GAMPs Guide

Genre

You should adapt for the rules and expectations of the type of writing you are doing.

Definition

Genre refers to the kind of writing with rules and expectations associated with it. For example, emails, news articles, lab reports, text messages, academic essays, obituaries, and novels are all types of writing (genres).

Organization

Use appropriate organization for the genre:

  • How should it begin?

  • How should it end?

  • How should you order ideas?

  • How should you connect or transition between ideas?

  • How should you emphasize and reinforce ideas?

Organization refers to the order of ideas. We can identify or describe patterns in the way ideas are ordered in different genres.

Common Organization Patterns:

  • Chronological

  • Spatial

  • Sequential

  • Process

  • Order of importance

  • Classification

  • Problem-solution

  • Cause-effect

  • Compare-contrast

  • Advantages-disadvantages

  • Topical patterns

Some organization can be described rather than identified by pattern. Also, some patterns are determined by the formatting style, like APA-style writing.

Formatting

Use appropriate formatting and appearance for the genre:

  • font type and size,

  • spacing,

  • indentation,

  • headers, footers,

  • pagination,

  • headings,

  • titles, subtitles,

  • bold, italics,

  • underlining,

  • capitalization, etc.

Credit for Sources

Give credit for others' words and ideas using the appropriate citation style. For in-text and end citations, you might use:

  • MLA,

  • APA,

  • Chicago,

  • IEEE,

  • hyperlinks,

  • informal descriptive

  • references,

  • footnotes,

  • endnotes,

  • etc.

Incorporating Sources

Appropriately (for the genre) incorporate outside sources by using:

  • direct quotations (exact words in quotation marks)

  • paraphrase (others' ideas in your own words)

  • summary (others' ideas shortened in your own words)

  • a combination of these tactics.

Audience

The most important aspect that you should adjust to in your writing is your intended or target audience.

Definition

Audience refers to the intended readers, or the specific people the author wants to influence with the writing. For example, some genres (like letters, emails, and text messages) are written for specific audiences in mind. Other genres are written with groups of people in mind, like educated adults, conservatives, specialists in a field, young adults who use social media, etc.

Your default audience in academic writing is people like your professor.

Three Categories

The main audiences we are concerned with are

  • a general audience,

  • a general academic or professional audience,

  • and a specialized academic or professional audience.

Prior Knowledge

Use an appropriate level of detail for the target audience's prior knowledge and needs:

  • Sufficient context for the writer's main claim, sources, and evidence,

  • Appropriate specificity of language (vocabulary),

  • Sufficient evidence,

  • Sufficient depth and development of ideas.

  • Properly introduce names, titles, places, items, etc. that are not known to the audience. Cite information that isn't common knowledge to the audience.

Formality

Use an appropriate formality for the target audience:

  • Purposefully remove or include informal words (first- and second-person, slang, etc.),

  • Use more specific word choice to raise formality.

Ethos

  • Appear trustworthy and knowledgeable on the topic,

  • Don't hide information or present it unfairly,

  • Address opposition (rebuttals) and exceptions,

  • Avoid factual errors,

  • Proofread for correctness and clarity.

Logos

  • Present information clearly

  • Organize ideas

  • Make logical connections between ideas (especially claims, evidence, explanations)

  • Present sufficient, credible evidence (without fallacies) that are an appropriate type for the audience.

Pathos

Appeal to the target audience’s:

  • values,

  • beliefs,

  • self-esteem,

  • fears,

  • concerns,

  • and emotions.

Common Types of Evidence

Factual evidence

  • Number evidence

  • Statistical evidence

  • Names

  • Documentary evidence

Scientific evidence

  • Experiment

  • Case study

  • Longitudinal study

Specialized knowledge
Expert opinion
Anecdotal evidence

  • Testimonial evidence

  • Hypothetical evidence

Observational evidence
Primary evidence
Secondary evidence
Visual evidence

The kinds of sources and types of evidence vary according to the audience. You must select types of evidence that the audience considers credible and trustworthy. You should consider the values of the audience: do they prefer evidence that is more relatable and interesting, or do they prefer evidence that is more scientific and impersonal?

Media

You should choose the most effective delivery method(s) for your information and follow rules and expectations for the media.

Definition

Media refers to the method used to deliver the information to the audience. For example, the information may be textual, visual, audio, spoken, face-to-face, print, digital, or a combination of media. Visuals may be video, images, charts, graphs, diagrams, maps, timelines, or even body language and facial expressions.

Selection

When given the option, choose the medium or media that will achieve your purpose most effectively for your audience. Will the ideas be most effective if they are explained verbally (spoken), if they are combined with or clarified with visuals, if they are in a digital format, or if they are printed?

Digital Formatting

Digital media are often used for ease of distribution, to project information for large groups, and to promote cost efficiency.

To preserve formatting for digital documents, use:

  • page breaks,

  • file formats, like PDFs,

  • and reliable sharing methods.

Visuals

You should use visuals that fit the audience, genre, and purpose of your writing. The type must be purposeful (rather than purely decorative), appropriately selected, they must be incorporated into the writing, and they must be cited if they are created by others.

Some Types of Visuals

  • Images (photographs, screen captures, illustrations, drawings, cartoons/comics, memes)

  • Charts, graphs

  • Tables

  • Timelines

  • Maps

  • Diagrams

  • Infographics

  • Models

  • Videos

Printing

Printed media are often used for interactive materials that require a response from the audience, for durable hard copies, for non-editable copies for audience.

When printing, consider:

  • color vs. black and white,

  • the clarity of visuals when printed,

  • connecting multiple pages (stapling, folders, binding, etc.).

Spoken or Audio

Spoken media are often used when the author wants a more personal approach or when the message may need to be adapted for the audience's understanding.

In a spoken medium, use appropriate:

  • rehearsal to prepare,

  • outlines or notes for reference,

  • interaction with audience,

  • volume level and intonation,

  • body language.

Purpose

You should adapt your writing to include and connect information that is relevant to your purpose.

Definition

Purpose refers to what the author wants to achieve with the writing. What does the author want the audience to think, feel, or do after reading? For example, does the author want the audience to understand a concept better, to feel sympathy, or to feel that the author is knowledgeable on the topic? What does the author want them to do next: to share the information, give a high score, vote, or buy something?

Goal

Appropriately persuade or inform:

  • Present information with a clear purpose in mind

  • Although it does not always need to be directly stated, writers should have in mind the end goal for the audience. (I want them to ______ so that _______).

  • Connect all included information to the purpose

  • Provide sufficient explanations to persuade or inform

Focus

Narrow the focus appropriately for the length of the writing (e.g. page length, word count, time limit). The difference between a beginning writer and an advanced writer is the level of specificity.

Categories

Purpose can usually be divided into two categories:

Persuade

You may try to persuade your audience to change their opinion, to buy your product, to fund your project, to hire you, or to trust your judgement.

Inform

You may try to inform your audience to teach a concept, to report your knowledge or progress, to collaborate with others, or to give software instructions.

Types of Arguments

To achieve the purpose when persuading, you should ensure that you are making an appropriate kind of argument. Choose the argument type that fits the assignment or the rhetorical situation.

Fact or Conjecture

  • Does it exist? Did it happen?

  • What is its cause or origin?

  • Can it be changed?

Definition or Category

  • How can it be defined?

  • What are its parts? How are they related?

  • To what larger class or category does it belong?

Quality

  • Is it good or bad?

  • Is it effective or not?

  • Is it ethical or moral?

  • Is it better or worse than something else?

Policy

  • What should be done?

  • Should action be taken?

  • How will proposed actions change or improve things?