Audience Analysis

*Developed from technical writing

Development Stage (Writing Stage)
Primary author (you)
Gatekeeper (me)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Secondary author (a technical expert within your organization)- credi!le "ource
Secondary author (a !udget expert within your organization)- "econd credi!le "ource
Reading Stage
Primary audience (deci"ion maker# primary point of contact# pro$ect lead# etc%)-&e
Secondary audience (technical expert within audience'" organization)-(our peer"# other
teacher"
Shadow audience (other" who may read your communication)-nyone el"e who might
read it
Action Stage
Stakeholder" (people who may read your communication# !ut more importantly# tho"e
who will !e affected !y the deci"ion" !a"ed on the information you provide)-)eader" and tho"e
who may follow your argument"
Questions
Some key *ue"tion" (adapted from +ohn"on-Sheehan'" Technical Communication Today) to a"k
a!out your reader" are,
-ho are they.
-hat do they need.
-here will they !e reading.
-hen will they !e reading.
-hy will they !e reading.
/ow will they !e reading.
l"o 0on"ider,
1ackground knowledge of the "u!$ect
-hat will they expect# want# or even demand from your document.
-hat do they want to hear. -hat will turn them away from your argument.
Demographic", ge# "ex# race# "ocioeconomic "tatu"# etc%
Ways to Improve Your Argument for Audiences:
Add information readers need to understand your document (i%e% 2arration)
Omit information your readers do not need
Add examples to help readers understand
Change the level of your examples-make "ure example" are relata!le to your audience
Change the organization of your information-3rganization
Strengthen transitions
Write stronger introductions
Create topic sentences for paragraphs and paragraph groups
Change sentence style and length
Work on sentence clarity and economy
Add cross-references to important information (0ite "ource")