Technical writing has the primary purpose of presenting information that is already complex in simpler terms. In this case, it is to write user guides, API Interface guides, and troubleshooting guides that contain specific instructions. However, technical writing can also cause more confusion or frustration to the readers than providing the necessary clarification that should be expected of it.

Who has not encountered a set of instructions, a manual, or a user guide that was not clear or rather out of so much information that they were even more puzzled at the end? However, there are several factors that influence technical writing to be ineffective. Nevertheless, the big question that arises is, how can we do it?

In this article, you will find out what the major blunders are, read some bad technical writing samples, and learn practical tips on how to write good documentation.

Why Does Bad Technical Writing Matter?

In other words, consider if you were put in a position where you had to put together furniture where the instructions you are given consist of clichés and some steps are omitted. Or even fixing an error message like ‘the application encountered an error, the message was Something went wrong.

Poor documentation can cause:

• Dissatisfied people who cannot understand the instructions provided.
• Customers have raised more concerns, particularly seeking clarifications to the changes.
• Discretion and time wasted during their time as they try to understand the necessary manuals.
• Accidents and severe problems occur in important sectors in which high accuracy is expected, such as medicine and construction.

Good documentation makes life easier. Poor writing does the opposite.

Which writing errors does one make most often when drafting technical documentation?

Common Mistakes in Technical Writing

1. Vague and Ambiguous Language

It is important to develop clear and well-defined instructions. In this case, people can only guess, and in so doing, they lose valuable time.

Example:

❌” Push the button we have started.”

What button? Where is it located? What does it look like?

✅ “On the right side of the control panel, there is a green ‘Start’ button, which should be pressed.”

Adding these specific details helps the users avoid confusion and guides them towards the next step.

2. Overuse of Jargon and Acronyms

Not all persons who will be reading a document are knowledgeable in general or possess the knowledge of experts. To some extent, reduces understanding as the text fills it with jargon peculiar to the industry.

Example:

❌ “Ensure API calls adhere to RESTful principles and utilize JSON payloads.”

If the reader is not well conversant with REST or JSON, then they will not grasp the intended meaning of the sentence.

✅ “When using APIs, the calls must adhere to REST principles, which mandate the use of standard HTTP verbs. It should be sent in JSON format since it is a form of data that is easy to use in data storage and exchange.”

It is always wise to explain the terms used or else use simple wordings to try and define them.

3. Long, Overcomplicated Sentences

Due to the containment of color codes to strictly technical content, technical documents should be scannable in a precise and swift manner. Long and packed sentences negatively affect the reader’s speed as well as the ease with which they assimilate knowledge.

Example:

❌ “When it comes configuration for rigor, a user must go to setting, find system preferences subheading and then set it as preferred.”

✔ “Please visit Settings > System Preferences and change the settings according to the described parameters.”

Simplification of instructions is effective when made in the form of short sentences, which will assist the recipient in understanding them well.

4. Poor Formatting and Lack of Structure

Writing one big blob of text is not easy to approach, let alone read. For example, if a writer composes a document in one long paragraph, it becomes hard to read. It is easy for the readers to locate the information they require due to proper formatting.

Example of Poor Formatting:

❌ “To reset the, your device required to switch on the power button for at least 10 seconds and wait for the light, then press the reset button placed at the back of the device.”

This means that upon completion of the reset process, you will need to redo the device configuration once again.

Improved Formatting:

✅ To reset the device:

1. Pressing the button marked ‘power’ for ten seconds.
2. Wait for the light to flash.
3. To delete the casino option, press and release the reset button found at the rear part of the unit.
4. After that, the device will reboot If the specific reset is performed.
5. Reconfigure the settings.

When giving instructions, it is much easier for the target audience to follow if the information is presented in points, numerically, and with headings.

5. Unclear Error Messages

The system should be designed in a way that error messages should be incidentally informative to let the users understand what has gone wrong and how they can correct this error. A vague error message leaves users with no direction.

Example:

❌ “Error 403. Permission denied.”

✅ “Access denied. You do not have permission to view this page. Contact your administrator to request access.”

Thus, the clear and comprehensible error message should contain:

• What happened (Access denied)
• What led to this: You do not have permission
• How to fix it This issue requires the attention of the system administrator, so proceed to contact them.

Having discussed the typical errors, it’s time to review real examples of bad technical writing and how they may be better written.

Real-World Bad Technical Writing Examples and Fixes

Example 1: Poorly Written Instruction Manual

❌ “It is recommended that the switch located on the front panel should be turned on before operating the second input.

✅ “The first step is to switch the main power switch to ‘on and then press the start button.”

So, terms such as ‘apparatus’ and ‘the secondary input mechanism’ used in this definition should better be avoided. Simple instructions are always better.

Example 2: Confusing Software Documentation

❌ “For the above feature, to con, figure one simply customize the systems and set the parameter as required.”

✅ “Go to Settings > Features, then turn on ‘Auto-Save’ to enable this function.”

Still, users require clear and specific instructions instead of having general ideas stated.

Example 3: Hard-to-Read API Documentation

❌ “The method that the code uses is GET, and it retrieves the specified resource and then returns an HTTP response containing the JSON payload.”

✅ “GET request should be used to make query.” The answer to the question will be provided in JSON format.

It becomes easier to comprehend different endpoints and other options if the specification contains more concise information.

How to Improve Technical Writing

Some of the possible solutions necessary for improving bad documentation include the following:

1. Use simple words – This is more of a rule of thumb that you ought to bear in mind when writing as if the reader is a young learner.
2. Be Specified – One should not leave room for lots of ambiguity in the written instructions. Add details when necessary.
3. Minimize the Usage of Long Sentences – Always avoid lengthy statements for the sake of giving elaborate explanations.
4. Employ the Use of Headings – Use bullet points, numbering systems, and/or headings to guide the reader.
5. Test Your Documentation – It is important to cross-check the documentation, and this can be done by letting another person who has no prior knowledge of the topic undergo the guidelines provided herein. If they may fail, then you should then rewrite the content.

Best Tools to Improve Technical Writing

There are many resources that the writer could utilize to make the analysis easy and precise:

• Grammarly – ‘Explains that the sentence needs improvement and may be easily understood by the adult whose language level is not as high as your own.’
• Hemingway Editor – Performs well at identifying awkward text passages that are challenging to read.
• Readability Test Tool – Ensures the content is easy to understand.
• Microsoft and Google Style Guides – Provide best practices for technical writing.

The use of these tools can assist in reviving frequent writing errors to provide more precise and reliable documentation.

Final Thoughts

Bad technical writing anger users, consumes more time and may result in costly blunders. Failure to give clear instructions, use many idiomatic expressions, and format the document appropriately are some of the mistakes that technical writers can avoid.

Thus, if you seek to achieve the aim of having efficient documentation, these three factors should be taken into consideration: simplicity, clarity, and structure of the document. By testing your writing with actual users, enhance and align your content while always striving for the best. At the core of great technical content, writing is not the writer trying to show off but trying to simplify information for everyone to understand.