Audience analysis

Audience Analysis is a task all technical writers need to perform early in a project.

The audience is often referred to as the end user, and all communications need to be targeted towards the defined audience. When defining an audience, factors that must be considered include: *Age *Education *Job function *Skills *Language *Culture *Background knowledge *Training *Needs and interests *Where the document will be read *How the document will be delivered (print, online, projection, PDA) *Why the document will be accessed (reference, training) *When the document will be accessed (work, home, travel)

The intended audience of a document is often referred to as the who, what, where, when, and why.

After considering all the known factors, a profile of the intended audience can be created, allowing writers to write in a manner that is understood by the intended audience.