Writing to Inform or Persuade

Writing to inform or persuade your audience can takes many different forms. This type of writing includes trade-related writing such as press releases, articles for trade publications, blogs and white papers along with academic writing projects like research papers, essays, and articles for peer-reviewed journals. While academic and workplace writing require the same basic skills, there are differences in style, content and tone depending on the purpose of your writing.

In both academia and the workplace, much of your writing is persuasive. A report may be written to persuade a client to choose one supplier over others. A white paper might describe a certain type of system with the goal of persuading a client that the system is the best one to purchase. Your instructor may ask you to write an essay arguing a position on a topic you’re studying. When writing to inform or persuade, you need to consider the rhetorical situation.

Rhetorical awareness means considering these factors about the document as you write.

• Purpose - the document’s goals

• Audience - who will read it

• Stakeholders - who could be affected by the document

• Context - the background or situation in which you’re writing

Whatever you’re writing, this section will help you connect with your audience to accomplish your goals.