Content Convergence & Integration 2008

Products and processes are becoming more complex, while companies worldwide increasingly have to deal with different languages.

Although technical documentation is predominantly written in English, it can often be difficult to understand due to its complexity: complex sentence structures, multiple meanings and synonyms easily result in confusion. In addition, many readers’ command of English can fall below the level of those who created the documentation, which especially applies to non-native English speakers.

In addition, for documentation that has to be translated into other languages, one cannot expect the translation to be of great quality if the source file was ambiguous to begin with. This often has consequences that range from confused and frustrated readers to higher costs arising as a result of miscommunication.

In this context, clear and effective writing has become more important than ever before. Simplified Technical English (also known as Controlled English) is a method of writing that makes technical English easy to understand.