Blog 12: QRG's: the Genre

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After an exhilarating week of learning about different genres and analyzing them in English class, we have yet one more genre to analyze: the simple yet informative quick reference guide. Although it may not be as comprehensive as a textbook, it describe and organizes a topic in such a way that almost everyone could follow it which is quite amazing. Now it is time for the analyzing to begin!

The first thing to notice notice about all the example articles is that all of them have several paragraphs which have bold headings above them which delve briefly into each each aspect of the topic helping the audience establish a basic understanding without overloading them on information. The word choice is not as complex which further helps readers connect to/understand the material. Most of them also have at least one picture. Although they generally follow a similar format, authors choose to modify them slightly to fit their topic.

Some authors choose to use questions as headers for some of the sections, guiding the less informed readers through the thought process. A few also number the headers as if to list the key points like with the Puerto Rico bankruptcy article which not only breaks up the monotony of letters, but also creates an informal, familiar format that the audience is accustomed to in at least some time in their lives such as in shopping lists. These additions not only make the guides unique, but also help convey their purpose.

The overarching purpose of these quick reference guides is to provide a concise summary, highlighting key aspects of the topic being covered. Because the information is shortened, it becomes more accessible to a wider range of people. The headings also allow the information to be organized and categorized so the readers understand the flow of the argument and thus could better grasp the issue. 

As for the intended audience, they seem to be people who have some knowledge of the information provided in the quick reference guide, but its range is not limited to merely experts. Although each topic covered in the guides are different, they tend to lean towards the general audience such as students. This is indicated by the brief sentences and hyperlinks which provide further information if needed, but also shows where the author retrieved his/her sources adding to his/her ethos. Several guides also define terms. To help the audience visualize the topics, quick reference guides also include visuals.

Not all guides extensively use pictures, but they all include at least one. Some may serve to "hook" readers such as the one in the Puerto Rico bankruptcy article. Others use pictures of social media posts or enlarge print for quotes taken from social media. When appropriate, multiple pictures are uses such as the stem cell and Sochi Olympics quick reference guides.

Quick reference guides prove to be helpful resources. The as I search for resources online, I should keep these in mind.

Reflection
As I read other blogs about QRGs, I started to realize the underlying complexity within a presumably simple quick reference guide. After reading Davis' blog, I saw that these QRGs not only served its readers, but also served the author whether it be conveying his/her ideas or bolstering his/her credibility. The idea that conventions not only meant formatting, but the actual details that people tend to overlook came to while reading Michael B's blog and was reinforced by Davis' blog and vice versa. This includes sentence structure, spacing, grammar usage, etc. From Massimo's blog, I was able to see a different perspective of the QRGs which makes me question my own previous analysis about it having a deeper purpose. Perhaps the real purpose of the article lies somewhere in the middle. The author is not necessarily trying to persuade his/her audience, but is trying to increase his/her ability to inform people by establishing credibility.

https://docs.google.com/a/email.arizona.edu/document/d/1ApV3yFeoP7d1ZHinF0jcmQPKLL8xUa95HDIc3GHWlO8/edit?usp=sharing