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<p>The first thing to ask yourself as you prepare a presentation or a piece of writing is,
"Why am I writing this, what is my purpose?" The second is, "Who is my audience?"
The measure of a successful document or presentation is how well the audience is
able to understand the information presented, and then how well that understanding
fulfills the intended purpose of the work.<sup>1</sup></p>

<p>Before you begin, decide what you want your writing to accomplish. Do you
want to inform the reader? Make a request? Perhaps you merely want to instruct, propose
or recommend. Maybe your job is to persuade, or to document for the record.</p>

<p>Whatever your reason for writing, make sure you have defined it before you
start, and have accomplished it by the time you finish. Then, consider who will read
what you write. Are the members of your audience engineers, or the executives in
charge of funding your project? Are they experts in the field with a strong knowledge
of your subject, or are they the sales force charged with marketing your ideas?</p>

<p>Knowing your audience is a crucial step in the preparation of technical documents.
Your communication, whatever its form, is designed to provoke a reaction.
To get results, you must bridge the gap between what you know and what your audience
knows.</p>

<p>Technical writers prepare many kinds of documents. Examples include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Memos</li>
<li>Trip reports</li>
<li>Contracts</li>
<li>Articles</li>
<li>Newsletters</li>
<li>Tutorials</li>
<li>Patents</li>
<li>Lab reports</li>
<li>Specifications</li>
<li>Proposals</li>
<li>Repair manuals</li>
<li>User's manuals</li>
<li>Executive summaries</li>
</ul>

<p>In EG, you will prepare four different kinds of technical reports. Make sure
when you begin to prepare your assignments that you know your audience and your
purpose.</p>

<h2>Footnotes</h2>

<p><sup>1</sup> Black, G., and Bly, R.W., <i>The Elements of Technical Writing.</i> New York: Longman, 1993</p>

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