Considerations – Needs Analysis
Before you try to find out how you should approach writing, it is
important to know the purpose behind why you are writing, and what
will it serve. That will answer the question of “how to write” to a large
extent.
Open an instructional document of your
choice. Analyze the document in terms of the
worksheet.
Worksheet: Analyzing Writing Situations
1.
Which of the following roles could be played by this writing? (Include all that apply.)
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teaching
selling
advocating
judging
researching (or reporting research)
editing and publishing
team-building
Write a line for each category you select from the list above, justifying your position.
2.
Do any of the roles seem important to the writing but problematic in this writing
situation? Explain.
3.
Does this have any teaching functions?
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is teaching the primary role of this writing?
how much do the audiences being taught know?
what do they need to know?
do they understand the terminology?
what is their disposition? (acceptance, eagerness, indifference, distaste,
resistance)
will they absorb the information quickly?
how hard will this teaching be to accomplish in this writing?
4.
Does this writing have selling functions?
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5.
Does the writing have judging functions?
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6.
does it look at several potential solutions and select one?
how important is impartiality in the writing?
how much power does it have to bend others to its decision?
how hard will it have to work to sell its decision?
How does the writing contribute?
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7.
is selling the primary role of this writing?
should the selling be foregrounded or backgrounded?
How will this writing contribute the on-going work?
Whose work will it impact?
How will the affected workers respond?
What work is needed to produce this writing?
What research is needed?
Have audience and corporate identities been considered?
Can I identify the audiences for this writing?
How well do I know them?
What is my relationship to the audience inside the corporation? (subordinate,
peer, superior, mixed)?
How do they view me in this writing situation? (expert, non-expert,
insider/outsider, colleague/usurper, neutral)?
How important is this writing task to the corporation?
How closely will this piece of writing be linked to the corporate identity by those
outside the company?
What organizational values relate to this situation?