Because people are people, we like to know things. We like to know what's going on in the world around us, what people are up to, and then we obviously proceed to tell everyone we know just how well informed we are by passing on the information. It's a blessing and a curse to know what's going on around us at all times. Don't get me wrong, one of the main goals of this life is to be a well-informed person so that we can actually form a legitimate opinion. The world simply has become a place in which being informed is a crucial part of our existence. And what is one thing we can use to get just enough information about a subject to seem intelligent to those around us? A little thing called a quick reference guide.
What is it for?
Essentially, a quick reference guide informs people about a certain subject or event. We want to know things, and people are writing pieces of literature so that we can learn about them. It's a simple concept, really. We want to know about something more in depth, so we find a written piece that has been edited so that we can feel as though what we are reading is respectable and accurate. (People make mistakes, so obviously there are few things that can be COMPLETELY accurate, but we try.)
Where can I find it?
Most quick reference guides can be found on a news website. There are writers who create their pieces specifically to be posted to a news website after being edited. In a world of rapidly advancing technology, it is necessary to make pieces of information quickly available on the internet. What more reliable place can you think to find information about an event than a website run by a news company such as: the New York Times?
Who is it for?
US! And by "us", I mean the technologically advanced people of the world. Would my grandma like to know about things going on around her? Of course! But she will just watch the evening news. I wouldn't expect someone who doesn't fully understand technology to want to look up articles online. Sometimes a quick reference guide can be directed at a more specific audience, especially when it is a topic that few types or groups of people would be interested in. No one can be expected to enjoy every piece of media out there, but there is always someone it is geared toward.
"You keep saying that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." So what makes it....it?
The things I have found that make a quick reference guide actually a quick reference guide are relatively distinct. The layout generally looks like a news article. (It's an article relating to something in the news.....duh.) There have been questions leading the reader through the article the way the writer wants them to be led. They have been edited and published on a reputable site so that we know we are reading something legitimate. The information is relatively concise and to the point so that we're not reading a 10 page paper about something we only wanted to know the gist of.
In a nutshell:
A quick reference guide, in my opinion, is a brief, online, news article. It details an individual thing or event, and breaks it down into pieces with headers in order to lead the reader through a description of what they want to learn about. It lets people know what's going on around us, while keeping the reading "quick". We can learn about something particular, both as an object and something going on around us in the world, but not be overwhelmed by too much information. It's reliable and informative, but not explosively so.
**Reflection
After reading Tiana and Kelly's posts, I realized that I have a lot of work to do while researching. I honestly feel like I learned more about precisely what a quick reference guide is than I learned from all of my research. It was EXTREMELY helpful to be able to read exactly what my other classmates are writing about. I am excited to use this format for assignments for the rest of the semester. At least now I know I need to work on my researching skills as well as my time management skills.
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