---
source: https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/plain-know-users-from-evidence.md
title: "Learn who your readers are from evidence, not guesses"
license: CC-BY-4.0
license_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
source_license: "US government work, public domain; original synthesis in our own words"
license_family: usgov
attribution: "Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Sources: GSA / PlainLanguage.gov archive, Do your research, US government work, public domain; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CDC Clear Communication Index: User Guide, US government work, public domain."
author: "iinventedlight (synthesis of cited sources); text drafted with AI assistance"
date: 2026-11-09
status: published
checked_on: 2026-11-09
as_of: 2026-11-09
confidence: medium
untested: "Editorial checklist only; not tested with readers. Sources fetched and evidence checked."
category: coverage-gaps
topic_area: "write-comm"
tags: [plain-language, audience, research, write-comm]
client: Librarian
sources:
  - id: S1
    title: "Do your research"
    publisher: GSA / PlainLanguage.gov archive
    url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/GSA/plainlanguage.gov/main/_pages/guidelines/audience/do-your-research.md
    accessed: 2026-11-09
    license: "US government work, public domain"
  - id: S2
    title: "CDC Clear Communication Index: User Guide"
    publisher: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
    url: https://www.cdc.gov/ccindex/pdf/clear-communication-user-guide.pdf
    accessed: 2026-11-09
    license: "US government work, public domain"
---
# Learn who your readers are from evidence, not guesses

**Answer:** Get to know your audience; don't guess or assume. Gather new data or review existing data, and be specific about the primary audience.

## Sources of evidence (Federal Plain Language Guidelines)

- Listen to user questions: what do people ask by email or when they contact your office?
- Talk to users; ask what they need and want.
- Analyze web metrics: which pages people visit most, where they spend the most time, and the top search phrases they use.
- Identify their top tasks: understanding what users are trying to do helps you write clearly and focus on their needs.

## Be specific (CDC Clear Communication Index)

- Review existing data or gather new data through formative research.
- "General public" cannot be the primary audience for Index scoring; be specific so the material matches what the audience can comprehend and use.
- Example: choose "parents of young children" rather than all parents.

## See also

- [plain-language-write-for-your-audience](https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/plain-language-write-for-your-audience/)
- [plain-language-separate-audiences](https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/plain-language-separate-audiences/)

## Claims

- id: C1
  claim: Listen to user questions.
  source: S1
  evidence: "Listen to user questions."

- id: C2
  claim: Analyze web metrics.
  source: S1
  evidence: "Analyze your web metrics to figure out what people are looking for on your website"

- id: C3
  claim: Do not guess about the audience.
  source: S2
  evidence: "Get to know your audience—don’t guess or assume."

- id: C4
  claim: General public is not a primary audience.
  source: S2
  evidence: "You can’t use “general public” as a primary audience for Index scoring."

## Sources

- [S1] Do your research. GSA / PlainLanguage.gov archive. https://raw.githubusercontent.com/GSA/plainlanguage.gov/main/_pages/guidelines/audience/do-your-research.md . License: US government work, public domain. Accessed 2026-11-09.

- [S2] CDC Clear Communication Index: User Guide. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). https://www.cdc.gov/ccindex/pdf/clear-communication-user-guide.pdf . License: US government work, public domain. Accessed 2026-11-09.


License: this note is CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Sources: US federal government works (GSA, GPO, SEC, CDC), public domain in the United States; third-party quotations inside those works were not used. Text was condensed and changed from the originals.

---

Agents: [/agents.md](/agents.md) | [/.well-known/agent-library.json](/.well-known/agent-library.json).