{"id":8911,"date":"2021-05-15T11:27:51","date_gmt":"2021-05-15T15:27:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/?page_id=8911"},"modified":"2021-08-06T11:16:51","modified_gmt":"2021-08-06T15:16:51","slug":"reader-centered-writing-overview","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"#","title":{"rendered":"Reader-Centered Writing: Overview
READER-CENTERED WRITING <\/div>"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Contents & Navigation<\/div>\n
intro<\/a><\/div>\n
approach<\/a><\/div>\n
goals<\/a><\/div>\n
common sense<\/a><\/div>\n
all reader-centered writing \u3009<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/span>\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n
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Writing can be conceptualized as writer-centred or reader-centred. Things like diaries and journals are primarily writer-centred, in that they are written for the benefit of the writer. Your schoolwork may also have been somewhat writer-centred, in that often your goal was to \u201cshow what you know\u201d and thereby \u201cget a good grade.\u201d Technical communications require that you shift this mindset and write for the benefit of your reader\u2014or design the content and structure of your communication for your \u201cuser.\u201d This mindset should be informed by an understanding of your audience.<\/p>\n

Technical Writing Essentials<\/a><\/em>, Chapter 2.1 (page 37)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/span>\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n
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RECOMMENDED READING<\/div>\n
Audience Analysis<\/h5>\n

Not everything you’ll read in the links below will apply to every writing situation (perhaps not even the writing you’ll do for this class or the writing you’ll do as a professional), but all of it is information worth considering<\/em> in every situation. Part of your work as a professional communicator is to make conscious decisions about what’s more or less important in any particular situation. To make those decisions, you need to know all the potential options and elements to consider.<\/p>\n

Primary, Secondary, and Hidden Audiences<\/a><\/div>\n
from Writing Commons<\/em> (a collaborative open text from USF)<\/div>\n
Audience Analysis: Just Who Are These Guys?<\/a><\/div>\n
from Online Technical Writing<\/em>, by David McMurrey, Ph.D.<\/a>, Department Chair; Coordinator, Business & Tech Communication Program, Austin CC.<\/div>\n
Adapting Your Message to Your Audience<\/a><\/div>\n
from McGraw Hill, Business Communication, <\/em>3rd ed., Locker, Kaczmarek, & Braun<\/div>\n
Key Concept: Reader-Centred Writing<\/a><\/div>\n
from Technical Writing Essentials: Introduction to Professional Communications in the Technical Fields, <\/em>by Suzan Last<\/div>\n
You-Centered Business Style <\/a><\/div>\n
from Writing Commons<\/em> (a collaborative open text from the USF)<\/div>\n
Guidelines for Adopting the ‘You Attitude’ in Professional Writing<\/a><\/div>\n
in Thought & Co., <\/em>article by Richard Nordquist<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A Reader-Centered Approach to Writing<\/h3>\n

To adapt messages to audiences, professional writers use a reader-centered approach\u2014it’s a major component of an overall rhetorical approach to writing\u2014writing that gets things done. It accomplishes its purpose (or, it gets something done) by meeting the demands of the rhetorical situation, by appealing to its audience, and by working within its context.<\/p>\n

For further explanations, please see “Rhetorical Awareness and User-Centered Design”<\/a> from the Purdue OWL and \u201cYou-Centered Business Style\u201d<\/a> at Writing Commons<\/em>. For an excellent professional example of reader-centered writing in action, check out this document, Using a Reader-Centered Approach<\/a>, part two of the “Toolkit for Making Written Material Clear and Effective, from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services at CMS.gov.<\/p>\n

In later material, you’ll read about and look at examples of four broad areas of sentence level approaches to reader centered writing\u2014employing you-attitude (or you-view)<\/span>, increasing positive emphasis<\/span>, developing reader benefits<\/span>, and using readers’ language<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Those four broad areas cover a bunch of little techniques\u2014fiddly little things that are sorta specific.<\/p>\n

If you think of those little techniques as things you have to memorize, they can be really overwhelming…. so I don’t recommend you do that.<\/p>\n

Instead, I recommend you think of reader-centered writing as an overall approach with a number of strategies (particularly sentence-level strategies) that can help you achieve your goals.<\/p>\n

<\/span>\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n

Goals of Reader-Centered Writing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
you-view<\/td>\n\n
employs you-view (or you-attitude)<\/div>\n
You-view (or you attitude) considers the reader’s point of view\u2014it recognizes and respects the reader’s feelings; it responds to what the reader wants and\/or needs.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
positive emphasis<\/td>\n\n
emphasizes the positive<\/div>\n
When possible, positive emphasis highlights “good” things; it considers language and connotation by phrasing things in positive or neutral ways instead of negative ways.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
reader benefits<\/td>\n\n
highlights benefits to the reader<\/div>\n
Emphasizing reader benefits means highlighting what the reader gets, what benefit there is to the reader, or the rationale for the information, request, or rule.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
readers’ language<\/td>\n\n
uses audience\u2019s language\/concepts<\/div>\n
Using the audience\u2019s language & concepts means communicating in a \u201clanguage\u201d the audience understands and using concepts that are meaningful and familiar to them.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
<\/span>\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n

Common Sense Reader-Centered Writing<\/h3>\n

Let’s use common sense and apply reader-centered writing to a situation.<\/p>\n

Here’s the situation:<\/span><\/p>\n

Your 10 year old cousin, Jake, entered the 4th Grade Science Fair. He worked really hard on his project, he learned a lot, and he was really proud of the work he did.<\/p>\n

