QRGs: The Genre

In this post I will be answering specific questions about quick reference guides. This genre is not really defined as a whole, and may not be recognized by official means, but is definitely out there. For some answers on what they are and how they work, read my post below.

Kosik, Joy. "Screenshot of E-Cigarette Article." Sep. 12, 2015. 

1. What do the conventions of this genre - the Quick Reference Guide - seem to be?
1. In most Quick Reference Guides (QRG), the author provides many links to other sources. This is also the way to cite sources, as there is no in text citations included or a bibliography at the end. Writers in this style also frequently include pictures with captions, and visual space is just as important as the text itself. In this sense, writers will break up text, add sidebars, and clearly label every part. The QRG is purely for the reader's ease. 
2. How are those conventions defined by the author’s formatting and design choices?
1. Most author's include pctures throughout their page, and links within the writing itself. These formatting options seem to be prevalent in all QRGs, and because it is see as the norm the conventions have been made from that. Similarly, readers are used to seeing articles this way, and without links or pictures, the author seems less credible or the page too boring, and a reader will click away if the conventions are not followed. 
3. What does the purpose of these QRGs seem to be?
1. The purpose of most seem to be to provide information. Some smaller QRGs, ones that are written for less well known publications, do include bias and are used to persuade. All link to other sources, proving the name QRG, and all iclude pictures of whatever the subject is. Most also seem to center around some controversy, presenting both sides of the story. 
4. Who is the intended audience for these different QRGs? Are they all intended for similar audiences? Or different? How & why?
1. Different QRGs can be for different audiences. Almost all are intended for the public, but some specific ones may be harder to understand or less important to people who are not affected by the topic. For example, a gaming QRG may not be interesting to the general public, and so the intended audience may be gamers. The one underlying factor in a expected QRG audience is that the person reading is not a complete expert, and so the writing itself will most often not be technical. This is also why so many links are required, because sometimes the reader may need more information and can find that easily on the same page as the article they are reading. 
5. How do the QRGs use imagery or visuals? Why do you think they use them in this way?
1. Most QRGs use pictures to either back up the subject they are talking about or to provide more information. The picture can be related to the particular paragraph it is featured in, providing more evidence as to why it is the way the author describes. Or a picture can be purely an example or way to just show the reader something related, such as showing a picture of an e-cigarette in an article about their controversy. It doesn't provide any bias either way, but relates to the topic as a whole. 

Reflection:

After reading Jovanka's, Grace's, and Carrie's answers to these questions I felt better about how I was also answering them. I really liked Carrie's answer about mass interest in terms of the audience, as that was something I didn't think about the same. I think we all have a good understanding of the conventions of a QRG.