Writing for Your Audience: Engaging Your Professional Community

Whenever you are preparing a conference paper, a research article, a professional blog post, or any other kind of presentation or piece of writing, consider these questions. Your goal is to understand your audience and their expectations.

Audience Profile/Characteristics

• Who will read your text or listen to your presentation? That is, who is your audience? Describe their professional roles rather than their personal details or names.
• Why will the audience read or listen? What is their purpose in engaging with your work?
• How will they respond to the information or to you as the writer or presenter? Do you anticipate that they will be receptive?

Audience Expectations – How to Communicate

• What conventions will the audience expect you to follow regarding:
  • Genre
    • Research article?
    • Poster presentation?
    • Blog?
    • Book review?
  • Presentation of information
    • Text?
    • Tables?
    • Graphs? What types?
    • Other types of visuals? (e.g., maps, infographics, diagrams)
  • Word choice
    • Vocabulary? (professional terminology or common terms)
    • Sensitive words? (ways of referring to groups of people, e.g., individuals without homes, individuals with disabilities, members of minority groups)

Created by Chris Borntrager and Melody Herr, August 2025