How do you define your audience/"user requirements" in your docs, to the reader?

[David Hailey]

Hi Leonard,

We are currently dealing with exactly this problem in one of my graduate classes. As we have examined a variety of digital documents, we find example after example where authors have failed to carefully describe their target audience even to themselves.  The result is writing that is often on topic but directed toward inappropriate audiences -- this is especially true if they indulge in cut-and-paste composition. Moreover, their document design is often faulty as a result of directing document writing toward some generalized audience that doesn't actually exist.

When reading documentation, I find it useful to find a description of the document's intended audience. If I am not in that audience, I don't want to spend a lot of time with it.

What I usually see in well written books is a paragraph or two that describes the audiences in some detail, rather than trying to name them (e.g., "users"). Eliotte Harold's EFFECTIVE XML, for example, clearly explains that if you are not already pretty good with XML this book will not be very useful, then describes who will find the book useful.

My suggestion is that you understand all of the different purposes of your document, then describe in detail (rather than name) your different audiences.
If you fully understand your purposes, the audiences naturally follow. I suggest that writers should always do this. The advantages are two-fold: first, you understand the audiences well enough to focus your writing to their needs, and second, you know your audiences well enough to describe them in your document if it seems to warrant such a description.


David E. Hailey, Jr., Ph.D.
Associate Professor -- Professional and Technical Writing
Utah State University
dhailey at english.usu.edu


-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+david.hailey=usu.edu at lists.techwr-l.com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+david.hailey=usu.edu at lists.techwr-l.com] On Behalf Of Leonard C. Porrello
Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 11:24 AM
To: techwr-l at lists.techwr-l.com
Subject: How do you define your audience/"user requirements" in your docs, to the reader?

All,

I was wondering how to deal with the challenge of defining my target audience explicitly--in my docs, to the reader. I have hardware and software requirements, but I do not have "user requirements," nor do I have a clear idea of how to define my target user--to the reader. I have the standard, "This user's guide is intended for users and system administrators," and while "system administrators" is useful, "users" isn't saying much.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

Leonard C. Porrello
SoleraTec LLC
2430 Auto Park Way, Suite 205
Escondido, CA  92029
www.soleratec.com

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