Chapter 2: Meeting the Needs of Specific Audiences

It ought to speak for itself that the reason for writing any piece of information is to convey a particular point to a particular group of people-- this chapter discussed how one ought to go about meeting the needs of specific audiences through technical communication. The chapter focused on the definitions of "audience" and "purpose", while also considering your audience's technical and cultural backgrounds. The chapter also helped to pinpoint the goals of the audience, and which formatting and tone that audience would prefer.

Technical communication is meant to be used for people who will use and act upon the given set of information. These people are the document's audience, and before any writing can be done, one must identify which types of people will be reading their document and how that group of people will use your information. Given that the basic needs and requirements of people will vary person by person, group by group, it should be noted that every audience will expect a different message that is tailored to its own needs. Once again, the writer can be considered a problem solver for the reader, answering the ever-important question of "How will I give readers what they need?".

It's important to answer a variety of question about your audience before you begin writing. These questions range from the background, needs, and preferences of the reader to the relationships involved, familiarity of technicality, and varying levels of expertise possessed by the audience. Also, it may be necessary to remember that more than one group of people may be reading the document. Most documents are meant to appease a primary audience, but many of these writings also have a secondary audience, which includes people outside the immediate circle of people needing the information directly. As a general rule, the primary readers are those who are reading the information first-hand, and the secondary readers are those who are actually carrying out the project or are affected by the document in some way. It may also be necessary to consider your relationship to your audience-- for instance, what is your relationship with anyone who could read your document? The answer will probably affect the formality, presentation, and authority that you use in the document.

The purpose of your document should also be spelled out explicitly, in addition to how you set out to accomplish that purpose. Just like an audience had primary and secondary components, so does a purpose. Many documents even have numerous secondary purposes. This is one of the reasons why it is very important that your document has a clear and specific statement that outlines both your primary audience and purpose statement. Your secondary objectives will naturally follow after this.

There are a couple of necessary questions that you ought to consider when anticipating how your document will be used, such as do my readers want facts or to learn the concepts, or will they use the information to make a decision, and will they act immediately? Considering that the document is a technical one, you need to consider whether it will be highly technical, semi-technical, or non-technical. Normally, highly technical papers are reserved for experts who only need facts and figures because they are able to interpret the data themselves. Readers who can be considered informed but non-expert need a semi-technical document that will provide enough information to explain what data means. These types of documents live by the theory that too much explanation is better than too little explanation. As far as a nontechnical audience is concerned, these are people who have no specialized training and who look at the big picture rather than complicated details. This audience needs the technical paper translated into words that they can understand without too much trouble-- they want enough background that will allow them to make the right decision, but too much detail may bore or confuse them. Also, they want to be able to understand the document on the first read-through.

Sometimes a document needs to be written for people of various technical backgrounds. In order to satisfy the needs of the entire audience, you should consider the guidelines that follow. When the paper is less than two papers, a separate document should be written tailored to each group of people, but if the paper is greater than two pages in length, it should be directed towards whichever audience is the primary one. Also, if appropriate, web pages can be ideal for conveying various level of technical information to different audiences.

An important rule of thumb when tailoring a document to an audience is to only give the readers what they need and want. This can change the length and amount of detail in the document, depending on their preferences, in addition to the format and medium of the document. Tone is important because it conveys a sense of who you, the writer, is to the audience. Your tone can range from formal to semi-formal, but it should be appropriate to the purpose of the document and your audience. The tone can also be friendly and encouraging, or distant and hostile.

Other important factors to consider when writing your document include the specific due date and the budget pertaining to your collection and presentation of information.

Brainstorming is a method that you can use to begin writing your document, and, in general, the more ideas you have initially, the better. A good procedure for brainstorming is as follows: choose a location and time limit for yourself, decide upon a goal for the session, record every idea, and, finally, confront your list. Brainstorming is very effective when done individually, but it can be even more effective when done with a group.

Group Discussion Question: How does knowing your audience affect your presentation of the information in your document?