Before you even begin the process of writing, take some time to consider who your audience is and what they want from you.

Use the following questions to help you identify your audience and what you can do to address their wants and needs:

• Who is your audience?
  
• Might you have more than one audience? If so, how many audiences do you have? List them.
  
• Does your assignment itself give any clues about your audience?
  
• What does your audience need? What do they want? What do they value?
  
• What is most important to them?
  
• What are they least likely to care about?
  
• What kind of organization would best help your audience understand and appreciate your argument?
  
• What do you have to say (or what are you doing in your research) that might surprise your audience?
  
• What do you want your audience to think, learn, or assume about you? What impression do you want your writing or your research to convey?
  

How much you need to tell your audience depends on the answers to these questions.