Training in Technical Communication

Describes the importance of technical writing and communication in the information transfer chain. The technical writer and editor produce the source documents which the documentalist and the librarian have to identify, analyse, classify, store and finally alert and match the stored information with requests for information. The paucity of competent technical writers and editors in India is attributed to the lack of facilities for training and education of scientists in the concepts and techniques of technical communication. The paper examines the perspective and the reasons why engineers and scientists generally have a reputation of being poor expositors and communicators. It urges creation of a network of training fecilities in the country at various levels-university level, in-service short-term courses, refresher courses, workshops, summer schools, etc. Proposals for training courses and curricula of studies are made. The role of standardization in the form .of manuals of style and standard guidelines for presentation of technical reports, textbooks, research papers, theses, patents and specifications, abstracts, etc., is underlined for exercising quality control over various aspects of the mechanics of publication.