 You know, I'd really like to learn more about Ebola and how much of a threat it really poses to society. I know some doctors have written some very scholarly articles on the topic, but I tried reading one I got lost in all the medical terms But I don't think that what I hear on the news gives the full story. I'd really like to learn more I know what you mean about those articles written by experts unless you speak their specialized language It is hard to read what they write for others in the same field But there may be a way around those articles to find the authoritative information you need Really? What do you mean? Well, think about it. If someone is an expert, she might want to share her knowledge in different ways for different audiences For different audiences? Right. So a doctor will communicate one way with other doctors, but in a different way when trying to get information to people who aren't doctors And if you can tap into that information, it will be easier to understand and still be accurate This sounds great. Information from someone who knows what she's talking about yet directed at the general public But where would I find that kind of information? Let's think this through If a doctor is communicating with other doctors, the doctor will want to be precise and will use medical terms and will assume that the audience understands That would happen in a scholarly journal article or a presentation at a conference of experts But to reach out to others, maybe that would happen in a blog post Sure, some experts have their own blogs. This sounds good What about in a magazine article? A magazine that anyone might read That would be another place But if the magazine article is written by a journalist about an expert's work, you'd have to be careful that the information wasn't watered down or misinterpreted So let me see if I understand this A blog post by an expert would be more reliable because it was written by the expert But something written by a journalist or anybody other than the expert might get things wrong? Exactly. This happens sometimes, so you'd need to be careful to check the accuracy of the information as best you can We've talked about scholarly articles, magazine articles, and blog posts What other formats of information should we consider? There are always books. And with these, consider who wrote the book and who it is written for Then think about what we've talked about already A book could be scholarly, written for others in the field, or it could be written for a broader readership The same could apply to videos Remember, information creation is a process, and the format that information takes isn't set in stone An expert doesn't only write scholarly articles and books Try to find the information you need presented in formats that meet your needs You know, I never thought of it like this So this means that when I create information, I should be thinking about my purpose for creating it And who it is meant for, and how that will affect what the information looks like And how I distribute it You've got it. When I post on my personal blog, I need to keep in mind that its purpose is to teach people Who are new to sewing the basics and tips and tricks that will enhance their sense of accomplishment The videos are teaching tools, and are slow-paced to encourage learning But in my job, I write about trends in the fashion industry for designers of clothing patterns That is a very different audience, and if I made a mistake and added a video of how to read directions on a pattern I would be sure to hear from my disgruntled readers