Audience analysis

Chapter III
Audience involved technical communication
model

Expert or
User or audience
professional

Technical
communication
 Audience Analysis
• A-U-D-I-E-N-C-E
– Analysis
– Understanding
– Demographics
– Interest
– Environment
– Needs
– Customized
– Expectations
 Anderson’s audience analysis
• Begin by identifying the specific tasks your readers will
perform by using your communication
• Identify the readers’ attitudes that are relevant to the
communication
• Help your readers quickly find information needed to
perform tasks
• Use easy-to-read writing style
• Highlight the points your readers will find to be
persuasive
• Talk with your readers
 Burnett’s audience analysis
• Identify the intended audience
– Initial audience
– Primary audience
– Secondary audience
– External audience
• Conduct in-depth audience analysis
• Consider the context within which users will
read the documents
 Lannon’s Audience analysis
• Consider the reader’s technical background
• Consider reader’s cultural background and
environment
• Consider reader’s knowledge of the subject
 Testing on Intended audience
• Goes through two phases
– Alpha test
– Beta test
• Both qualitative and quantitative method can
be used
– Both involve the following process
• Deciding what to assess or test
• Preparing for the assessment or test
• Conducting the assessment or test
• Analyzing findings and writing the report
 Audience-centered Measures
• Usability
– Anderson’s five usability strategies
• Planning content
• Organizing
• Offering quick access to information
• Providing graphics
• Writing ethically
– Principles of Usability
• Learnability
• Efficiency
• Memorability
• Error recovery
• Satisfaction
 Audience-centered Measures contd..

• Two types of persuasion

– Implicit persuasion
– Explicit persuasion