Will Gomez is currently working on a research report on new technologies to support the treatment of diabetes in a technical writing class. He is especially interested in the subject because he plans to major in biomedical engineering. He has located the name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address of Dr. Michael Wigglesworth, the director of a major diabetes clinic in a state distant from his own in a World Wide Web search for information. He decided that the fastest way for him to send his inquiry and the easiest for his reader to respond to would be to send an e-mail message.

Overview Questions

1. Is Will's purpose clear, his statement concise, and his tone courteous?

2. Has Will written to the right person? Could somebody on Dr. Wigglesworth's staff as easily answer the e-mail?

3. Has Will selected the most appropriate medium for his inquiry? What would be the advantages or disadvantages of a letter? A telephone inquiry?

4. Is Will's letter too long for an e-mail inquiry? Should it be shorter? If so, what do you suggest editing?

5. Is Will's design the best for an e-mail? It will certainly take more than one screen.) Would his design be better suited to a traditional letter format?

6. What choices does Will's e-mail inquiry leave for the reader? How would these choices differ for a letter?

7. What are the areas for improvement in Will's e-mail inquiry? What are its strengths?

Annotation Questions

1. Introduction. Does the e-mail effectively introduce its purpose and subject in the first paragraph and subject line?

2. Body paragraphs. Are the middle paragraphs (particularly the list of questions) easy to follow?

3. Information request. Is Will's request clear? Does he explain when and how he needs information as well as the kind he needs?

4. Alternate communication methods. Could Will provide other ways for Dr. Wigglesworth to reach him?

5. Closing. Is the closing too conventional? Does it reflect Will's appreciation?