Sunday, February 28, 2016

Report on My Interviews


1. Three specific genres I found the most interesting as proposed by my interviewees.

Dr. Bailey talked mostly about her works in research papers, study designs, and proposals. To me the most interesting sounded like the study designs. Dr. Thiel told me a lot about they day-to-day communication you have to do as a doctor, as far as documenting everything about the patient's condition and the minutes of the visit. This genre might sound like busy work to some, but I found it really interesting because of the attention to detail and organization skills required for it. We also talked a little about professional and long term publications, like his case study, that could take anywhere from a couple of months to a year to complete. I thought this sounded interesting because of the sheer amount of time devoted to each.

2. How each of these genres differ from each other.

The genres that Dr. Bailey works on are all similar in that they are long term projects; some of these projects can take up to four years to complete. The differences between them is that the chronology of their release. First comes a proposal, which dictates the initial reason for the topic to be researched and how it came into question. The study design is the document that puts into words what the experiment will be and how it will be run. Finally, the research paper takes not only the original research from the experiment, but also incorporates outside information into one factual document. Dr. Thiel's genres are very different because they differ by the duration of time they last, and the length of time it takes to complete them. They are very much opposites from each other, because the daily documentation should really be finished the same day as the visit, whereas the case study should not even be finished within the same month if it is striving to be professionally recognized.

3. The challenges of writing in these genres.

I would say the biggest challenge with the daily documentation is staying organized and clear in your note taking. It is important that you can read your notes, but it is infinitely more important that the nurse practitioners and general medicine doctors can interpret your notes correctly, as well. As far as the case studies, research papers, study designs, and proposals go, the biggest challenge, at least I can see for myself, would be remaining enthusiastic and not getting burned out after studying the same thing for that long. I am not sure if this is something doctors/authors would go through, and they would know much more than I, but I could foresee that being an issue.

4. The rewards/exciting aspects of writing in these genres.

I would say that the biggest reward for all of these long term genres would be being able to look at your work once it is finished. They are huge tasks and will definitely be something you look back on your whole life. For daily documentation, this would be a continuing reward, since you would be monitoring your patient as their health improves, and you can physically see what you have fixed. For case studies, this would be the ability to look back on your finished compilation of work as a collection of many months of work.

5. Where, in mass media, these genres can be found.

Since these genres are pretty specific to medicine, it is unlikely they will be found in, say, the Washington Post, or another publication form popular to the general public (although Dr. Bailey said she would like to write for news articles one day if possible). However, all doctors offices, pharmacies, laboratories, hospitals and the like use medical documentation, prescriptions, and observe case studies.

From Academia to Social Media


1. Name of the author from the academic journal I selected and the social media networks I found them on.

I chose Robert S. Miller, MD. I found him on Twitter.

2. Description of their social media presence.

Dr. Miller, although I don't know too much of his professional presence, seems much more personal on Twitter. He uses Twitter lingo like "RT" for the action retweet, and shares comics and other funny and sarcastic pictures.

3. Differences in this authors social media presence and professional presence.

From what I have read from Dr. Miller, his publications in JAMA are very precise in their verbage and tone. One article he wrote was in the genre subset form of study design, which followed a strictly formal tone. This persona was absolutely the most polar opposite from how he conveys himself on twitter as an extroverted (grammatically incorrect at times) character.

Academic Discourse & Genre

                                       

1. Number of different kinds of genres most often published in the latest issue of my journal.

Overall, there seem to be really only two - or three if you want to be really specific - types of genres in this journal.

2. Specific identification of each genre and three examples.

Since JAMA is predominantly a magazine, one could argue that there are really only articles published as the main genre. Classifying that down, this genre could be categorized into three genre subsets: general informational articles ('Cruise Ship Illness Declines', 'Asthma Attacks', 'Researchers Find 3 More Glaucoma-Related Genes'), study designs ('Assessment of Clinical Criteria for Sepsis', 'Epidemiology, Patterns of Care, and Morality for Patients With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome', 'The Third International Consensus for Sepsis and Septic Shock') and articles devoted to comment and response (School Based Myopia Prevention Effort, Differences in Institutional Support by Sex, New Sepsis Diagnostic Guidelines Shift Focus to Organ Dysfunction).

3. Definition and purpose of each genre, and their relation to the target audience.

General informational articles are really just a news coverage story. They are a report on the past that tie up every piece of information in their conclusion and did not require research to be put in my the author. Study designs propose theories based on the individual and unique work of the authors. This genre shows the most innovative material because of the research involved. The comment and response articles involve both the author and the audience and are a continuous section from issue to issue.

