Audience Analysis
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Audience Analysis Thomas L. Warren Oklahoma State University twarren@okstate.edu www.okstate.edu/artsci/techwr Feb. 20, 2002 1/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Technical Communication Model Feedback Data Data Feedback Information Information Feedback Encoded Sender Decoded Message “Noise” can occur at any point in the process. Communication Feb. 20, 2002 Medium Receiver Feedback occurs in a context: Interpersonal, Group, Organization, 2/35 Sponsored Mass by SMSU Student Chapter How do Readers Read? • Skim • Scan • Search Feb. 20, 2002 3/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Implications • SKIM Purpose: Get drift Implication: Summaries • SCAN Purpose: Find item Implication: Headings • SEARCH Purpose: In-depth reading Implication: Details Feb. 20, 2002 4/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Audiences • Three possible audiences Ideal—Usually infer BEFORE writing Derived—Usually develop DURING writing; based on text Actual—Those who ACTUALLY read text Feb. 20, 2002 5/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Some Reader Types • • • • • Feb. 20, 2002 Lay Executive Expert Technician Operator 6/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Lay vs. Expert: I CATEGORY LAY EXPERT Education Elem. To Ph.D. Advanced degrees; experience In/Out Subject Out In Theory/ Application Application Theory Why Read? Practical, Personal Learn; verify Feb. 20, 2002 7/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Lay vs. Expert: II CATEGORY LAY EXPERT Technical data Avoid Body/Appendix Background Full; simple Sources Analogy Lots; narration; Not necessarily examples Definitions Lots Feb. 20, 2002 Special terms only 8/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Lay vs. Expert: III CATEGORY LAY EXPERT Style Plain; S-V-O Complex; S-V-O 90%; 15 <85%; 25 wds/sent; wds/sent; 40 150 wds/paragraph wds/paragraph Graphics No tables; simple other forms All OK Math None to very simple No problem Feb. 20, 2002 9/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Audience Analysis • Three approaches to audience analysis Demographic—What you can ask about and count Organizational—Role of individual in organization Psychological—What reader needs to know, how reader can understand, action expected Feb. 20, 2002 10/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Demographic • Education—how much formal education? • Marital Status—married, single, etc. • Sex—male, female • Income/Employment Status— earnings; working/retired; etc. • Address—where live • Children—number, ages, etc. Feb. 20, 2002 11/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Sample Implications Characteristic Implications for Audience Analysis Education Processing written and visual text Marital Status Helps to know attitudes and values Income/Employment Status Amount of time can spend on report Feb. 20, 2002 12/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Organization John Smith Manager Sally Taylor Bill Monroe John Cross Janice Austin Wally Gerson Kathy Hughes Wayne Jones Dick Leavitt Mary Barnhardt Feb. 20, 2002 13/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Implications • Suggests what reader going to do with information Manager—larger picture, planning, scheduling, deciding Workers—how work fits in, questioning, collecting information Feb. 20, 2002 14/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Organization, cont. • • • • Feb. 20, 2002 In your own group In close proximity Elsewhere in organization Outside organization 15/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Comparison with School AUDIENCE In own group SCHOOL Classmates Close proximity Professor; lab instructor JOB Co-workers, group leaders, support staff Managers Elsewhere Department heads, V-P Outside Customers, government Feb. 20, 2002 16/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter ANALYSIS: Classroom vs Job Practices/Procedures studied in class for academic writing Strive for the highest level of perfection Practices/Procedures studied in class for on-the job writing Rules- Readerbased based errors errors PerfectionDriven Perfection: Mechanically, Stylistically, Organizationally Feb. 20, 2002 17/35 Strive to complete job Timedriven Solves problem Accurate Complete SMSU Orderly, Correct Student Chapter expression Sponsored by Organizational(Mathes and Stevenson) You in your professional role Input from the system to you Your technical activities Your report writing activities Output from you to the system Feedback to you Feb. 20, 2002 18/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Psychological: Three Questions • What does my reader NEED to know? • How can I help my reader to UNDERSTAND? • What do I want my reader TO DO with the information? Feb. 20, 2002 19/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Three