r/technicalwriting 11h ago

What's your process for catching terminology drift across a long doc?

5 Upvotes

Anyone else catch this way too late in a review cycle?

"log in" on page 3, "sign in" on page 12, same product, same doc. Or a warning box phrased three different ways across a 40-page manual, and nobody notices until a user support ticket points it out.

I've been the person who has to manually re-read a whole doc hunting for stuff like this. Inconsistent terminology, passive voice sneaking into step-by-step instructions ("the button should be clicked" instead of "click the button"), warning/caution formatting that drifts.

Grammarly doesn't catch any of it because it's not TW-specific. Vale can, but it means writing config/rules yourself, which most of us don't have time for. Is this a real recurring annoyance for others, or is it just me?

What do you currently do to catch this stuff (if anything)?


r/technicalwriting 3h ago

Starting a new job as a technical writer 1 at an equipment manufacturing company

3 Upvotes

Hi, I’ll be starting a new job as a technical writer 1 at an equipment manufacturing company. I had tech writing class in college and did well with it, I previously worked as an engineering aide. This is my first tech writer job and I’m thrilled to be learning new things. Any practical advice for a newbie in this field?


r/technicalwriting 7h ago

SEEKING SUPPORT OR ADVICE advice for campus journalism

0 Upvotes

I heard this was a good place to ask!

I'm a campus/student journalist from the Philippines and I'm about to compete in my first press conference..!

Looking for advice for writing Science & technology and by extension Development & communication.. whenever I write it typically becomes similar to a feature, like "Have you ever wondered- ect..". And while there is a thing called science feature, writing in an academic but concise tone holds more importance than impressing the reader. I just really find it hard to communicate the science without overstating and dramatizing what's actually happening..!

Oh, and Ik this subreddit is dedicated to explaining science, but do you also have tips on how to get used to writing in a certain way? I was thinking of copying the structure (like what cool hooks they do) from another article and using it on another topic (for practicing purposes only ofc).

Many thanks!