Skip to main content
Research & Writing Center
RWC Resources

Audience

Every piece of writing can be thought of as a conversation between its writer and its readers.

The Basics
Overview
Key Questions
Writing for yourself?
Videos
Come to the RWC
Downloadable Resources
data-content-type=""
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type=""
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=

Key Questions for writing to an audience

Voice and Tone:

  • Is my tone appropriate?
  • Are my word choices too simple? Too complex
  • Should my writing be more formal or informal?
  • Should I include colloquial phrases?
  • Should I speak directly to my audience?
  • Should I include emotional terms and images?
  • What point-of-view should I include? (First-person, third-person, etc.)
Context:

  • What does my audience understand about my subject?
  • Should I explain my subject more? Are there details my audience already understands?
  • Is my audience familiar with the terms I'm using?
Method:

  • Am I using the right approach, method, or discipline for my audience?
  • Does my audience understand my method? If not, what do I need to explain?
Scope:

  • Have I covered my subject "enough"?
  • Where might my audience need more commentary and evidence?
Evidence:

  • Am I using evidence (numbers, illustrations, quotes, etc.) that would "make sense" to my audience? Is it the right type of evidence?
  • Where might my audience want more evidence? Less?
Format:

  • Does my audience understand my formatting choices?
  • Am I using the appropriate citation style?
data-content-type="external"

Click image for article

overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=

A quick overview on writing to an audience:

Short Audience.mp4

A longer dive into the "meaning of audience":

Audience Long.mp4

Ready to talk audience? Here are some questions to consider:

  1. Who is my intended audience in this paper?
  2. What audience does my assignment or professor expect me to address?
  3. Where am I appropriately engaging my audience?
  4. Where am I neglecting my audience?
  5. How might I better address or anticipate my audience’s concerns?
Schedule an Appointment
This BYU Research and Writing Center handout on audience:

UNR Writing Center’s video on writing to an audience:

UNC Chapel Hill’s handout on audience: