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Feb. 20, 2002 1/35 Sponsored by
SMSU Student Chapter
Audience Analysis
Thomas L. WarrenOklahoma State University
[email protected]/artsci/
techwr
Feb. 20, 2002 2/35 Sponsored by
SMSU Student Chapter
“Noise” can occur at any point in the process.
Technical Communication Model
Communication occurs in a context: Interpersonal, Group, Organization, Mass
Feedback
Data Data
Feedback
Information Information
Feedback
Encoded Decoded
Sender Message Medium Receiver
Feedback
Feb. 20, 2002 4/35 Sponsored by
SMSU Student Chapter
Implications
• SKIMPurpose: Get driftImplication: Summaries
• SCANPurpose: Find itemImplication: Headings
• SEARCHPurpose: In-depth readingImplication: Details
Feb. 20, 2002 5/35 Sponsored by
SMSU Student Chapter
Audiences
• Three possible audiencesIdeal—Usually infer BEFORE
writingDerived—Usually develop
DURING writing; based on textActual—Those who ACTUALLY
read text
Feb. 20, 2002 6/35 Sponsored by
SMSU Student Chapter
Some Reader Types
• Lay• Executive• Expert• Technician• Operator
Feb. 20, 2002 7/35 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 8/35 Sponsored by
SMSU Student Chapter
Lay vs. Expert: II
CATEGORY LAY EXPERT
Technical data Avoid Body/Appendix
Background Full; simple Sources
Analogy Lots; narration; examples
Not necessarily
Definitions Lots Special terms only
Feb. 20, 2002 9/35 Sponsored by
SMSU Student Chapter
Lay vs. Expert: III
CATEGORY LAY EXPERT
Style Plain; S-V-O 90%; 15 wds/sent; 40 wds/paragraph
Complex; S-V-O <85%; 25 wds/sent; 150 wds/paragraph
Graphics No tables; simple other forms
All OK
Math None to very simple
No problem
Feb. 20, 2002 10/35 Sponsored by
SMSU Student Chapter
Audience Analysis
• Three approaches to audience analysisDemographic—What you can
ask about and countOrganizational—Role of
individual in organizationPsychological—What reader
needs to know, how reader can understand, action expected
Feb. 20, 2002 11/35 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 12/35 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 13/35 Sponsored by
SMSU Student Chapter
Organization
M ary B arn h ard t
W ally G erson
S a lly Taylo r
K a th y H u g h es
B ill M on roe
W ayn e Jon es
Joh n C ross
D ick L eavitt
Jan ice A u s tin
Joh n S m ithM an ag er
Feb. 20, 2002 14/35 Sponsored by
SMSU Student Chapter
Implications
• Suggests what reader going to do with informationManager—larger picture,
planning, scheduling, decidingWorkers—how work fits in,
questioning, collecting information
Feb. 20, 2002 15/35 Sponsored by
SMSU Student Chapter
Organization, cont.
• In your own group• In close proximity• Elsewhere in organization• Outside organization
Feb. 20, 2002 16/35 Sponsored by
SMSU Student Chapter
Comparison with School
AUDIENCE SCHOOL JOB
In own group Classmates Co-workers, group leaders, support staff
Close proximity
Professor; lab instructor
Managers
Elsewhere Department heads, V-P
Outside Customers, government
Feb. 20, 2002 17/35 Sponsored by
SMSU Student Chapter
ANALYSIS: Classroom vs Job
Practices/Procedures Practices/Procedures studied in class studied in class for academic writing for on-the job writing
Rules- Reader- Strive toStrive for the based based complete jobhighest level errors errorsof perfection Time-
drivenPerfection-Driven Solves problem
AccuratePerfection: CompleteMechanically, Stylistically, Orderly, CorrectOrganizationally expression
Feb. 20, 2002 18/35 Sponsored by
SMSU Student Chapter
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 19/35 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 20/35 Sponsored by
SMSU Student Chapter
Three Questions
• What does the reader NEED to know?QuantityContent
Feb. 20, 2002 21/35 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 structureBackground informationQualitative details (technical)Clear statements of purpose
and function
Feb. 20, 2002 22/35 Sponsored by
SMSU Student Chapter
Three Questions
• What do I want my reader TO DO with the information?Approve or disapproveAccept a recommendationTake some other kind of actionBe informed onlyOther
• How will I know that my report is a GOOD one?
Feb. 20, 2002 23/35 Sponsored by
SMSU Student Chapter
Additional Elements to Consider
• Culture• Environment• Attitudes toward
WriterSubjectActivity
Feb. 20, 2002 24/35 Sponsored by
SMSU Student Chapter
Cultural Considerations
• Attitudes of culture towardTime—value it? little value?Goals—individual? group?Reliance—self-reliant?
dependent on group?Learning—to do a job only? on-
going?
Feb. 20, 2002 25/35 Sponsored by
SMSU Student Chapter
Environment
• Location where document used—legibility issues
• Access time—short/long• Pressures—rapid response; slow
response
Feb. 20, 2002 26/35 Sponsored by
SMSU Student Chapter
Attitudes
• Relating to writer, subject, reportWriter—positive? negative?Subject—interested? not?
favorable? unfavorable?Report—anxious to have? yet
one more to get through?
Feb. 20, 2002 27/35 Sponsored by
SMSU Student Chapter
Manipulating Text
• Control, among other things—Vocabulary—level of technicalitySentence structure—complex,
simpleSentence structure—old-new
informationParagraph structure—placement
of elements
Feb. 20, 2002 28/35 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.
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.
Old information—what you assume the reader already knows.
New information—what you assume the reader does not already know.
Feb. 20, 2002 29/35 Sponsored by
SMSU Student Chapter
Look at Some Samples
• Watch for what helps you identify the assumed reader:Vocabulary—technical,
everyday, etc.?Length of sentencesWhat is old information in
each? What is new?Where would you use each?
Feb. 20, 2002 30/35 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 31/35 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 32/35 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 100-milliwatt 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 33/35 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 34/35 Sponsored by
SMSU Student Chapter
Audience Analysis: And finally . . .
• Understanding your audience improves communication
• Three approaches—overlapDemographicOrganizationalPsychological
• Important thing is to do it
Feb. 20, 2002 35/35 Sponsored by
SMSU Student Chapter
Questions? Contact
Thomas L. Warren, Professor & Director
Technical Writing Program/M205English Department
Oklahoma State UniversityStillwater, OK [email protected]
www.okstate.edu/artsci/techwr