Technical Writing Key Terms

Learn and understand technical writing key terms so that you can increase writing opportunities
By Rachel Davy, Writer/Editor Technical writing is a formal style of writing used to explain or describe information about a specific product, craft or industry. In order to better understand technical writing, it's necessary to not only know but to understand technical writing key terms and abbreviations so that you can use them in your writing. After you’ve learned these key terms, you can put them into practice in your work to ensure success in your business.
 

Manufacturer suggested retail price

The manufacturer suggested retail price, also referred to as MSRP, indicates the price that the manufacturer want retailers to use when they sell the manufacturer's products.
Try: Learn more about manufacturer suggested retail price and how you can use it in technical writing at WiseGEEK.

Business-to-business, business-to-consumer and business-to-government

Business-to-business, B2B or B-to-B, is a marketing term that you may use in technical writing to describe the financial transactions between businesses. Business-to-consumer (B2C) relates to transactions between businesses and consumers, and business- to-government (B2G) describes transactions between businesses and the government.
Try: Find information about the business- to-business market and how it is beneficial to technical writers at Jackie Cooper Writer. Learn about the terms B2B, B2C and B2G at Businesspedia.

EXtensible markup language

XML is the abbreviation for eXtensible markup language, and it describes a particularly complex form of technical writing in which the author is expected to explain structural elements, such as paragraphs and indents, of his or her writing by using tags and other devices such as document-type definitions (DTD).
Try: Online-learning.com explains how writing eXtensible markup language can be financially beneficial to technical writers.

Controlled vocabulary

Controlled vocabulary, or simplified English, describes a technical writing key term for a certain set of grammatical rules that technical writers must use.
Try: Get more information about controlled vocabulary at Tedopres International.

Digital-accessible information system

Digital-accessible information system, or DAISY, is a standard for technical writing that is used to create content such as audio books and electronic devices.
Try: Review the information about DAISY at the DAISY Consortium.

Information mapping

Information mapping refers to a technical writing key term that describes certain methods for analyzing, organizing and presenting information. There are software programs that help technical writers to do this efficiently, so they can apply these standards to their work.
Try: Learn more about information mapping methods for technical writers at Information Mapping.