Deck 3: Providing Audiences With Usable Information

Question 1

When writing for an online audience

A) you should not explicitly describe the intended audience, as everyone will assume that it is for the general audience.
B) readers are generally more passive recipients of information.
C) you can provide links to information written for people with different levels of expertise.
D) a and c.
E) all of the above.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A measure of how well a document meets the audience's information needs is called its ___________.

Answer 2

usability

Question 3

The primary purpose of a document should affect the document's overall shape and content.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

In addition to content, organization, style, and design, ask usability testers about the __________, ________, and_________ considerations of a document.

Question 5

An_________ is an outline that begins with a document's purpose statement and then details all of the important usability considerations.

Question 6

To prepare a usable document, consider the

A) budget.
B) setting.
C) length.
D) a and b.
E) a, b, and c.

Question 7

A task analysis only applies when creating instructions or procedures.

Question 8

Effective technical documents can be created without first performing an audience analysis.

Question 9

Effective strategies for persuasion include all of the following except

A) standing firm when your message is rejected.
B) allowing for give-and-take.
C) asking for what your audience will consider reasonable.
D) recognizing constraints.
E) identifying your specific goal.

Question 10

An information plan

A) can be written as long as you know the audience.
B) avoids confusing the reader by leaving out potential problems.
C) is always less than three pages long..
D) describes the appropriate format for the needs of the audience.
E) c and d.

Question 11

Most audiences are passive recipients of information.

Question 12

A claim is a statement of the point you are trying to prove.

Question 13

The general target audience and the specific target audience may have different needs.

Question 14

"General readers"

A) do not exist, so do not try writing to them.
B) want high levels of detail to fully understand the message.
C) want explanations to accompany facts.
D) want you to show them how smart you are.
E) prefer to know the theoretical basis of the topic at hand.

Question 15

To connect with your audience, the optimal strategy is the

A) power connection.
B) rational connection.
C) relationship connection.
D) b and c.
E) power connection and the rational connection.

Question 16

Across cultures, readers prefer a direct, plain language approach to communication.

Question 17

Distributing a document as a PDF available online is generally better than distributing it as a print document.

Question 18

No matter their purpose in using a document, readers must be able to

A) locate information easily.
B) understand information immediately.
C) use the information safely and successfully.
D) a, b, and c.
E) a and b.

Question 19

When proofreading a document,

A) be alert for the problem areas in your own writing.
B) always rely on autocorrect.
C) read through it just one time.
D) never use hard copy.
E) a and d.

Question 20

A claim can be a statement that a() acknowledges facts to set the stage for persuasive appeal.
B) interprets facts.
C) asks for direct action.
D) a, b, and c.
E) b and c.