Top 10 Components of Style Guide in Technical Writing

Summary

This video outlines the key components of a style guide for technical writing teams, emphasizing clarity and consistency in documentation. It covers essential elements like spelling, special verbs and nouns, fonts, page layout, abbreviations, punctuation, and media usage. The guide also explores the importance of web and mobile styles and references reputable style manuals such as Microsoft’s Manual of Style and the Associated Press Stylebook. The video offers valuable insights for creating an effective and professional technical document, while ensuring uniformity and quality across all published materials.

Takeaways

• 😀 A technical writing style guide should address several key components to ensure consistency and clarity across documents.
• 😀 Spelling guidelines are crucial, including decisions on common terms like 'screenshot' vs. 'screen-shot' and 'JavaScript' vs. 'JScript'.
• 😀 The style guide should specify how special verbs and nouns are used, such as 'login' vs. 'to login' and whether 'porting' is an appropriate verb.
• 😀 Define fonts and colors to establish a consistent visual identity, including primary, secondary, and tertiary palettes, along with specific font usage for text and headings.
• 😀 Page layout guidelines help structure printed documents, covering margins, headers, footers, table of contents, and how to handle disclaimers or legal language.
• 😀 Web and mobile styles are becoming more important as more technical documentation is consumed on devices like smartphones and tablets.
• 😀 Abbreviations, acronyms, and contractions should be standardized across documents, with a list of industry-specific terms to be used.
• 😀 Punctuation rules should cover units of measurement (e.g., when to use periods), the Oxford comma, and proper use of commas, semicolons, etc.
• 😀 Clear rules for capitalization help maintain uniformity in technical writing, specifying which words should be capitalized and which should not.
• 😀 The style guide should provide guidance on how to handle references, citations, and media in technical documentation, including formatting for multiple authors and footnotes.
• 😀 Recommended reference style guides, such as the 'Handbook of Technical Writing' and 'Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications', offer inspiration for developing a comprehensive guide.

Q & A

What is the purpose of creating a technical style guide for a writing team?

A technical style guide ensures consistency in the language, format, and presentation of technical documents. It helps to standardize writing practices and provides clear instructions for technical writers on how to approach various elements of the writing process.

Why is spelling important in a technical style guide?

Spelling is crucial in a technical style guide because it defines how frequently used terms, concepts, and words should be spelled consistently across all documents. This includes decisions like whether to use 'screenshot' or 'screen-shot' and whether JavaScript should be spelled with a capital 'J' or in lowercase.

What is the significance of special verbs and nouns in technical writing?

Special verbs and nouns are used to ensure clarity and consistency in how actions or concepts are described. For example, deciding whether 'to login' or 'to log in' is correct, or whether terms like 'porting' are appropriate in certain contexts.

How does a style guide address fonts and colors?

A style guide provides guidelines for the fonts, font families, and sizes that should be used in specific parts of the document, such as body text or headings. It also defines the color palettes to be used, including primary, secondary, and tertiary colors, ensuring consistency in the document’s appearance.

What are the considerations for page layout in a technical style guide?

Page layout guidelines cover aspects such as margins, headers, footers, and whether a table of contents or index should be included. It also specifies the organization of the document, such as whether there should be disclaimers, disclosures, or legal language.

Why are web and mobile styles important in modern technical writing?

With the increasing use of smartphones and tablets for accessing technical content, style guides need to define how technical content should appear on web pages and mobile devices. This includes decisions about the appearance of links, button styles, and other interactive elements.

How should abbreviations, acronyms, and contractions be handled in a technical style guide?

A style guide should provide a list of industry-specific abbreviations and acronyms, and specify when and how they should be used. This helps avoid confusion and ensures that terms are used consistently and appropriately.

What role does punctuation play in technical writing, according to a style guide?

Punctuation rules in a style guide help standardize how units of measurement, dimensions, and other technical elements are presented. This includes decisions on whether to use periods after abbreviations, how to write dimensions (length, width, height), and whether to use the Oxford comma.

How does capitalization work in a technical style guide?

A technical style guide outlines which words should be capitalized and which should not. This typically includes specific terms, such as product names or section headings, ensuring that capitalization is consistent across documents.

How should media and visuals be handled in technical documents?

The style guide provides guidelines for how media, such as photographs, graphs, and videos, should look in the document. This includes decisions on whether visuals should have frames, color identification specific to the company, and when to use templates for creating these visuals.

What are some recommended style guides for technical writing?

Some recommended style guides for technical writing include 'Handbook of Technical Writing' by Gerald Allred, Microsoft's 'Manual of Style for Technical Publications,' The Associated Press (AP) Stylebook, and the Yahoo Style Guide. These resources can help shape the rules and conventions for technical documents.