Audience Analysis – Research Writing

Communicates findings of scholarly research through multiple genres of writing.
Explores the same topic from different genres and compares the affordances of each
Explains stylistic choices and revises for style and consistency at the document, paragraph, and sentence levels
There are many approaches to write about any discipline or field. Often college-level writing classes focus primarily on the academic approach. While this approach is important, it can often limit our ability to make the insights that we have learned from our research accessible to others. In the Genre Analysis, you examined the structure and style of a non-academic approach to writing about your discipline or field. In this assignment, you will return to those sources to examine the audience they were written for.
The object of this assignment is to develop a profile of this audience with as much depth and specificity as possible. (If your answer to the question “Who was this written for?” is everyone or anybody, you know you need to do a lot more work.)
For this analysis, you will focus on the audience for the audience of the genre you explored in 3.2 Genre Analysis. In this 2+ page essay, consider the following questions. Although you should consider all of them, you are not simply answering them. You are creating a cohesive analysis. The assignment should adhere to academic essay structure (APA format, introduction, body, conclusion, etc.).
Who were these texts written for? (Be specific. Have at least a basic idea of demographics and position.)
What is their relationship to the discipline or field? (Are they professionals, amateurs, laypeople, etc.)
Why was it written for this group of people?
What does the audience already know about the topic?
How much professional expertise do they have?
What is their probable educational level?
What are the audience’s concerns about the discipline or field?
What does this group think is important?
What emotional connection(s) do they seem to have about the discipline or field?
What types of rhetorical appeals (pathos, ethos, logos) would the audience find most compelling? Why would these be effective for this particular audience?

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