The afternoon of the Science Fair exhibition (when all of the students display their trifold project displays), Jake isn’t feeling well and has to stay home. You agree to go to the Science Fair to find out if Jake won did and take some pictures for him.<\/p>\n

At the fair, you learn that Jake didn’t win\u2014he didn’t get a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th place ribbon. Worse than that, Jake’s teacher tells you (privately) that although it was obvious he did a lot of work, Jake’s project actually came in last place. And, like all the other losing participants, Jake will get a “Certificate of Participation” in homeroom at the end of the week.<\/p>\n

After the Science Fair exhibition, Jake is eager to know if he got a ribbon and you have to break the bad news to him.<\/p>\n

You could say: “Jake, you lost. You didn’t get a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th place ribbon, and in fact, your teacher said you got last place.”<\/p>\n

Does that communicate the bad news clearly? Sure. But, is that what you would say to Jake? Probably not.<\/p>\n

You’d probably be a little nicer\u2014speaking in a way that spares Jake’s feelings.<\/p>\n

Let’s gradually improve our communication to Jake in ways that employ you-view, positive emphasis, and focus on reader-benefits.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Jake, you lost. You didn’t get a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th place ribbon, and in fact, your teacher said you got last place.<\/em><\/td>\n\n
This isn’t written with reader-centered writing. It doesn’t spare Jake’s feelings, it has no positive emphasis, and doesn’t suggest any reader-benefit.<\/div>\n
It basically calls Jake a loser.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jake, your project lost. It didn’t get a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th place ribbon, and in fact, your teacher said your project came in last place.”<\/em><\/td>\nThis is slightly better. Instead of “You lost,” the text deemphasizes the “You” (Jake), and places the blame on the project. Instead of “you lost,” the text suggests “your project lost.”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jake, your project didn’t win.<\/em><\/td>\nSlightly better than the last one. Instead of using negative language\u2014”your project lost”\u2014it frames it in more positive language\u2014”your project didn’t win.”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jake, while your project didn’t get a ribbon, your teacher said it was clear that you did a lot of work on the project. You made a great effort and you certainly learned a lot.”<\/em><\/td>\nBetter still. This still communicates the bad news (his project didn’t get a ribbon), but quickly moves past the bad news to 1) communicate something positive (the teacher recognized his effort); and 2) emphasize the reader-benefit (he learned a lot).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jake, while your project didn’t get a ribbon, your teacher said it was clear that you did a lot of work on the project. You made a great effort and you certainly learned a lot. Also, you’re going to get a certificate.<\/em><\/td>\nAdding in the info about Jake getting a certificate is good\u2014it’s another positive thing\/reader-benefit. However, after hearing that he’s going to get a certificate, what might Jake want to know?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jake, while your project didn’t get a ribbon, your teacher praised your effort and you certainly learned a lot. Your worked hard and learned a lot, and because of that, you will get a certificate in homeroom on Friday.<\/em><\/td>\nThis is best so far… in addition to making the improvements above, it also tells Jake what he wants to know\u2014he probably wants to know when he’ll get his certificate.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Max, Emma, and Hector got ribbons this year, but your teacher said you did a great job. Because you worked hard and learned a lot, you’ll get a certificate in homeroom on Friday.<\/em><\/td>\nThis might be even a little bit better. In this context, Instead of saying “Your project didn’t<\/em><\/span> get a ribbon,” we can be even more positive by saying who did<\/em><\/span> get a ribbon (even though it wasn’t Jake).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Let’s take another look at the original and the final improvement to see where each does (or does not) employ reader-centered writing.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Jake, you lost. You didn’t get a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th place ribbon, and in fact, your teacher said you got last place.<\/em><\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • doesn’t respect Jake’s feelings (basically calls him a loser)<\/li>\n
  • uses unnecessarily negative language\u2014”lost,” “last place.”<\/li>\n
  • emphasizes bad news by saying it 3 different ways: 1) you lost, 2) you didn’t get a ribbon, & 3) you got last place<\/li>\n
  • doesn’t say anything positive<\/li>\n
  • doesn’t suggest any reader-benefit<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jake, while your project didn’t get a ribbon, your teacher praised your effort and you certainly learned a lot. You worked hard and learned a lot, and because of that, you’re going to get a certificate in homeroom on Friday.<\/em><\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • respects Jake’s feelings (instead of Jake losing, the negative part of the text focuses on Jake’s project)<\/li>\n
  • uses more positive language (instead of “lost,” the text says “the project didn’t get a ribbon” (or “didn’t win”)<\/li>\n
  • emphasizes the positives\u2014 teacher praised efforts; Jake learned a lot<\/li>\n
  • emphasizes the reader benefits\u2014he learned a lot and gets a certificate<\/li>\n
  • tells the reader what he wants to know\u2014when Jake will get his certificate<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
In some contexts, we can take it a step further by focusing on who did get a ribbon instead of who didn’t get a ribbon. You can’t always do that\u2014sometimes you can’t say who got the thing or perhaps it’s not as clear to say “others got the thing.” When you can make it even more positive (without changing the purpose\/meaning), then you get what’s below.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Max, Emma, and Hector got ribbons this year, but your teacher said you did a great job. Because you worked hard and learned a lot, you’ll get a certificate in homeroom on Friday.<\/em><\/td>\n\n