QUESTION: I'm an instructional designer and trainer, but I'd like to do some technical writing. Is there a way to become certified online or by a series of classes?

We'll answer these two questions together since they both deal with writing.

When you're creating online content, readability is one of the most important issues. Print publications allow readers to easily scan headlines and text and pick out important information. Text read on the Web may require scrolling, so it's important to put the most important ideas first in case your readers don't scroll down the screen. Other ways to facilitate scanning and make text more Web-friendly for learners include using

• short paragraphs
• bullets
• bold face.

Those elements can help new online learners read onscreen material more easily. Experienced computer users will be used to scrolling and may not mind longer, blockier paragraphs. It's important to know your learners. Opt for minimal scrolling when in doubt.

The term scanning is an important one in the Web design field of usability. Jakob Nielsen, one of the leading experts on usability, offers tips on making text scannable, and explains how his tips lead to increased usability. See How Users Read on the Web and Why Web Users Scan Instead of Read.

Additional information on Web writing, including why you should use the second person pronoun you, can be found in the articles "Writing for the Web" and "Don't Forget to Write."

Learning Circuits's "Write Right: Polishing Your E-Learning Prose" offers a host of hints on writing and editing content for e-learning courses.

Last, but certainly not least, we humbly offer this article on what not to include in your online writing: "Dangerous Words."

Online writing courses

For writing courses on the Web, check out EEI Communications, a writing firm that offers an online training series on topics ranging from beginning grammar for professionals to strategies of effective writing. The courses are self-paced and each one usually requires a total of about eight hours to complete. For more in-depth study, EEI's Publishing Professional Institute allows learners in the Washington-Baltimore area to earn a certificate in about two months.

The USDA Graduate School ("the government's trainer") offers a technical writing class nationwide in various regional training centers. The course is an elective in the Technical Editorial Practices Certificate Program.

The searchable database of distance learning opportunities from Petersons.com includes courses in technical writing offered by colleges and universities throughout the United States.

If you decide that you'd like to explore technical writing as a career, "Becoming a Technical Writer in Three Easy Steps" can help. The Society for Technical Communication is a good place to explore employment opportunities.

Saul Carliner, professor of information design programs at Bentley College and former president of STC, offers a long list of networking and professional development opportunities for technical writers, including industry-specific organizations, publications, and events. Carliner's entire series of articles on the technical communication industry is well worth reading.

Finally, be sure to check out Careers in Technical Writing on Monster.com. Also, searching for technical writing on Amazon.com yields a number of books, too many to list here.

Published: May 2001