Transcript Audience

WHO YOU WRITING FOR?
AUDIENCE & PURPOSE
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Determine four important
characteristics of your audience
• Who are your readers?
• Why is the audience reading your document?
• What are your readers’ attitudes and
expectations?
• How will your readers use your document?
2
Consider six factors about
your most important readers:
• the reader’s education
• the reader’s professional experience
• (Wayne Otto article: Faxed)
• the reader’s job responsibility
• the reader’s personal characteristics
• the reader’s personal preferences
• the reader’s cultural characteristics
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Your readers have
attitudes and expectations:
• attitudes toward you
• attitudes toward your subject
• expectations about the document
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Why and how will your
reader use your document?
• Why is the reader reading your document?
• How will the reader read your document?
• What is the reader’s reading skill level?
• What is the physical environment in which
the reader will read your document?
5
Understand seven major cultural
variables that lie on the surface
• political
• economic
• social
• religious
• educational
• technological
• linguistic
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Use these strategies for writing
for readers from other cultures:
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Limit vocabulary.
Keep sentences short.
Define abbreviations and acronyms (glossary).
Avoid jargon unless readers are familiar with it.
Avoid idioms and slang.
“Gobbledygook”
 http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/examples/gobbledygookgenerator.html
• Use the active voice whenever possible—later!
 http://home.comcast.net/~garbl/stylemanual/phrases.htm
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More to Consider
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Levels of Formality:
Write in a style that your audience expects and fits your purpose
•
In-Group Jargon:

a specialized language used by groups of like-minded individuals.
• Only use in-group jargon when you are writing for members of that group.
• You should never use jargon for a general audience without first explaining
it.(ReadibilityPowerPoint)
•
Slang and idiomatic expressions
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Deceitful language and Euphemisms: Avoid using euphemisms (words
that veil the truth, such as "collateral damage" for the unintended
destruction of civilians and their property) and other deceitful language.
•
Biased language: Avoid using any biased language including language
with a racial, ethnic, group, or gender bias or language that is stereotypical.

Girl fails bias test
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NON-SEXIST--Generic
The generic use of MAN and other words with masculine markers should be
avoided.
Original: mankind
Alternatives: humanity, people, human beings
Original: man's achievements
Alternative: human achievements
Original: man-made
Alternatives: synthetic, manufactured, machine-made
Original: the common man
Alternatives: the average person, ordinary people
Original: man the stockroom
Alternative: staff the stockroom
Original: nine man-hours
Alternative: nine staff-hours
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Occupations
Avoid the use of MAN in occupational terms when persons holding the job could be either male
or female.
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Original: chairman
 Alternatives: coordinator (of a committee or department), moderator (of a meeting), presiding
officer, head, chair
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Original: businessman
 Alternatives: business executive, business person
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Original: fireman
 Alternative: firefighter
•
Original: mailman
 Alternative: mail carrier
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Original: steward and stewardess
 Alternative: flight attendant
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Original: policeman and policewoman
 Alternative: police officer
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Original: congressman
 Alternative: congressional representative
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Historically
• Some jobs have been dominated by one gender or the other. This
has lead to the tendency for a person of the opposite gender to be
"marked" by adding a reference to gender. You should avoid
marking the gender in this fashion in your writing.
• Original: male nurse
 Alternative: nurse
• Original: woman doctor
 Alternative: doctor
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Importantly: Determine your purpose
Ask yourself:
• What do I want this document to accomplish?
• What do I want readers to know or believe?
• What do I want readers to do?
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