Running head: GENRE ANALYSIS 1

Genre Analysis:

Typography vs. Iconography

Alejandra Ponce

The University of Texas at El Paso

RWS 1302

Dr. Vierra

February 21. 2020

GENRE ANALYSIS 2

Abstract

Information can be presented and validated for in many ways. This is done through different

types of genres. Two very popular genres are typography and Iconography. They both only share

the same goal, and that is to provide their own audience with information they are seeking for.

This is done through completely opposite ways of each other. There are three main points that

we can compare to present the differences in these two genres. These key points are audience,

delivery, and rhetorical appeals.

Keywords: Typography, iconography, source, inform, audience, difference

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Genre Analysis:

Typography vs. Iconography

Introduction

An author uses different styles of writing to speak to its audience. These different styles

are called genre in writing. Two very common genres are typography and iconography. There are

many different areas that these two genres emphasis the differences but also the similarities they

share. We will see the compression in genres in audience, delivery, and rhetorical appeals.

Audience

A similar type of audience, but not identical, is intended from both genres but are

appealed in different ways. In the scholarly source, the expected audience are specifically

Mechanical engineers. This can be assumed by the title of the book, A Hundred Years of

Mechanical Engineering. The author’s intended main audience is anybody interested in the

mechanical engineering field, and can include students, teachers, researchers, or just simply

anyone who wants to learn more about the subject, like college students and researchers. On the

other hand, the digital source or iconography has a more general targeted audience. In the title of

the video we can assume that it’s intended audience is mainly any kind of engineer and scientist,

and once again we can considered that this video can also be for anyone interested in any science

field and even anyone wanting to learn about writing techniques. Even though the videos title,

‘Technical Writing for Scientists and Engineers,’ can be a little specific in what type of audience

it is trying to reach for it is more generalized than of our print source.

Another point that these genres differ in is in the primary information it delivers to its

audience. In the typography, the author allows to let the readers know that his book will be about

a hundred years’ worth of history in Mechanical Engineering. Once again this is delivered to us
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with its title. Within the first page of the print source, also known as the preface, the author

provides the audience with a summary of what he or she will know more about what they are

about to learn more of. For example, the author briefly talks about the purpose of this book and

that is to give a brief history outline “for those who have recently entered the profession” (p 5).

Meanwhile the audience has more of a broad idea of what they know about the scholarly printed

source, the audience’s knowledge about the digital source is more specific. This genre’s audience

knows that the video will be about technical writing skills that is more focused for scientist and

engineers. Both genres, typography and iconography, have a different time span with the

audience. More and more differences are more evident between these genres, even though they

are quite opposite they do share a common goal. That is goal is the purpose of both sources, and

that is to inform its audience. A small difference is that the digital source purpose is not only to

just inform, but as well to entertain and keep its audience captivated for the entire time. This

genre uses more of an informal language such as the teacher talking to his class, as shown in the

video. As well as visuals such as a power point presentation, unlike the printed source has a

formal language throughout the entire text but as well features visuals and pictures.

Delivery

Both genres are very completely different styles of ways to inform the audience, this

means that the way both sources are organized to convey its message are opposites to each other.

While the video source only takes up twenty minutes of the audience’s time, the print source

may take up from days to several weeks, depending how much time the reader takes with the

source. The structure of the scholarly source is by organizing its data within sections or chapters.

It touches one specific subject and goes into detail of it within each chapter. It varies from the

beginning in chapter one focusing on the “Development of the Reciprocating Engine” (p.15-50)
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within the chapter it goes into detail explaining major sections on the topic. The author

concentrates from the development of the theory to illustrations of machinery, we see this

throughout the book, each chapter concentrating on a major subject then being divided within

section in that same chapter. Meanwhile the typography genre has more material to structure, the

brief twenty-minute video has a different way to organize the information to convey its message

to the audience. The video’s way to structure the main message is by talking and concentrating

more on the main points. Since the iconography covers less material than the typography it is

easier to organize its information especially since its purpose is to convey its message within a

small time frame, this could also be true for the scholarly source but there is not much that

indicates this as a fact especially since it had to go through a process to get published.

