Textual genres and writing difficulties in specialized domains

Abstract

Writing is widely believed to be more difficult than reading comprehension. This difficulty is even greater for specialized texts; as a type of specialized communication, they must obey concrete norms, which can vary based on domain or textual genre. This article aims to identify the most frequently written genres and greatest writing challenges among different groups (specialists, students, and laypersons) in the specialized domains of medicine, tourism and the public administration and to identify the major writing difficulties they pose. A series of in-person interviews and online surveys were conducted. Quantitative and qualitative analysis shed light on the textual genres posing the greatest writing difficulties for the target groups and the causes thereof.