and obscure terminology, as The Economist notes that jargon is one of the top ten causes of poor workplace communication.
Good technical writing best practices mandate ruthless editing (another reason why revision is so important). Say everything needed for comprehension but nothing more.
9: Invest in Training: Why Technical Writing Instruction Matters
Finally, one of the most effective technical writing best practices is to improve your team’s technical writing skills through specialized training. But be aware that not all technical writing instruction is created equal. Grammatical correctness is a starting point, but not the end of the journey.
Indeed, a meta-analysis comparing different educational interventions found that grammar instruction had little impact on writing quality (effect size -0.17). Rather, it was teaching specific writing strategies that produced the largest gains (effect size 1.26).
Focused courses, such as technical writing classes online or a more in-depth workshop, such as a technical writing bootcamp, excel at teaching both the strategic elements and the basics of good writing. They help professionals internalize the problem-solving mindset that strong technical writing demands. Above all else, good technical writing instruction ensures that your team’s documents achieve what they’re supposed to: inform, guide, and empower their readers. You can find out more in our financial wiring courses.
For more information—or to get started with the process of empowering better technical writing at your organization—learn more about our “Exceptional Technical Writing” workshops.
