Stefan "The droids we're googling for" 7/23/2009 via Flickr. Attribution-Non Commercial License.
Writing in a specific genre requires an understanding of this genre's conventions so that the work can best match its intent. In this blog post I will analyze the conventions of the Quick Reference Guide through responses to specific questions.
What do the conventions of this genre - the Quick Reference Guide - seem to be?
The convention that stood out to me the most was its similarity to a blog post. Although the articles are longer than blogs, there is a lot of white space so ideas can be organized and readable. Graphics and images are prevalent as well. Another main convention is the use of headings in different fonts to separate ideas and guide the reader. Hyperlinks are also frequent throughout the articles.
How are those conventions defined by the author's formatting and design choices?
The subject of the article guides how the author uses these conventions in their design. Articles about a specific event included more quotes, images, and texts with different font, where articles with a more professional topic provided more charts and hyperlinks to display and cite the information given. All authors of QRGs leave blank space through the frequent use of paragraphs so that the article is more visually appealing and readable.
What does the purpose of these QRGs seem to be?
Quick Reference Guides seem to be a way for a reader to understand the what is going on with respect to a certain topic. QRGs are organized so anyone can browse the article and learn about the subject or find an answer to a question they might already have, easily.
Who is the intended audience for these QRGs? Are they all intended for similar audiences? Or different? How and why?
The intended audience of a QRG is anyone who wants to learn about a certain topic. They target anyone who comes across the article and finds the information interesting and worth reading about, so no prior knowledge is required to understand its content. All QRGs address different topics so its audience will vary based on who is interested in the subject and what they want to learn about.
How do the QRGs use imagery or visuals? Why do you think they use them in this way?
QRGs about events usually use images to portray what the article is talking about in a different perspective than just words. QRGs with a more professional topic, whether it be the economy or scientific finding, tend to use graphics like charts and graphs to represent the data and information being discussed in the guide. Visuals are mostly used to make the text more interesting to read as they provide a new perspective on the information given in the article.
Reflection: After reading Ayra, Savannah, and Brandon's posts, I'm again reminded that this is a blog that I'm running and everything doesn't have to be in strictly paragraphs. Savannah and Brandon used lists which made the post much easier to read and left little room for questioning what they meant. I think I could have definitely been more concise in my answers so I plan on changing my formatting accordingly in the future.
Reflection: After reading Ayra, Savannah, and Brandon's posts, I'm again reminded that this is a blog that I'm running and everything doesn't have to be in strictly paragraphs. Savannah and Brandon used lists which made the post much easier to read and left little room for questioning what they meant. I think I could have definitely been more concise in my answers so I plan on changing my formatting accordingly in the future.
A lot of our answers are similar. Just remember that images can also be used to evoke emotion in the reader. Visuals don't have to just give information or make the text more interesting. Using images to evoke emotion can be a very powerful tool depending on what you're writing your QRG about.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your post I agree that QRG share many conventions with a blog post. Even the purpose, where you said its organized for anyone to be able to understand, I feel is similar to a blog because of its ability to make information accessible to a large audience.
I agree with what you think are the conventions of a QRG. I definitely agree that part of a QRG is that you can quickly browse through it and find what you are looking for rather than reading the entire thing.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Ayra, Savannah, and Brandon's posts, I'm again reminded that this is a blog that I'm running and everything doesn't have to be in strictly paragraphs. Savannah and Brandon used lists which made the post much easier to read and left little room for questioning what they meant. I think I could have definitely been more concise in my answers so I plan on changing my formatting accordingly in the future.
ReplyDelete