QRGs: The Genre

In the post below, I'll be explaining the conventions of a "Quick Reference Guide." We began dissecting this topic in class and with further research, I was able to identify some conventions of the genre.

OpenClipartVectors. Untitled. 2014 via Pixabay. Free for non-commercial reuse. 

1. What are the conventions of a Quick Reference Guide? 

Some of the conventions my group and I observed in class are of the following:

• Introduction paragraph 
• Subheading- bold and generally questions
• Relevant images
• Use of white space
• Left aligned text
• Answers questions and informs about a specific topic
• Hyperlinks to outside sources
• Title
• Impartial and informative tone
• "Storytelling" genre

2. How are those conventions defined by the author’s formatting and design choices?

In the Gamergate article, the author clearly formats her blog with the above mentioned conventions. She utilizes bold subheadings, all of which are questions; underneath each subheading she answers the question with relevant information. In addition, her text is left aligned and she included a few different graphics relating to the topic. In addition, the author of Gamergate include working hyperlinks. When looking over other Quick Reference Guides, they all shared these conventions. 

3. What does the purpose of the QRG seem to be?

The purpose is to inform readers about a specific controversy or topic. By utilizing the question and answer style, authors are able to fully explain the topic at hand, thoroughly informing readers.

4. Who is the intended audience of QRGs?

The intended audience is anyone who is interested in learning all about a specific topic. Generally, the information is written so that all may approach it; the diction isn't too scholarly and does not require prior knowledge. Because the QRG varies between topics, the audience varies with it. Depending on what interests certain people will determine what they would like to learn about.

5. How do QRG use imagery or visuals? 

QRG, just like blogs, include relevant images to the specific topic. Many times, authors with try to humanize the topic by including images of people who are affected by the topic in order to invoke pathos in the reader. In addition, many author utilize graphs, charts and data to consecrate their position and information. The images often also provide the reader with a mind break.


Reflection:

Jayni's post taught me in a concise way what QRG are all about. She set up her post like a QRG which provided an example for what it actually looks like. Carter's post, just like Jayni's, explains clearly what a QRG is. He includes thorough explanations which pinpoint the common themes within QRGs. Just like the first two blogs I read, Kyle's post explains the conventions of a QRG. He keep his information brief but informative. I did like how his post was constructed differently; he included a picture at the end rather than the beginning which gave an example of a different blog set up.