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Meeting The Needs of Specific Audiences

Presentation notes for Technical Communication, Chapter 2

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Jason Marro Di Giulio
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153 views19 pages

Meeting The Needs of Specific Audiences

Presentation notes for Technical Communication, Chapter 2

Uploaded by

Jason Marro Di Giulio
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Chapter 2

Meeting the Needs


of Specific Audiences
Technical Communication,
13th Edition
John M. Lannon
Laura J. Gurak

Copyright 2014, 2011, 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Learning Objectives
Understand the key concepts of audience

and purpose
Picture exactly who will use your document
and why
Consider your audiences technical
background
Consider the audiences cultural background
Pinpoint the needs and goals of your
audience
Copyright 2014, 2011, 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Learning Objectives (continued)


Identify the length, format, tone, and other

qualities your audience prefers


Understand the concept of usability in relation
to audience and purpose

Copyright 2014, 2011, 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Audience
All technical communication is intended for a
specific audience. Before writing, identify
precisely who will be reading the document and
how they will use the material.

Copyright 2014, 2011, 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Analyze Your Documents


Audience and Purpose
Explore all you can about who will use your
document, why they will use it, and how they
will use it:

Who is the main audience for this document?


Who else is likely to read it?
What is your relationship with the audience?
Are multiple types of relationships involved?
What information does this audience need?
How familiar might the audience be with technical
details?
Copyright 2014, 2011, 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Analyze Your Documents


Audience and Purpose (continued)

Do these readers have varying levels of expertise?


What culture or cultures does your audience
represent?
How might cultural differences shape readers
expectations and interpretations?

Copyright 2014, 2011, 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Primary and Secondary Audience


When writing a technical document, keep two
audiences in mind.
Primary Audience: The immediate audience
of readers.
Secondary Audience: Individuals outside the
immediate circle of people who will be needing
the information directly.

Copyright 2014, 2011, 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Your Relationship to Your Readers


Consider the following when you assess audience:
Are they superiors, colleagues or subordinates?
Are they inside or outside of your organization?
Do you know them personally?
Are they likely to welcome or resist your information?

Copyright 2014, 2011, 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Purpose of Your Document


Spell out precisely what you want your document
to accomplish and how you expect readers to use
ityour purpose.
What is the main purpose of the document?
What other purpose or purposes does the document

serve?
What will readers do with this information?

Copyright 2014, 2011, 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Primary and Secondary Purpose


All documents have a primary purpose and a
secondary purpose:
Primary purpose: The documents main
purposeto inform, to instruct, or to persuade.
Secondary purpose: What else should the
document do?

Copyright 2014, 2011, 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Intended Use of the Document


Also consider how and why a document will be
used by others:
Do my readers simply want to learn facts or

understand concepts?
Will they use my information in making some type of
decision?
Will people act immediately on the information?
Do they need step-by-step instructions?
In my audiences view, what is most important about
this document?
Copyright 2014, 2011, 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Assess Your Audiences


Technical Background
Decide whether your document should be highly
technical, semitechnical, or nontechnical:

Copyright 2014, 2011, 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Identify the Audiences


Cultural Background
Consider how cultural differences might create
misunderstanding in any situation, and seek
an approach that bridges these differences.
Information needs and preferences often are
culturally determined:
being direct vs. being indirect
using a formal tone vs. using a friendly tone
prioritizing individual contributions vs. prioritizing group

contributions

Copyright 2014, 2011, 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Anticipate Your
Audiences Preferences
Readers approach any document with certain
preferences:
Length and details: Do they want something

comprehensive or short?
Format and medium: Do they want a letter, memo, or
short report. Do they want it delivered in hard copy or
electronically?
Tone: Do they expect your tone to be formal,
semiformal, or informal?

Copyright 2014, 2011, 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Anticipate Your Audiences


Preferences (continued)
Due date and timing: Is there a deadline? How can

you break down the deadline into milestones?


Budget: Does your document have a production
budget? Where can you save money?

Copyright 2014, 2011, 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Develop an Audience and


Use Profile
In order to focus sharply on your audience,
purpose, and the many factors discussed in this
chapter, develop your own version of the
Audience and Use Profile Sheet and fill it out
completely. This sheet will keep you focused as
you write.

Copyright 2014, 2011, 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Check Your Document


for Usability
A usable document is safe, dependable, and
easy to read and navigate. A usable document
allows people to do three things:
Easily locate the information they need
Understand the information immediately
Use the information safely and successfully

Copyright 2014, 2011, 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Review Questions
1. What is the definition of audience?
2. What is the difference between a primary
audience and a secondary audience?
3. What is the definition of purpose?
4. What is a documents primary purpose vs.
its secondary purpose or purposes?
5. What are the three types of audience in
terms of their technical background?

Copyright 2014, 2011, 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Review Questions (continued)


6. What do the three types of technical
audiences want?
7. What are three areas you need to consider
regarding cultural differences?
8. What are the audiences preferences you
should consider when writing a document?
9. Why should you develop an audience and
use profile sheet?
10. What is a usable document?
Copyright 2014, 2011, 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

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