Module 1: Who Is Going To Read This?

Who is Going to Read This? Writing for a Specific Audience

Knowing the audience for your paper will allow you to craft a better argument. Your audience -- undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, scientific researchers, administrators, managers, investors, etc. -- will influence:

• the resources you choose to support your thesis,
• how you structure the content of your paper, and
• your word choice (e.g., plain language or technical terms).

When writing, consider your audience to be slightly less knowledgeable than you so that you do not provide too much or too little information.

Who is my audience? 

• I am addressing my proposal or recommendation to ...?

Who are the people most affected by my topic? 

• Students? 
• Organic farmers? 
• Campus administrators? 
• Local residents? 
• Local grocery retailers? 
• Campus health administrators?

Do the people affected by my topic produce information I can reference?

• Articles in student newspapers? 
• Information produced by the university's health center? 
• Information produced about good nutrition by the U.S. government? 
• Information produced by the organic food industry? 
• Information produced by regional farmers markets? 
• Information produced by the state? Or, local government?

Where do I locate relevant information?

• On a U.S. government web site?
• Through a library database?
• Through a general or targeted search via Google?
• Through an arranged interview with an expert in this area?