Business and Technical English-ENG201 VU

L 4 /LVWHQHU
/LVWHQHUAnalysis

Outline:
In this lecture, learn about /LVWHQHU Analysis:
• Target Audience
• Writing for Experts: Types of Experts
o General Experts
o Specific Experts.
• Audience’s Use of Document

Target Audience
‘Target audience’ is a specified audience or demographic group for whom a message is
designed. Your target audience consists of the individuals, groups, communities and bodies of
decision makers who can influence your target. Your target is the individual or individuals who
have direct decision-making power over the issue your organization is working to address.
Often a document will be read by readers with different levels of expertise.

A mixed group of audience may be based on experts, technicians, managers and laypersons.

Target your audience by identifying audience type, characteristics and the level of expertise.
Determine your audience's needs by assessing their expertise and their purpose in reading the
document. Determine document density.

People read technical documents for different reasons, and readers have varying levels of
technical expertise. To be effective, technical writing must target its audience or audiences.

Target your audience by identifying your audience type and the level of expertise your
audience purpose in using the document, and your audience attitude towards both you and the
content of your document.

Writing for Experts

Distinguish between two types of experts:
• General Experts
• Specific Experts
Both kinds are readers with extensive technical knowledge of the document's subject matter.

General Experts possess extensive knowledge about a field in general, but they might be
unfamiliar with particular technical terms, specific equipment, or recent advances in your
document's subject matter. Specific Experts, on the other hand, share or surpass your
knowledge about a document's subject matter.

Audience’s Use of Document

Experts read technical and scientific documents for a variety of purposes:
• to maintain and expand their own general expertise
• to obtain specific answers to their own research and writing
• to evaluate a document's technical or scientific content

Strategies for Writing to Technicians

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Business and Technical English-ENG201 VU
Keep intros and backgrounds brief. Make info accessible. Provide
short definitions or explanations of unfamiliar terms, tools, devices, or procedures.

Managers read technical and scientific documents for a variety of purposes:

• to help in making decisions
• to assess current situations
• to maintain their general level of expertise
• to evaluate projects and employees

In general, read for the bottom line, a concise summary of the present situation and
specific recommendations for action.

A Listener’s General Use of Document

Readers of technical and scientific writing, whatever their level of expertise, read a document
for three general purposes:
• to acquire information
• to help make decisions
• to learn how to do something

On the other hand, if the audience does not know you or does not consider you an expert, or if
the reader has had past negative experience with you or your organization, the document should
include extensive explanations of your conclusions and recommendations to create trust and
establish credibility.

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