While these both genres are completing its task of informing their audiences, they both

have limitations to them. Although both genres purpose is to inform, they both face different

limitations that affect them. Let’s begin with analyzing the printed source. It has a very present

limitation to it, and that is to keep its audience interested throughout the entire text, all 335 pages

of pure historical information. This can become redundant and appealing to most of its audience.

This can become redundant and appealing to most of its audience. Unless one is seeking this

source for research or for the interest of learning more on the subject, this may not be a limitation

of this genre but an advantage to it. Meanwhile the limitation of the delivery of this genre is with

captivity of its audience, the digital source has a limitation is the lack of information and

credibility of the source. Since it is a video, there is only so much information it can deliver

within the time frame of it. A video is a great source for a quick summary of the importance of

the main topic, but this could also not provide the necessary data the audience may be looking

for. It is also hard to rely on this source since it may not be dependable. The video only informs
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but has no indication it used research from another work or used any scholarly references. These

are the most evident limitation this genre presents.

Other than the limitations both genres contain, they have an advantage and that is a

freedom to express what is necessary to successfully fulfil their purpose. In the scholarly source

it has the liberty to present its data with credible information. We can confirm this source

provides its audience with credible information by citing other works such as an article in

Machinery’s Encyclopedia (p 209). This type of citations is found in the entire text. Its message

to inform is not just reliable but it also consists of a wealthy amount of information not just from

the author himself but from other writing the author used as references. In the second source we

see that its freedom is the first source’s limitation. Grasping its audience’s full attention is what

gives our digital source the freedom to deliver the message, this is a great advantage this genre

offers. One of the main differences between these two genres is how its structure helps facilitate

address its objective. In the typography we can identify that the way it is composed it provides

multiple reliable facts from different resources in one main source. Meanwhile the structure of

the iconography serves its purpose of informing the audience within minutes. It is clear how

different the genres are, yet they both have the same purpose.

Rhetorical Appeals

Genres are very useful not just to inform but also to establish an appeal towards its

targeted audience in various ways. Rhetorical appeals, known as logos, pathos, and ethos are

crucial to the writing community. These are the tools that the author uses I order to persuade his

or her audience in to agreeing with what is being stated. In both genres use rhetorical appeals for

different reason, and they use it in different manners. Typography uses logical statements and

facts from multiple resources and research to validate its allegation to the audience. The author
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accomplishes this by using other works from engineers who provided answers for the authors

“inquiries” and provided illustrations. Meanwhile, iconography attempts to establish credibility

of its work to the audience using just the explanation its being given by the presenter of the

video. Rhetorical appeals are always used in order to persuade the audience, both genres use

different techniques and rhetorical appeals to fulfill this task. These genres provoke distinctive

emotions. Our printed source focuses on the use of logos to appeal to its audience with logical

statements. This is also a way the genre establishes its credibility. The digital source uses

rhetorical appeal to evoke a different emotion from the audience. Using ethos, the video can

appeal to the audience interest using visuals and a power point.

It is very important to back up the claims both genres are presenting their audiences with,

yet both approach this in their own unique way. A scholarly print source has more amount of

information that must be supported. Other resources from other credible origins were used to

support and prove that the information being delivered is reliable in this genre. This is a

completely different situation for the digital source. While in typography has a stronger evidence

supporting its claims, the video can only provide its own evidence that is being presented in the

video. This shows a great contrast between genres. Lastly, this ties in with how valid the

evidences from both genres are. Yet again it is evident that the scholarly source is greatly more

reliable than our digital one. This does not mean that the claims in the video are not valid but

there is no guaranteed to be from a reliable source.

Conclusion

Even though all genres have the same goal to inform the audience, it is very important to

distinguish the difference between them. They all have different styles and techniques to
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introduce and support their claims. Not all genres will be as useful as others, but this also heavily

depends on the type of audience the genre is aiming for.

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References

APMonitor.com. (2013, January 29). Technical Writing for Scientists and Engineers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH-ddyHAQPQ

Cressy, E. (1937). A hundred years of mechanical engineering. Kemp Hall Press, LTD: The

Macmillan Co. Retrieved from http://0-search.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=cat04704a&AN=nug.b1184581&site=eds-live&scope=site