Audience analysis is a pre-writing, problem-solving process used to learn about the characteristics of an audience for a document or webpage. As a process, audience analysis involves more than simply accumulating facts about an particular audience. Although analysis does start with a list of demongraphics, it further involves analysis of the community from which the audience, the cognitive levels of understanding, the reading characteristics, and the context.

Student should strive to move away from the myth of the instructor as the audience for any document wirtten in these classes. My job as the instructor is to evaluate your attention to audience through language and design. If you are writing the document with me in mind as your audience, then you are focusing your attention unwisely. If I am the audience for a document in any my classes, I will tell you I am (e.g., end-of-the-semester reflection memo).

Communities of Practice
Audience Analysis Worksheet Parts 1 & 2