Rhetorical Analysis Memo Assignment

Questions to Consider in Your Rhetorical Analysis

(From Markel and Selber’s “Measures of Excellence in Technical Documents”)

Clarity

· Does the document present the information in a way that is clear to the audience?

· Will the intended audience understand the information and the way it is presented?

· Does the document present technical information in a way that is appropriate for the audience?

· Are paragraphs (if used) presented clearly? (See p. 108-113.)

· Are there clear transitions between paragraphs (if used)? (See p. 113-116.)

· What could be added or changed to help this document be more clear?

Accessibility

· If the audience includes people with vision, hearing, movement, or cognitive differences, will they be able to use this document? (See p. 184-186.)

· If your audience includes people from other cultures, will they be able to understand it? (See p.58-64 and p. 186.)

· Does the color contrast in the document allow it to easily be read?

Comprehensiveness

· Does the document present all the information the audience needs to understand the topic?

· What information might have been left out of this document that would have been helpful?

Professional Appearance

· Is the appearance of the document appropriate for the topic, audience, and purpose?

· Does the document leave a good impression on the reader?

· Are graphics used appropriately? Do they add to the appearance of the document?

· Are other design features (color, font, etc.) used effectively to promote an appropriate professional appearance? (See Chapter 7.)

Usability

· Does the document achieve its purpose? Does the document appropriately allow the user skim it, study it, implement it, or use it for some other purpose?

· Will the audience understand what they are intended to understand from this document?

(See p. 56-58 for “Determining the Important Characteristics of Your Audience.”)

· Will this document help solve whatever problem it is intended to solve?

· How is the information organized? Is it organized effectively? (Look at the chart on p. 104-5.)

· Can the reader locate the information they need from this document easily?

· Does the document contain clear, comprehensive titles? (See p.105-107.)

· How does the document’s design contribute to how it will be used? Consider navigation aids, page layout, white space, columns, typography, color, and any other relevant design features. (See Chapter 7.)

· Are any graphic or design elements distracting?

· What could be changed or added to help the reader use the document more easily?

Accuracy

· Is the information in the document precise and accurate?

· Was any information left out of the document that might have presented the topic more completely?

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Conciseness

· Does the document present the information in a way that is short and to-the-point? (See the “Ten Tips for a Clear Writing Style.”)

· Does any text in the document seem to be wordy or “clunky”?

Correctness

· Are the grammar, spelling, punctuation, and mechanics of the document correct? (See p. 116-143.)

Honesty

· Is the information in the document straight-forward?

· Does the document appear to adhere to the ethical norms of the field? (See Chapter 2 of the textbook.)

· Does there appear to be a bias in the document?

· What elements of the document allow you to believe the information is honest and credible?