QRGs:The Genre

To discuss the controversy of Chris Froome, and doping in cycling in general, I will be using the style of a QRG, or a Quick Reference Guide. This blog post is purposed to discuss, based on other examples of QRGs, how exactly to construct a QRG, and what key elements are used for what purposes when writing in the QRG style.

GDJ. "Woman Reading Silhouette."
06/27/15 via Clipart.
Public Domain Dedication License

1. The conventions of the QRG are fairly loose. There are not a lot of content guidelines that QRGs follow, in terms of topic, and there are writings the the QRG style in a huge range of topics. However, many similar things are included in most QRG pieces. QRGs tend to have many short paragraphs, large variety of sources, from multiple different genres and academic levels, lots of hyperlinking, various images, and finally subheadings.

2. The QRG uses very specific formatting to communicate information. The headings are, for the most part, in question form and are bolded. The questions posed by headers are answered by short, unindented paragraphs, which sometimes include hyperlinks, quotes, or images.

3. The purpose of the QRG seems to be a broad view of a specific topic, controversy, or interest. They are almost guides of sorts, that address questions and issues using a huge variety of sources and material to communicate information, making them a good way to get a broad picture of a certain idea.

4. Because of the variety of sources used by QRGs, typically QRGs are intended for a broad audience. They include social media sources for those more up to date, as well as scholarly sources for those who are looking deeper at issues. Obviously QRGs have a specific audience in mind, such as the guide intended for gamers, but their extensive information makes them a great source for any interested reader.

5. QRGs can use imagery in many ways. They can use images to break down directly, show photos of data that they then use in their writing, or they can simply include photos that are never directly mentioned, but are meant to convey certain messages. Images in QRGs in general make for more persuasive and powerful works, and are key to a solid QRG.



After reading Jovanka, Grace, and Chris' posts, I realized first off that all of us said similar things, so we all have a fairly good idea of what a QRG is. Second, I found ways to make my descriptions shorter, but still informative. I need to be able to answer questions more concisely in the future. Finally, from Grace's post I saw areas where I could answer questions more directly and clearly, so that they line up with the rest of my information on QRGs better.