Assignment:

Genre analysis memo

This assignment page includes introductory information, a list of readings (if any) required to do
this assignment, instructions for doing the assignment, and grading criteria.

References to ABO are to Alred, Brusaw, and Oliu (2015).

Introduction
You have just been hired by Larson Communications (LC) as a technical communicator. LC
provides contract technical communication services to companies that do not want to hire full-
time technical writers but who still want to have high-quality communications.

You were hired because of your expertise in your field.1 Your boss, Brian Larson, is president of
the company. He has explained that you are the only staff member with expertise in your field, but
that he would like to train other staff members to be able to write in your field as well because he
sees it as a growing part of the business.

Readings for this assignment

Topic sheet: Audience

Topic sheet: Genre
ABO, methods of development.
ABO, voice (optional)

Assignment description
Larson has directed you to write a memo to him, describing two genres from your field and
comparing and contrasting them to use as a basis for training other writers to understand the
rhetorical situations that prevail in your field. Here is how you will satisfy his request:
Analysis of your audience: Do your best to analyze Larson as your audience and the
rhetorical situation in which he has placed you. This should guide your performance of the
assignment, but you will not describe this analysis in your assignment. Given this made-
up scenario, you may have to guess some about this, but we will also discuss in class. As
far as you know, Larson has never requested a similar memo from another LC employee
(why does that matter?).
Memo format: Based on the readings in ABO (identified below), prepare a Microsoft Word
(or PDF) document for your instructor that conforms to the conventions of a memo. Note
particularly the differences between a letter and a memo. Assume that LC uses a memo
format very much like ABO figure M-4. Your memo will have the content described in the
following bullets, plus the usual introduction and conclusion components appropriate for
a memo.
Rhetorical situation: Review the Rhetorical Situation Topic Sheet. Before writing your
memo, make detailed notes of the rhetorical situation in which each genre appears. In your

1 Your field is your major of study or some business field in which you have employment or
professional experience. It could also be a business or professional field in which you want to
work, even though you have not done so yet.
2015 Brian N. Larson

Assignment: Genre analysis memo

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memo, summarize those characteristics of each rhetorical situation that are most useful for
understanding the genres.
Audience analysis: Review the Audience Topic Sheet. Before writing your memo, identify
all the audiences you can for each genre. In your memo, focus on what you believe to be the
main or principal audience, but note for your reader who some of the other audiences
might be. Before writing your memo, perform a CPR-theoretic analysis of the principal
audience of each genre. In your memo, present the most salient characteristics of each
audience.
Structural analysis: Before writing your memo, identify the moves that the genre
exemplars make. For example, if a genre is a letter, what purpose do the introductory and
conclusion paragraphs serve? Consider how the moves address the audiences identified in
the previous step. Consider also the following formal characteristics:
o Graphic design of document and how it may be tailored to the audience(s).
o Use of charts and graphics in the document.
o Does the document cite external authorities? How and why, do you think?
In your memo, identify the characteristics of the genres that will help your readers best
understand the rhetorical situations and audiences.
Extra Credit: Larson said that if you have time, you should look at the language choices
that the authors of your genres make. Consider/explain some or all of the following:
o Word choices: Does the document contain highly technical language or jargon, or
does it use language anyone would understand? Give examples.
o Authority stance: Does the document contain language suggesting the authors
power relationship with the reader? Give examples.
o Personalization: Does the document describe the actions of people? If so, does it use
first-person pronouns or third-person references? For example, does it say I and
we instead of this author and the company. Does it use the passive voice, the
active voice, or both? (See the optional ABO reading on voice.) Give examples.
o Given your audience analysis, how do you explain these language choices?
Method of development: You have a considerable amount of information to include (or at
least to consider including) in your memo. You must decide for yourself what method of
development you will pursue. You could organize the content around the genres, looking at
each in turn, or around the characteristics of the genres, comparing and contrasting them
every step of the way (either is probably what ABO calls division-and-classification
method of development). Or you could identify differences and similarities between the
rhetorical situations of the two genres and present them in declining or increasing order of
importance (order-of-importance method of development). You may choose among these
or other methods of development. If you choose to do the extra credit, you should weave it
into the memo; do not tack on an extra credit section.

Larson did not dictate the length of your memo, but he said he expects it would take at least 1200
words (not including the extra credit work). If you do the extra credit work, it can only improve
your grade; it will do so by as much as a full grade if you do the extra credit very well (i.e., a 78
could become an 88).

2015 Brian N. Larson

Assignment: Genre analysis memo

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Submission instructions
Identify the two genres, upload them to T-Square, and bring a copy of (at least a portion of)
each to class) by the dated indicated on the Course Schedule.
Upload a draft of your memo in Microsoft Word or PDF format on T-Square by the date
indicated on the Course Schedule.
Perform a peer review of another students draft by the date indicated in the Course
Schedule.
Revise your memo based on another students peer review of it.
Upload your final memo in Microsoft Word or PDF format on T-Square by the date
indicated on the Course Schedule.

Grading criteria

Memo uses proper format as laid out in ABO.

Memo has strong organization, with clearly articulated subject and purpose and clear
address of audience (in this case, your boss, Larson).
Memo fully covers the items described above.
Memo is free from grammatical and mechanical errors.
See the syllabus for general grading principles.
Your peer review of another students draft will affect your course participation and group
work grade, not this assignments grade.

Value toward final course grade

10%. After your instructor provides feedback and a tentative grade, you will have the option to
revise the assignment to achieve a better grade.

Works cited
Alred, G. J., Brusaw, C. T., & Oliu, W. E. (2015). Handbook of Technical Writing (11th edition).
Boston: Bedford/St. Martins.

2015 Brian N. Larson

Assignment: Genre analysis memo

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