Customizing Reports for the Audience with Deven Wisner

When should we follow APA format? When should we not? Earlier this year I sat down with my good friend Deven Wisner about customizing reports for the audience.

Watch Our Conversation 

During this six-minute conversation, we talked about Deven’s current work (he’s a managing partner, professor and student himself!) as well as the advice he gives to his own students.  

His Current Data Work 

Deven is a managing partner at Viable Insights in Tucson, Arizona. “I primarily work with organizations to increase their capacity for using data, but really, more importantly,  get them excited about using data,” he says.  

Teaching & Completing a Doctoral Program  

I asked Deven what his advice would be for students who have to do different styles of writing in reports.  

He said that a lot of what he shares is understanding the context of what they’re writing and what is most appropriate for their audience.  

Tailoring Your Writing Style to Your Audience

Deven said that when you think about APA or academic journal writing, you need to understand that it has a distinct value. Understanding why you need to use AP style, for example, helps you to understand when that isn’t the right format.  

He said that by building that understanding, it allows you to toggle in and out of that more strict, less conversational way of talking about data and findings.  

Connect with Deven Wisner 

Connect with Deven Wisner:

• Website: ViableInsights.com 
• Twitter: @DevenWisner or @ViableInsights 
• Instagram: @DevenWisner