How much importance do you give to the hashtag#informationgathering process as a technical writer? As per my experience, to create a technical document, a technical writer must understand the subject, purpose, and audience. They gather information by studying existing material, interviewing SMEs, and often actually using the product. They study the audience to learn their needs and technical understanding level. In short, they process highly technical information into digestible form for the non-technical and technical audience.