Questions • What does the reader NEED to know? Quantity Content Feb. 20, 2002 20/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Three Questions • How can I help my reader to UNDERSTAND the material? Definitions, visuals, etc. Sentence and paragraph length and structure Background information Qualitative details (technical) Clear statements of purpose and function Feb. 20, 2002 21/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Three Questions • What do I want my reader TO DO with the information? Approve or disapprove Accept a recommendation Take some other kind of action Be informed only Other • How will I know that my report is a GOOD one? Feb. 20, 2002 22/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Additional Elements to Consider • Culture • Environment • Attitudes toward Writer Subject Activity Feb. 20, 2002 23/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Cultural Considerations • Attitudes of culture toward Time—value it? little value? Goals—individual? group? Reliance—self-reliant? dependent on group? Learning—to do a job only? ongoing? Feb. 20, 2002 24/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Environment • Location where document used— legibility issues • Access time—short/long • Pressures—rapid response; slow response Feb. 20, 2002 25/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Attitudes • Relating to writer, subject, report Writer—positive? negative? Subject—interested? not? favorable? unfavorable? Report—anxious to have? yet one more to get through? Feb. 20, 2002 26/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Manipulating Text • Control, among other things— Vocabulary—level of technicality Sentence structure—complex, simple Sentence structure—old-new information Paragraph structure—placement of elements Feb. 20, 2002 27/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Old/New and Sentence Structure The lens focuses the laser beam to a sharp hot point at which the air explodes with a bright red flash. Old information—what you assume the reader already knows. The point where the laser beam is brought to a focus, the air is ionized by the intense heat and a brilliant red flash is produced. New information—what you assume the reader does not already know. Lens focuses laser beam to sharp point where air molecules explode with bright red flash. SMSU Feb. 20, 2002 28/35 Sponsored by Student Chapter Look at Some Samples • Watch for what helps you identify the assumed reader: Vocabulary—technical, everyday, etc.? Length of sentences What is old information in each? What is new? Where would you use each? Feb. 20, 2002 29/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Samples: How are they different? The lens focuses the laser beam to a sharp hot point at which the air explodes with a bright red flash. The point where the laser beam is brought to a focus, the air is ionized by the intense heat and a brilliant red flash is produced. Lens focuses laser beam to sharp point where air molecules explode with bright red flash. Feb. 20, 2002 30/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Samples cont. See Fig. 4-1. Laser A emits coherent Beam B. Lens C focuses rays to sharp point D at which air ionizes and explodes. Traversing the lens, the laser beam forgets its storied coherence and converges to a pin point where it generates the heat of fifty suns. The air molecules thither are burst asunder, a ruby flash and cerulean puff signaling their extinction. Feb. 20, 2002 31/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Samples cont. The Wright Electric Type 14 ruby laser (oscillator-amplifier configuration) emits a coherent deep red light (0.69 microns) in a 100milliwatt peak power burst. When the rays are brought to a focus at a point at a point 2 inches beyond the General Optics A-30 biconvex lens through which the rays pass, the light there generates enough heat to ionize the air molecules in a 0.5-millisecond point explosion accompanied by a bright flash. Feb. 20, 2002 32/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Samples cont. Satisfactory optics in combination with state-of-the-art laser electronics actualize narrowly localized heating at a discrete point in space. This is evidenced by the transient radiant phenomenon visible at the focus. Feb. 20, 2002 33/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Audience Analysis: And finally . . . • Understanding your audience improves communication • Three approaches—overlap Demographic Organizational Psychological • Important thing is to do it Feb. 20, 2002 34/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Questions? Contact Thomas L. Warren, Professor & Director Technical Writing Program/M205 English Department Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK 74078 twarren@okstate.edu www.okstate.edu/artsci/techwr Feb. 20, 2002 35/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter
