THE GENRE’S CONVENTIONS

Elements of the genre

Style

Design

Sources

Elements of the genre

Important information is given up front. The subject line and first paragraph summarize the project the e-mail relates to.

Writing is clear, precise, and directive. Thibault states clearly what she would like Moore to do. She also states the order in which she’d like Moore to complete the tasks. She doesn’t provide her opinions or say more than she needs to: She sticks to the information relevant to the tasks at hand.

Brief. This e-mail is only three paragraphs long but conveys enough instruction and information for Moore to take action. Thibault does not include irrelevant detail; she sticks to the point. Also, Thibault sends a list of author names as an attachment. Including them in the body of the e-mail might have made the message too long and difficult to skim.

Style

Detail. Thibault lists specific universities and organizations for Moore to focus on. She also indicates a specific due date for the research to be completed by.

Informal yet professional tone and voice. Although Thibault comes across as approachable (“let me know if you have questions”) and polite, she takes a very professional tone in the memo, explaining the tasks to be completed in an organized and methodical way. The firm deadline indicates that Thibault will take action based on the tasks Moore is being asked to perform.

Design

Clear headings. The headings indicate the memo’s sender and recipient, who is getting a copy (CC) of the memo, the date, and the subject of the memo

Lists. Thibault provides a numbered list of tasks to be completed and a bulleted list of resources for finding additional authors.

Sources

Thibault’s e-mail doesn’t require sources because Thibault herself is the source of the information. However, she does give credit to her colleague Sophia Snyder by naming her as a contributor to a similar project.