Portfolio 3: Audience & Context Analysis Report

Overview: This assignment serves as prewriting for your arguing essay by providing an opportunity to analyze the audience and context for your argument. Understanding your audience is important since you need to know who your readers are before you can effectively convince them to consider your argument. Examining your context is equally important because your argument will only be taken seriously or be considered for publication if it meets certain requirements and expectations for its context.

Purposes for this Report: To define your audience and context for your arguing essay.

Audience: You and your instructor.

Length of the Report: Your report should be roughly 650 words long.

Format of the Report: Your report will consist of three parts.

Part I - Purpose

1. What will you argue for? Provide the main claim of your argument.

Part II - Context Analysis

1. Where will your readers encounter your argument? Please name the specific person, journal, magazine, or organization that you plan to write to.
2. Describe your context for writing. In order to sufficiently complete this section, you'll need to familiarize yourself with the publication context you've chosen. Research and read two or three existing publications to learn what the expectations and requirements are. Please respond to the following:

·        What is the publication’s general purpose?

·        Who are its target readers?

·        What type of content is most suitable for this publication? What kinds of topics and issues are typically addressed within it?

·        What is the appropriate length of a text written for this publication?

·        Describe what a typical piece of writing for this publication looks like.

·        Describe the tone, style, and register (level of formality in word choice, use of jargon, etc.) used by writers whose work appears in this publication.

·        What patterns can you note? (i.e. Do all articles or columns begin the same way? Are most arguments well supported? Are they highly opinionated?)

·        Are there specific requirements of which you should be aware, such as guidelines for citing sources?

3. What are the two or three most important things you'll need to keep in mind about the expectations and requirements of this publication when you're writing your argument?

Part III - Audience Analysis

1. Who will your target audience be? Define them specifically in terms of age, economic status, social class, gender, education, and so forth.
2. Why did you choose this audience?
3. What can your readers already be expected to know about your issue? What will they want or need to know? What are their typical attitudes or viewpoints toward your issue? How are their views similar to yours? How do they differ?
4. What social and cultural factors might account for these similarities and differences?
   
   

Report Submission: Post your report on the class discussion forum on your SyllaBase class page (https://writing.colostate.edu/syllabase/).