Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Blog Posting #8: Beginning and Ending a Document

Part 1:
    In Sample 1, the team motivates the reader to pay attention to the Introduction by stating the problems that they are addressing and by providing the outline of their alternatives. The guideline widely used by this team is "Offer to help your readers solve a problem." This strategy has allowed the team to highlight the issue that the client is confronting and offers them help to solve it. The Introduction has also included some of the investigations/researches that they have conducted that helped in solving the problem. The team has included a summary of the entire method. Even though the main points are spread within the entire Introduction section, since its brief, it is easy to find. In order to improve this section, I would suggest stating the main point up front. In sample 2, the team follows the same guideline same sample 1. It offers to help the readers solve a problem. This sample includes a summary and states the main point in a precise manner. Both of the teams has established their credibility by displaying some sort of research method. Both teams has picked the appropriate length for their introduction. Both covered the main point, the problem they are solving, how they are going to solve it, and background information a reader needs in order to understand the document.

Part 2:
   The main purpose of conclusion is to help readers recall the critical points throughout the document. Some the guidelines both the samples have followed are after making the last point, they have stopped, they have repeated the main points and summarized the key points, refers back to the goal stated earlier in the introduction section. Both samples have concluded their document in a concise way without rambling on. Since conclusion is the ending and a point of emphasis, it is suggested to include points that will stay in the readers' mind. Therefore, it is critical to include the main point, goals, and the key points. They have included the key points so that the readers would understand the gist and the importance of the entire document. Both teams have referred back to their goal, which can remind the reader the purpose and sharpen the focus of the communication. In order to improve, both teams could have told the readers what to do next. They could identify the next steps that the reader should take such as any other studies they would have to conduct. A conclusion that tells the reader what exactly to do and one that identifies next question needing study will engage the readers in a way that it could stay in their mind.

Part 3:
For the primary audience, the Introduction should succinctly state the problem that we are addressing, include the outline of the alternatives. For the clients, since they may be unfamiliar with technical terms, it is important to use terms that they could understand or explain certain technical terms in the communication. Also, the clients might not be familiar with the situation that we are discussing in the introduction.

2 comments:

  1. I agree that it is important to have an effective conclusion because that is the last section of the document. Therefore, it is important to summarize all of your main points and state the recommendation, but in a way that isn't overwhelming to the reader. It should be succinct, to remind the reader of the main points, without going into too much detail (which were provided in earlier sections of the document). As you said, it is also important to restate the goal because that ties in how the conclusions and recommendations will affect the audience.

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  2. It is true that the audience should always be taken into account. The Introduction and Conclusion are no exception. The introduction should keep the reader in mind as it may determine whether the reader continues to read the communication or not. It can also be a place to explain background information to the reader should that be needed.

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