Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose Chapter 5 Presented By: Rachel Harkness Steven Butts Jon Band...

Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose

Chapter 5

Presented By:Rachel Harkness

Steven ButtsJon Band

Chris Cordell

June 6, 2006

• Types of Readers

• Characteristics of Readers

• Cultural Factors

• Multiple Audiences, Purpose, and Management

Analyzing an Audience

• Thinking—take what you know and like

• Listening—talk to others

• Classifying—based on their knowledge on the subject

Types of Readers

Identifying Audiences

• Primary Audience—have a direct roll in responding– Use the document in their job – Evaluate the document – Act on your recommendations

• Secondary Audience—needs to stay aware of developments

Types of Readers

Basic Categories

• Expert—highly trained, theoretical and practical understanding

• Technician—builds, operates, maintains

• Manager—long range concerns; broad picture

• General Reader—self-interest

Types of Readers

• Types of Readers

• Characteristics of Readers

• Cultural Factors

• Multiple Audiences, Purpose, and Management

Individual Characteristics

• Who is your reader?

• What are the reader’s attitudes and expectations?

• How will the document be used?

Characteristics of Readers

Who is your Reader?

• The Reader’s Education

• The Reader’s Professional Experience

• The Reader’s Job Responsibility

Characteristics of Readers

Who is your Reader?

• Personal Characteristics

• Personal Preferences

• Cultural Characteristics

Characteristics of Readers

What Are Your Reader’s Attitudes and Expectations?

• Attitude Towards You

• Attitude Towards Subject

• Expectations of Your Reader about the Document

Characteristics of Readers

Why and How Will Your Reader Use Your Document?

• Reason for Reading the Document

• The Way the Document will be Read

• Reading Skills of Your Reader

• Physical Environment of the Reader

Characteristics of Readers

• Types of Readers

• Characteristics of Readers

• Cultural Factors

• Multiple Audiences, Purpose, and Management

Communicating Across Cultures

• Society and workforce are becoming increasingly diverse, both culturally and linguistically.

• Effective communication requires understanding of cultural beliefs, attitudes, and values that motivate behavior.

Cultural Factors

Understanding Cultural Variables

• Communicating effectively with people from another culture requires understanding a set of variables that lie on the surface.– Political – Economic – Social– Religious– Educational– Technological– Linguistic

Cultural Factors

Writing to Other Cultures

• Guidelines for Approaching Readers of Another Culture– Limit Your Vocabulary– Keep Sentences Short– Define Acronyms and Abbreviations in a Glossary– Avoid Jargon– Avoid Idioms and Slang– Use the Active Voice Whenever Possible– Be Careful with Graphics– Have Someone from the Target Culture Review Your

Document

Cultural Factors

• Types of Readers

• Characteristics of Readers

• Cultural Factors

• Multiple Audiences, Purpose, and Management

Dealing with Multiple Audiences

• Will there be multiple types of readers using your document?

• Modular Document

Multiple Audiences

Audience Profile

• Helps Analyze Your Readers

• Example on page 88

Multiple Audiences

Determining Purpose

• What is the document accomplishing?

• Verbs can help define purpose.– To describe– To inform– To outline– To define– To assess– To propose– To evaluate

Purpose

Gaining Management’s Approval

• Are you on the right track?

• Do those with the final say agree?

Management