Being Contextual

Take-home Message

Being contextual means recognizing who out audience is before we begin composition. All downstram decisions are put into this context, to meet the needs of our audience.

In the (Writing chapter)[https://scavetta.academy/content/communication/_book/docs/p02_mode/02_visible/02_written/00_index.html] we’ll encounter the 7 Cs of communication, but the first one will begin here, with being contextual. This comes into play even before we begin composing a piece of communication, be it written, oral or visual.

Contextual
Your communication is a vehicle used to deliver a specific message to a specific audience.

What is your message, and to whom are you communicating? In this section we’ll focus on understanding our audience, which will influence later decisions. We need to know the context in which we’ll be communication.

Step 1: Identify your Target Audience

Technical communication is just a specialized form of communication. Like all modes of communication, it is necessarily targeted to a specific audience. Identifying your target audience before you begin writing is key to knowing how to frame your material.

Exercises:

  1. Write a character sketch of this audience.
  2. What are the key topics that interest this audience. Write a short list of key words.

Step 2: Know your Take-home Message

Your research article should have a clearly-stated key take-home message. What is the key conclusion you are trying to communicate to your audience?