Professional writing as a technology internalized by human beings is becoming increasingly relevant in all professions. The aim of this paper has been to present a line of work on professional discourse. Thus, firstly, the theoretical notions of discourse, discursive genre and professional literacy are introduced. Secondly, the potential of genre analysis as a descriptive analytical tool for the characterization of academic and professional languages in active use is explored. Finally, the relationship between clear communication and professional writing is critically reviewed. Thus, based on these theoretical cores, a research route for professional genres is proposed, and its implications and the scientific novelty it brings to the study of the rhetorical-discursive level of languages with a special focus on the Spanish language are discussed.