Audience Analysis Memo: Comparing Two Websites on Bipolar Disorder

This memo analyzes and compares two websites providing information on bipolar disorder: the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health and the Mayo Clinic. The analysis focuses on the target audiences, persuasion techniques, use of jargon, sentence structure, and overall style of each website. The memo highlights that the National Library of Medicine website caters to a more knowledgeable audience, such as researchers, using technical language and detailed data sets, while the Mayo Clinic website aims at a general audience with easily understandable information. The comparison reveals differences in the presentation of information, including the use of diagrams, advertisements, and the formality of the language. The report concludes by discussing the distinct approaches each website takes in communicating with its intended audience, offering insights into effective information dissemination for different user groups. The assignment is a comparison of two websites that present information on the same subject, bipolar disorder, but target different audiences. The student compares the sites based on their intended audience, the language used, and the overall presentation of the information.

memo
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The topic that is chosen for performing the review is bipolar disorder. The two websites that are chosen for
this process are namely https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2913710/ and
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355955. Both the
websites are based on similar topic and hence wise comparison is made on varied parameters. This will help in better
assessing of the considered disease and hence wise help in bettering the process of knowledge management.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2913710/ deals with the audience base who has proper
knowledge regarding the disease and is well aware of the causes and basics of the disease. This article is generally
focused on data sets that helps in understanding the assessments of causes and interdependencies. Again in case of
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355955 website, the
target audience is general mass who are not highly knowledgeable regarding the disease. This website provides a
basic understanding of the diseases and hence wise providing a precise concept of the same.
The Secondary audience of https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2913710/ website are the
researchers who wants in depth knowledge regarding the disease. This target audience has a high knowledge
regarding bipolar disorder disease, leading to the fact that the quantitative data that are provided in the website gets
well utilized. Again the secondary audience of
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355955 website are the
people who wants to gain some idea regarding the bipolar disorder disease. All the symptoms are provided in this
website, which proves that the website is developed for people with least experience in case of this disease.
The websites stated above uses similar kind of persuasion technique. This technique includes gaining trust
of the visitors. Mayo Clinic have been providing descriptive data sets that will be helping a beginner to gain proper
understanding of the subject and hence wise has a separate audience base and in case of the website of US National
Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health the main persuasive act that is considered includes providing
authentic data sets along with free access to the data. Both of this websites have been making high efforts to get
connected with the audience.
The website of US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health has high amount of jargons as
the data provided in this website is framed for researchers and people who have in depth knowledge of the Bipolar

disorder disease. Keywords like Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS), body mass index (BMI), comorbid medical
disorders, lithium, medical comorbidity and valproate are used in the article that acts as jargons. Again in case of
Mayo clinic website there are not much usage of jargons. The website provides data that are easily accessible by the
common mass and hence wise usage of jargons are very much limited.
The Average sentence in US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health website is about 20-
30 words. The data provided are highly precise and excess usage of jargons makes the sentences complex in nature.
This indicates that the audience base that is targeted will be highly knowledgeable to understand the numerical
provided in the website. Again in case of Mayo clinic website the average word count is of 10-12 words. This ensures
that the data that are provided are highly precise and targeted for the audience who are not highly knowledgeable
regarding the disease.
The style of Mayo clinic website is not very much formal as the language that is used in the website is done
in a manner that ensures that people who are not very highly experienced gets to understand the concern. Whereas
in case of US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health website the data that are provided are not
presented in a formal manner. Despite the fact that the data are highly formal but the representation of the data is
informal in nature.
In the Mayo clinic website has advertisements regarding chemotherapy. This indicates that the people
visiting the website would be wanting to know about different diseases and will be more into understanding the
symptoms of the disease. Whereas in case of the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health
website, no such advertise are provided whereas many recommendations for new journal are provided.
There are not many diagrams in the website of NLMC, rather there are many numerical. Similarly, Mayo
Clinic does not have any diagram in the website and hence wise performing proper description with the help of the
diagrams is also missing in both the cases.
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Bibliography
Bipolar disorder - Symptoms and causes. (2019). Retrieved 17 August 2019, from
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355955
Medical comorbidity in bipolar disorder. (2019). NCBI. [online] Available at:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2913710/
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