Audience and thesis and Audience and thesis and dissertation writingdissertation writing

Brian PaltridgeBrian Paltridge

The University of SydneyThe University of Sydney

Audience and academic writingAudience and academic writing the expert, 'all-powerful reader' of the expert, 'all-powerful reader' of students' texts who can either students' texts who can either accept or reject students' writing as accept or reject students' writing as coherent and consistent with the coherent and consistent with the conventions of the target discourse conventions of the target discourse community, or not.community, or not.

knowledge of this audience's knowledge of this audience's attitudes, beliefs, and expectations attitudes, beliefs, and expectations is not only possible but essential for is not only possible but essential for student writers student writers

(Johns, 1990)(Johns, 1990)

Primary and secondary Primary and secondary

readershipsreaderships a dominant, or 'primary' reader, a dominant, or 'primary' reader, within the academy, "quite simply within the academy, "quite simply counts more than other readers" counts more than other readers"

(Kamler and Threadgold,1997, p. (Kamler and Threadgold,1997, p. 53)53)

It is important for students to consider the expert, 'all-powerful reader' of their texts who can either accept, or reject, their writing as being coherent and consistent with the conventions of the target discourse community, or not (Johns, 1990) and how they will (potentially)

read their text.

Academic essaysAcademic essays the essay, in normal practice "has to the essay, in normal practice "has to be written in a way to appeal both be written in a way to appeal both to an imaginary reader as a to an imaginary reader as a communication and to the tutor as communication and to the tutor as an exhibit" an exhibit"

(Kusel, 1992, p. 459)(Kusel, 1992, p. 459)

Thesis writingThesis writing [The students'] relation to their [The students'] relation to their audience is strange, in that they audience is strange, in that they presume that the real readers presume that the real readers (supervisor, examiners) already (supervisor, examiners) already know much of what they have to know much of what they have to say. This unacknowledged say. This unacknowledged knowledge-display function of knowledge-display function of theses must affect the writing theses must affect the writing

process (Shaw, 1991, p. 193).process (Shaw, 1991, p. 193).

The context of thesis writingThe context of thesis writing the setting of the textthe setting of the text the focus and perspective of the the focus and perspective of the

texttext the purpose/s of the textthe purpose/s of the text the intended audience for the text, the intended audience for the text,

their role and purpose in reading their role and purpose in reading the textthe text

the relationship between writers the relationship between writers and readers of the textand readers of the text

expectations, conventions and expectations, conventions and requirements for the textrequirements for the text

the background knowledges, the background knowledges, values, and understandings it is values, and understandings it is assumed the student shares with assumed the student shares with their readers, including what is their readers, including what is important to their reader and what important to their reader and what is notis not

the relationship the text has with the relationship the text has with

other textsother texts

The setting of the textThe setting of the text

Focus and perspective of the textFocus and perspective of the text

The purpose/s of the textThe purpose/s of the text

The intended audience for the The intended audience for the text, their role and purpose in text, their role and purpose in reading the textreading the text

The relationship between writers The relationship between writers

and readers of the textand readers of the text

Expectations, conventions and Expectations, conventions and requirements for the textrequirements for the text

Background knowledges, Background knowledges, values, and understandings it values, and understandings it is assumed the student is assumed the student shares with their readers, shares with their readers, including what is important including what is important to their reader and what is to their reader and what is notnot

The relationship the text has The relationship the text has with other textswith other texts

Beyond the text (Freedman, 1989)Beyond the text (Freedman, 1989)