The researcher studying the effects of carbon and nitrogen on plant roots might compose a paper for a scientific journal; the audience for this piece would be other researchers interested in plant ecology. In this paper, the researcher could focus on the data and results, emphasizing how varying levels of carbon and nitrogen differently influence plant root length and structure. Because of her audience (other ecologists) and purpose (communicating her results), the researcher doesn’t need to explain the significance of her findings in the same way she would if, for example, she was explaining her results to the public.