Technical Writing

Reader Analysis Chart

For this assignment, we will explore different types of readers, specifically in terms of their needs, values, and attitudes. You will need to identify/create three groups—a primary group, a secondary group, and a gatekeeper group. You can be creative in your group criteria, but your purpose should center on potential stakeholders for the mock business or organization you created for your portfolio (if you haven’t decided yet, now is the time).

Once you have your groups, create a Reader Analysis Chart (see pp. 21-22, & 37 of our textbook for examples).

You can make up your own demographic groups; the following list may help you develop some ideas (they are listed in no particular order):

• Technical writing students in this class
• Your instructor
• A 90 year-old grandmother
• A military wife
• A local politician
• A girl still in high-school who is taking this class for college credit
• A Four-Star General
• A welder trying to get an education so he can get a better job
• An unemployed father
• A genius 12-year-old boy who finished school early
• A prison inmate taking online college courses while serving time
• A single mother
• The CEO of a company looking to improve his technical writing skills on the side
• A disabled veteran
• A shut-in who is obsessed with fresh-water fish
• A talking (and reading) dog named Foosball
• Jim, Sarah, and Dominique from Human Resources
• Clowns

Feel free to be creative. Remember, as it is with all technical writing tasks, you will need to take the time to edit and revise your work so it is clean, readable, informative, and attractive to your readers.