Determine the Audience

Your assignment sheet should include your target audience, but if it doesn't, ask who your readers will be. You need to know if you're writing for an expert audience or the general public.

Generally speaking, your readers' knowledge of the subject will influence the type of background information and technical language you use in your report.

Ask these questions:

What do they know already?

What do they need to know?

What do they want to know?

If your report is for a general readership, you'll need to reflect this in your style of writing, the words you use, the content itself, and how much explanation of terms and background you give. Sometimes it's possible to provide more detailed content for your "expert readers" and a general outline for those who don't need all the facts and figures. We'll look at this later when we discuss how to organize your report.