Free content on technical communication

Don’t miss out on these

You’ll find most of our free content in the:

Cherryleaf newsletter

Cherryleaf blog

Cherryleaf Podcast

As technical communicators, we love to share what we learn, explore better ways to communicate, and explain things. Below, you’ll find links to articles, courses, podcast episodes and presentations on technical communication and content strategy.

The Cherryleaf blog

Our blog provides information on becoming a better technical communicator. It contains news, articles, videos, podcast recordings, transcripts, and examples.

Free elearning courses

Trends in technical communication

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This course covers the new trends emerging in software-related technical communication

Trends in technical communication

What developers want from a developer portal and API documentation…and how to provide it

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​We’ve created a free mini-course containing three short videos, best practice examples, and resources.

What developers want from a developer portal and API documentation…and how to provide it

How to assess a good technical communicator from a bad one when you’re recruiting

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A framework assessing a Technical Author’s abilities

How to assess a good technical communicator from a bad one when you’re recruiting

Podcast

Cherryleaf podcast screenshot of home web page

 

The Cherryleaf Podcast | Listen Notes

The Cherryleaf Podcast is a podcast on creating clearer and simpler information, technical writing, technical communication, and related topics. You can ask your question to the podcast team. We’ll see if we can feature it in a future episode of our podcast.

You’ll find the the show notes for each episode at cherryleaf.podbean.com

Subscribe now so that you don’t miss out on anything:

Listen on Google Play Music Listen to Stitcher

Quizzes and surveys

Would you benefit from using Generative AI?

As a Technical Writer, staying on top of the latest technology trends is crucial. Artificial Intelligence is transforming how content gets created, and Generative AI in particular has huge implications for Technical Writers.

This quiz will help you determine if using Generative AI could make you more productive, efficient, and creative.

How Ready Are You to Transform Technical Writing with Generative AI?

Take this quick 5-minute quiz to find out if your technical writing team should start using generative artificial intelligence.

This short assessment will help you determine how prepared you and your team are to implement AI technology.

Get a personalized results analysis with recommendations on next steps.

 

Technical writing

Link to What type of technical writer are you?

Modern-day software technical communication comes in many different forms. Developer portals, knowledge bases, instruction guides, onboarding guides, online Help, and UI text are just some examples.

Just as there are all kinds of technical communication, so there are many kinds of technical communicators.

Each technical communicator has a unique set of skills and experience, we tend fall into common groups. These groups, or “types”, benefit from a career path and skills development that is appropriate to them.

This quiz will tell you what type of technical writer archetype you are, and suggest what to do with that information, once you have it.

Take this two minute quiz:

What type of technical writer are you?

Policies and procedures

three people looking at computer

Policies and procedures come in different forms: half-page statements, one page flowcharts, and long sets of instructions are three examples.

Just as there are all kinds of policy and procedures, so there are different kinds of policy and procedure writers.

This quiz will tell you what type of policies and procedures writer archetype you are, and suggest what to do with that information, once you have it.

What type of policies and procedures writer are you?

 

What is your policies and procedures KPI score?

Take this two-minute quiz to find out how your polices and procedures score against key KPIs.

On top of that, we’re going to give you our top three tips for policy writing success!

Take the quiz: What is your policies and procedures KPI score?

Past surveys

To view the open and past surveys, see:

 Cherryleaf surveys

Documentation examples

See Cherryleaf – Examples

Published articles

Article on value of technical communication

  • Guide to chatbots in technical communication
  • The changing nature of content (voice and tone)
  • “If you’re not telling your story, someone else will do it for you” (Social Media and technical communication)
  • The changing nature of content (whitepaper commissioned by Adobe)
  • Towards an Agile authoring methodology (whitepaper commissioned by Adobe)
  • “A Technical Communication User’s Hierarchy of Needs.” Intercom, January 2016
  • Can we quit QWERTY?, Communicator, Autumn 2015.
  • “The Emotion Factor in User Manuals: How to Use Affective Assistance to Create More Loyal Customers” Intercom Dec 2010/Jan 2011, and Communicator Winter 2010/11
  • “What Every Business can learn from a Haynes Manual” STC Devil Mountain Views (East Bay Chapter of STC); November/December 2010
  • “A Different Perspective on Measuring the Value of Technical Communication” Intercom; July/August 2009
  • “How We Work with Technical Communicators” Technically Write (STC Lonestar Community); December 2008
  • “The Death of the Technical Author?” Dateline Houston; January/February 2005
  • “Help formats” The Communicator; Winter 2004
  • “RoboHelp vs WebWorks” The Communicator; Spring 2004
  • “Implementing single sourcing” The Communicator; Summer 2003
  • “Single Sourcing” STC Forward; March 2003
  • “Nine Trends in online user assistance” tekom newsletter; November 2003
  • “Understanding single sourcing” The Communicator; Spring 2003

Archived website articles

Recordings and slides from conference presentations and webinars

You’ll find copies of Ellis’ slides on SlideShare

Videos and recordings of past webinars