An Extensive List of Style Guides for Technical Writers

by Bradley Nice, Content Manager at ClickHelp — all-in-one help authoring tool

Technical writers need to adhere to a set of certain rules when it comes to writing their content. Imagine you got a job as a technical writer and your first assignment is to update user manuals of the company. This company doesn’t have any style guide. What shall this writer do? Let’s try to figure this out.

A style guide is a set of standards for writing and designing content; it defines the style that should be used in communication within a particular organization and ensures that your customers can read your content easily.

A technical writer style guide should:

• include the technical writing standards for your company, grammar, copy patterns, voice and tone guidelines;
• provide examples and references for each rule, so the writers can easily find what they’re looking for;
• be flexible enough to allow some variation in formatting when necessary;
• include a word list and brand basics.

Now that you know what your style guide should include, you can start writing it. But you shouldn’t reinvent the wheel — there are plenty of existing style guides you can use as a foundation.

List of Style Guides For Technical Writers

• Simplified Technical English is a specification for a controlled language. It is designed to make texts easy to read. And is applicable to all types of special safety, critical domains, where you need to make sure that your text is as simple to read as possible.
• The Microsoft Manual of Style is probably the most commonly used reference guide for technical writers. It is easy to read, well organized, and gets to the point. A good resource for anyone doing technical writing or documentation of web publishing.
• The Google Style Guide. This style guide provides editorial guidelines for writing clear and consistent Google-related developer documentation.
• The Chicago Manual of Style. A guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format.
• The Oxford Manual of Style provides a guide to writing and formatting documents written by staff on behalf of the University. It is part of the University’s branding toolkit which enables the University’s formal documentation to be presented consistently across all communications.
• The Handbook of Technical Writing outlines the grammar and mechanics of writing a technical document and provides checklists as a tool for the writer.
• The IBM Style Guide. Most of the conventions and style guidelines outlined here are standard practices and have been in place since the inception of the developerWorks website.
• Disability Language Style Guide. This style guide covers almost 200 words and terms commonly used when referring to disability, most of which are not covered in The Associated Press style guide.
• Kohl’s Global English Style Guide. If you are writing documentation or content that needs to be translated for the global market, this style guide is for you. It explains how technical communicators need to write for the global market.
• A List Apart Style Guide explores the design, development, and meaning of web content, with a special focus on web standards and best practices.
• Read Me First!: A Style Guide for the Computer Industry. A good alternative to the ubiquitous Microsoft Manual of Style. And If useв together the two balance each other very well.
• The openSUSE Style Guide is an open-source style guide that answers to writing, style, and layout questions.
• The Yahoo! Style Guide. It was written with digital content in mind, so it’s modern and relevant for most businesses. A must-have for anyone writing their own blog or content for online marketing, websites, etc.

There is no such style guide that can make your content great, but it will provide consistency, improve communication, save time, and support great content.

Have a nice day!

Bradley Nice, Content Manager at ClickHelp.com — best online documentation tool for SaaS vendors