Technical writers or authors are professional writers who design, create, maintain and update technical documentation, online (i.e. web based) help, user guides, white papers, design specifications, and other documents.
Technical writers can be employed in any fields that require a specialised knowledge of technology, but they tend to be predominately based in the information technology (IT) industry.
Although software developers are sometimes employed as technical writers, it is more usual to employ a specialist writer. A dedicated technical writer will know how best to communicate about technical subjects, and will know how best to accurately describe technical subjects to the documentation's intended audience.