Welcome to SMIRK Unit
2 - Knowing your
audience

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SMIRK by Imperial College, Loughborough University and the University of Worcester, modified by Marion Kelt Glasgow Caledonian University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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What does knowing
your audience mean?

Knowing your audience is simply knowing who will read your written work etc

Johnson, Roy. (1995) Improve your writing skills. Manchester Murray and Co

Who is my audience when I am at university?

At university, you know that the person who will assess your work will be an academic who writes research papers. Sometimes your peers will also be given the opportunity to review your work.

The person who reads your work at university is someone who regards academic writing and library research as an essential skill that every university student must develop.

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SMIRK by Imperial College, Loughborough University and the University of Worcester, modified by Marion Kelt Glasgow Caledonian University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at http://www.gcu.ac.uk/library/SMILE/

Writing styles

We all use different writing styles instictively depending on who we are writing to. For example, you use 'text speak' when texting your friends but would use more formal language if applying for a job. You adjust your writing style to accomodate the needs of your audience.

There are rules that you can learn in order to meet the needs of your university audience. These are the same rules that your audience (usually your lecturer) use when they write their own research papers. The rules are not complicated and this unit explains them to you.

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SMIRK by Imperial College, Loughborough University and the University of Worcester, modified by Marion Kelt Glasgow Caledonian University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at http://www.gcu.ac.uk/library/SMILE/

The academic audience

Here are some characteristics of the academic audience:

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SMIRK by Imperial College, Loughborough University and the University of Worcester, modified by Marion Kelt Glasgow Caledonian University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at http://www.gcu.ac.uk/library/SMILE/

What will your reader
expect?

There are basic rules that all academics tend to apply when they are assessing the quality of written work. Things they look for are likely to include: 

These are the basic issues to think about when writing at university. The unit on communication skills will help you develop your writing skills and understand how to present your written work.

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Creative Commons Licence
SMIRK by Imperial College, Loughborough University and the University of Worcester, modified by Marion Kelt Glasgow Caledonian University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at http://www.gcu.ac.uk/library/SMILE/