Researching for the Audience

Nathaniel's picture

Reviewing your research plans this week, Jeremy and I noticed the need for a stronger connection between audience and research. In particular, there needs to be correlation between the types of sources used and the information provided and the needs, values, expectations, and resources of the audience (this is also why Jeremy and I have hounded you about having a very specific audience in mind: you cannot begin to do effective research until you have an audience in mind).

  1. When selecting and assessing the usefulness and credibility of a source, you need to do so from the perspective of your audience. The information may be accurate and what you need, but the source may be suspect in the eyes of the reader. For instance, a group of students in one of Nathaniel's previous courses was writing a white paper on alternative energy. One of their sources was the kid's page on the Department of Energy website. Now, the information they needed was very basic, and it was there and accurate on the kid's page. However, the ethos of the white paper and the credibility of the group were hurt by the source of the information. The point here is that it isn't just that you get the information; it's that you get the information from sources your audience will respect and trust.
  2. When deciding what information to include in the white paper, it is important to consider the audience's needs, values, expectations, and resources as well. Do not include information that the reader cannot utilize or options the reader cannot make happen. Many of you implicitly make this point when you raise concerns about the level of detail your white paper will provide. The challenge of researching white papers, the rhetoric of all research if you will, is deciding what the reader needs to make an informed decision.