1.9 Investigating Genres

Investigating Genres: Quick Reference Guide

What purpose does the QRF serve? 

      

    QRF is a relatively new genre of writing that was most likely created to accommodate the modern person's eight second attention span*. A single QRF article condenses a lot of information into shorter segments with relevant headlines, allowing readers to skim the text until they notice information that seems useful or interesting. Plus, breaking up long blocks of texts into mini-articles helps keep the readers attention, even if they read the entire article. I can't be the only person who sees a long-ass article (or, God forbid, a book) and decides against reading past the first paragraph because it feels like too much commitment. The QRF gives makes readers feel like they're choosing the specific information that they absorb and using god-like authority to bypass less desirable inputs. It's basically the Tinder of information. 

Where, how, or in what context do we usually QRFs? 

      Quick Reference Guides are most often found on internet news sites or blogs. All QRFs are found in written media, as opposed to audio or video format. Some books have utilized this format, as well. For example, Women, War, Peace by Elisabeth Rehn & Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, breaks down complex global women's issues into more digestible sub-topics like "Bringing a Gender Perspective into Peace Operations" as well as proposing changes to current UN policies. This volume was published in 2002 when most of this class was in kindergarten and when most people still got their news in paper form. 

"Quotes from the article are often copied into irrelevantly    placed fancy colored boxes to express their importance and keep the reader interested by something new and shiny, even if  it makes no sense out of context."

Typical QRF Audience

     This is a really difficult question to answer because it really depends on the content of the QRF. Quick Reference Guides written for BBC or the New York Times address an audience of informed readers who care about what's happening in the world. Because of their various online formats, including the apps and websites, they can reach any interested person who knows how to use a computer, regardless of age. 

Key QRF Features & Characteristics 

     QRFs typically include a lot of subheadings within the work. Also, quotes from the article are often placed in irrelevantly placed fancy colored boxes to express their importance and keep the reader interested by something new and shiny, even if it makes no sense out of context. Infographics are also often used to condense information into the most digestible and concise form possible. 

QRF Definition 

    A QRF is a conveniently formatted informative piece of writing that gives the reader autonomy over what information they take in by allowing them to skim headlines. They're convenient for everyone from college students with goldfish attention spans and busy executives on the go. 

Were you aware that you were reading a QRF this entire time? 

Это не имеет значения, крестьянина. Это мой дом, сука.


Reflection: 
I really liked how straightforward Grant and Nicholas' posts were. Grant also wrote about QRFs and, in the true spirit of this genre, kept all of his information concise. They both also made interesting points about the audience, specifically how these pieces seem to be created for an audience that knows little, if any, background information on the subject or is more active than traditional news consumers.