Chapter 2: Meeting the Needs of Specific Audiences

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 audience’s technical
background
 Consider the audience’s cultural background
 Pinpoint the needs and goals of your
audience

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


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.


Analyze Your Document’s
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?

Analyze Your Document’s
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?


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.


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?


Purpose of Your Document
Spell out precisely what you want your document
to accomplish and how you expect readers to use
it—your 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?


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


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 audience’s view, what is most important about
this document?

Assess Your Audience’s
Technical Background
Decide whether your document should be highly
technical, semitechnical, or nontechnical:


Identify the Audience’s
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


Anticipate Your
Audience’s 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?


Anticipate Your Audience’s
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?


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.


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


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 document’s primary purpose vs.
it’s secondary purpose or purposes?
5. What are the three types of audience in
terms of their technical background?


Review Questions (continued)
6. What do the three types of technical
audience’s want?
7. What are three areas you need to consider
regarding cultural differences?
8. What are the audience’s 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?

Chapter 2: Meeting the Needs of Specific Audiences

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