Research on distinguishing real and implied readers raises the question o f
whether writers are aware of this distinction. The terms real and implied are
defined, and their emergence as issues for debate is detailed. The study is then
described and hypotheses for investigation are posed: Are professional writers
aware of real and implied readers; does a writer's way of perceiving a reader
affect contextual development; do shifts occur in writers' conceptions of
reader; are writers' perceptions of readers linked to a sense of genre and
explained by principles of cognitive processing? Suggestions for further
research are provided.
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