Know your Audience
Know your Audience
Make your message accessible to a diverse audience.
Make your message accessible to a diverse audience.
There are three categories of readers in most audiences (Woolsey 1989).
There are three categories of readers in most audiences (Woolsey 1989).
People in your field of specialization, including your "competitors."
People in your field of specialization, including your "competitors."
No special efforts are required to attract them. They will read whatever you present, no matter how well or poorly you present it.
No special efforts are required to attract them. They will read whatever you present, no matter how well or poorly you present it.
People in fields closely related to yours can have interesting perspectives and insights about your work.
People in fields closely related to yours can have interesting perspectives and insights about your work.
They will require that you supply context for your work and are likely to be unfamiliar with your jargon.
They will require that you supply context for your work and are likely to be unfamiliar with your jargon.
People in unrelated fields can be attracted by an accessible message and provide valuable insigts and links to distant fields.
People in unrelated fields can be attracted by an accessible message and provide valuable insigts and links to distant fields.
They require you to explain the problem and the solution, and will not understand your jargon.
They require you to explain the problem and the solution, and will not understand your jargon.
To satisfy all audience types, you should ...
To satisfy all audience types, you should ...
Provide context for your work. Explain the big picture and why the problem is important.
Provide context for your work. Explain the big picture and why the problem is important.
Use plain language to present your work.
Use plain language to present your work.
Avoid jargon and acronyms unless you're really positive that yours will be a specialist-only audience.
Avoid jargon and acronyms unless you're really positive that yours will be a specialist-only audience.
Interpret your findings so that readers in all categories can understand how your work helps solve the problem you've described.
Interpret your findings so that readers in all categories can understand how your work helps solve the problem you've described.
Alternatively, consider the type of meeting.
Alternatively, consider the type of meeting.
Specialists only. For example, Symposium on the Behavioral Ecology of Ants. You can assume a high level of disciplinary knowledge, use jargon, and take other presentation shortcuts.
Specialists only. For example, Symposium on the Behavioral Ecology of Ants. You can assume a high level of disciplinary knowledge, use jargon, and take other presentation shortcuts.
Wide-ranging discipline. For example, Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting. You can assume familiarity with the discipline in general, but there are so many sub-specialties that jargon is to be avoided and language simplified.
Wide-ranging discipline. For example, Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting. You can assume familiarity with the discipline in general, but there are so many sub-specialties that jargon is to be avoided and language simplified.
Very general audience. For example, a town-hall meeting on wildlife conservation. You cannot assume familiarity with any discipline and must explain everything in the most basic terms.
Very general audience. For example, a town-hall meeting on wildlife conservation. You cannot assume familiarity with any discipline and must explain everything in the most basic terms.