In this blog post, I will specifically be analyzing the Quick Reference Guide media genre:
1. What purpose(s) does this genre typically serve?
Quick Reference Guides expose readers to detailed pieces of information in short but concise paragraphs. It is different from an essay in that it usually requires a great deal of research to complete and the information within the work is shown rather quickly.
2. Where, how, or in what context do readers find this genre?
Internet new stories are typically in Quick Reference Guide genre format. This genre suits this kind of work well because headline news needs to reach thousands of viewers quickly and still be detailed and thorough. Many magazine articles also use the Quick Reference Guide genre to advertise information quickly and efficiently.
3. Who is the typical audience for this genre?
Usually, the audience is people who want information on a particular topic and want this information to be given to them quickly and mostly hassle-free. Rather than reading through a College Essay on new information from the War in Syria, someone would rather read a quick news article.
4. What are some of the key features or characteristics that are unique to this genre, distinguishing it from other texts?
While some online news articles or magazine stories have video or audio attachments, they are necessary for a Quick Reference Guide. This separates it from a Video Essay or Podcast; two genres built primarily on video/audio information. As well, a Quick Reference Guide is different from an Essay in that it is usually not as long lengthwise and the formatting is different (short paragraphs for a Reference Guide vs. long main body paragraphs for an Essay).
5. Based on your answers to the questions above, come up with a definition in your own words for this genre.
Quick Reference Guides are made through the use of thorough research and investigation into a particular topic. The results of said investigation are then processed into a series of short but concise and detailed paragraphs and sentences used to quickly introduce readers to information about the topic chosen. While Quick Reference Guides can utilize audio or video media, it is not a requirement.
Jenkin, Garry. "1943 News Article - Lt. Bridges Recognition". February 22nd, 2009 via Flickr. Attribution License.
Reflection:
I felt that both posts I read from other classmates were well written and descriptive. Both focused on Podcast media and explained the Podcast genre very well. Reading them, I realized that every blog post from every person in class is going to be unique in its own. For example, I include the questions that I am answering in my blog posts while others may not. This tells me that my writing process is different from my other classmates. I include the questions I am answering so that readers understand where my information is coming from. This kind of process is evident in Heavy Planner writers. I want to plan ahead what information ill be writing down. Including the questions in my posts helps me understand what I need to write about.
I responded to Marvin Chaires and Jason Boley.
Dear Joshua,
ReplyDeleteI would agree with you on where you can find quick reference guides. I think it is insightful to say that the formatting of the guide fits its purpose (to quickly inform, as you put it). I also concur with your point that these are much easier and faster to read. However, there are a few points I disagree with you on.
The first is that it would be beneficial to describe the types of research that quick reference guides use. Take, for instance, the Starbucks article from Vox. They certainly do no have "factual" research and the only purpose of that article is to address a mere opinion over a supposedly controversial topic. Another crucial point to address is the fact that many of these articles are highly opinionated. Surely some of these articles are (mostly) factual (Volkswagen scandal), but what about the e-cig article? Surely the author addressed how much research was put in to it, but certainly there were "slips" where the author established her subjective view on the topic (whether it be unconscious or not). I would recommend being more specific when you address the audience of quick reference guides. Certainly these are people who are interested in the article. But who are these people? Teens? Elderly? Bloggers? Would a researcher go read a blog about e-cigarettes or look up a highly factual article?
There is one thing that I am confused about but I'm assuming it is just a typo. Did you mean to say that audio/video are necessary for quick reference guides (Q4) or not (Q5)? I would recommend being more specific in what you address. The piece definitely had some insightful portions to it.
I really like what you had to say and worded it perfectly as to what the purpose of these quick reference guides are. Overall, your post does a great job summarizing the key features to a quick reference guide. The post is also organized and concise, making it easy to read. Only piece of advice would be to go into a little more detail, maybe a sentence or two more for some paragraphs.
ReplyDeleteI support your ideas about how the reference guide is very research focused. I think this is one of the most differentiating characteristics about this genre. I also like the distinction you made with essays. The formatting is very important and creates a different focus. I also agree with the audience you mentioned. "Hassle-free" is a great way to describe someone using a reference guide.
ReplyDelete