Memo-1 Technical Writing PDF

Preview

Summary

Download Memo-1 Technical Writing PDF

Description

Memo To:

Julie Jones

From:

Holly Bicknell

cc: Date:

August 30, 2019

Re:

Audience Analysis Memo

The reason for this analysis memo assignment, is to find two separate websites that present information on the same subject. These websites should focus on the different primary audiences. One website should focus on technical audiences, and the other should focus on nontechnical audiences. The differences and likes of both websites will be analyzed throughout this memo. The strategies of each will be addressed for the needs of their audience’s. I have chosen Schizophrenia as the topic for this assignment. The non-technical website that was used is from WebMD, “Schizophrenia Health Center” at https://www.webmd.com/schizophrenia/default.htm. The technical website that I have chosen, is from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), “Schizophrenia,” at https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/schizophrenia#. The primary audience that is targeted about “Schizophrenia” is aimed at health care professionals like; researchers, doctors, and nurses in the article by NIH. There are many different examples of medical jargon on the NIH website. With the medical terminology used throughout the article, it shows that it is not intended for the audiences that do not have any medical background. If they were to attempt to read the article, they would get lost due to the words that are used. Some examples of the medical terminology are; “tremors, facial tics, rigidity, and unusually slow movement (bradykinesia) or an inability to move (akinesia)” (Schizophrenia). WebMD’s article “Schizophrenia Health Center,” is aimed towards people who have very little to no medical knowledge regarding schizophrenia. WebMD’s secondary audience is more for people who have more experience or knowledge than most people, but they do not have nearly the experience that health care professionals. The medical terminology that is used in WebMD’s article, goes into more details, and puts it into layman’s terms for people who do not understand the medical terminology used. One example would be: “people with schizophrenia have trouble staying on schedule or finishing what they start. Sometimes they can’t get started at all. A doctor might call this a volition” (Schizophrenia Health Center). The primary and

secondary audiences for WebMD can include high school students, college students, caregivers, family, friends, or patients. With both of these websites, there is no specified age range. The ages that could be targeted are anywhere from freshmen in high school doing research, health care professionals, or patients and family members. Schizophrenia has a diverse cultural background, and can affect both women and men from all walks of life. WebMD’s website is more informal compared to NIH’s formal article. When the reader is looking on WebMD, there are multiple hyperlinks that they must click on, to see further information. It is not a very organized site, and many who try and read it have the possibility of getting confused. The website for NIH, has sections on the bottom, which helps the reader find information. There are drop-down arrows that can help provide paragraphs of more information. WebMD has an average sentence length of 13. However, every hyperlink has anywhere from two to four paragraphs with information. NIH has an average sentence length is 17. Every drop-down arrow, has two to three paragraphs. Each website provides hyperlinks which contain videos, pictures, and more information. There are multiple areas on WebMD that provide resources and blogs to help obtain additional information. WebMD is able to connect with their audience by the sentences and phrases that are used that the reader is able to connect to. One example would be the parent of a teenager researching schizophrenia, and then comes across many symptoms that her child is displaying. Without using a lot of medical terminology that the parent would not be able to understand. Describing people who have schizophrenia not doing well around peers at school or work. “They might feel frightened and withdrawn and could appear to have lost touch with reality. This lifelong disease can’t be cured but can be controlled with proper treatment” (Schizophrenia Health Center). Both websites are very different in many ways. NIH does not provide pictures, except on through the hyperlinks. The website also does not have any advertisements anywhere. It has a very formal layout, using basic colors like black and white. With black font, and blue headings on every section. Overall, the website is very neat, very well organized, and simple to follow and navigate. On the other hand, WebMD, is very informal. When someone accesses the website for the very first time, they could get confused or overwhelmed from all the extra clicking and the hyperlinks. Information is not on one single page, like NIH’s article. There are links all over WebMD’s website that take you to different pages with information. WebMD, also has advertisements throughout every page. Many are related to schizophrenia, granted, there are some irrelevant ads. The video that was displayed, was aimed towards men to get them to use Rogaine. It displayed a middle-aged male and discussed how hair loss was negative, but a symptom or schizophrenia and the medications that are used to treat it. WebMD also promoted several other advertisements that were for reaching out for help and medications that could potentially help. In conclusion, each website was very informative and gave great detailed information that was relatable to both the primary and secondary audiences. WebMD and NIH made sure to give their audiences resources with many options, and gave additional support on each website. NIH had better resources to seek guidance and help, where WebMD, had more of an average approach to where the general public would get a better understanding of schizophrenia.

2

3...