Rhetorical Analysis of Academic Journal



1. The authors published in this specific edition of the journal, and a little bit about them and how they are portrayed.

There are so many different authors in each issue of JAMA; i.e. over 100. The general consensus of what I have gathered about each author is that they all have titles, and all of them have MA (Master of Arts) and MD (Medical Doctor), and most of them have a PhD. Each author that is published is given a small section that tells a little bit of their biography (where they went to school, what kind of doctor they are, what the article will be about), thus JAMA portrays each of its authors with high regard.

2. The intended audience.

The intended audience of JAMA is large enough that it spans from advice to doctors and researchers down to its patients. Each issue, from what I have observed, contains a 'JAMA Patient Page' that is essentially a collection of facts on a condition or illness.

3. The context of this journal issue and its effect on the content of the journal.

JAMA is a medical journal that dates back to 1883. It has been in print since that date, and has also included an online edition since 1997. The journal is structured very similar to a mass media magazine in its differing article types, although contains many less advertisements. It is very likely that JAMA interacts with other popular medical journals and is in competition for readers. If I were to make an assertion about the context of this journal, I would say that the popularity of JAMA, and its deep roots in history could lead it to be politically correct to maintain its standing.

4. Overall message of this issue.

This issue, in particular, of JAMA focuses on the changing conditions of critical care in the emergency room in relation to sepsis (when bacteria infects the blood stream).

5. Purpose of this issue.

The purpose of this issue is to provide information on the overall message above, as well as include smaller articles to round out the focus of the issue in order to draw in a larger audience.

My Discipline


1. What students in my program learn to do.

The most common courses for students in my major require basic knowledge of sciences like chemistry, biology, anatomy, and physiology. We learn all about the body and how it works, as well as its relation to its surroundings from a scientific point of view.

2. What people who get degrees in my field usually move on to do.

The most common path for students declared as Physiology (Pre-Physiology) majors is to move on to medical school to become a doctor of any specialization.

3. Three of the most exciting people currently involved in my field.

Eric Topol is a cardiologist who started a new medical school and let to key heart discoveries in recent years. Atul Gawande is very famous for his research and surgery but is also a renown writer in the field. I thought this characteristic of him would be very relevant to this project. KevinMD is actually famous for his massive fanbase of twitter followers and constant newsfeed he puts out, both for the general public and for other doctors.

4. Three leading scholarly journals in my field.

There are so many different types of medical journals for each specialty, so I will include the generalizations of medical journals, as a whole. All three are published online and in print and subscribers are from all around the world. The largest contributors of subscribers are doctors who get the subscriptions inherently through their work.

My Interviewees on Social Media


1. Which social networks the interviewees were found on.

I was not able to find Dr. Bailey on any social media websites. I was able to find Dr. Thiel on his personal Facebook, and indirectly on his practice's Twitter page.

2. Description of each interviewee's social media presence.

The fact that I could not find Dr. Bailey on any social networking site tells me that she wants to remain strictly professional, and, if she does have any social media accounts they are personal and want to remain hidden from the public eye. I found Dr. Thiel's personal Facebook page, although most characteristics of his Facebook appear to be on the private setting. From the pictures he has made public, his Faceboook appears to be created for his family and friends, and not his professional self. I also found the twitter page of the practice that Dr. Thiel works for, and although it is not his personal twitter account, it is related to him via his place of employment. The twitter page appears to be for professional purposes only.

3. How the interviewees' presence differs from professional publications to social media persona.

Both of the doctors I am interviewing have very restricted extensions of themselves on social media. I would assert that they are aware of the implications social networks can have on one's career. From the information I have, I can say that, obviously, Dr. Thiel is a real person who lives a real life outside of being a surgeon. His Facebook shows pictures of him and his family (assumedly).

My Interviewees As Professional Writers


1. A summary of the kinds of professional publications they've authored.

Dr. Bailey has a plethora of publications under her name. Her main focus is around research, different hypotheses, assertions, and treatment types. Since Dr. Thiel works more in the field and less in the lab his main publications are daily documentation of and about his patients

2.  Two publications by each interviewee: Genre compare and contrast.

I found this study design and this abstract from Dr. Bailey. The principal difference between these two genres is the extent to which they go to. The abstract is a condensed summary and conclusion of the study design that gives the main points and facts in a paragraph. The study design is the format of science projects; there is an introduction, a procedure, a section for observations, the data, and the conclusion. The piece Dr. Thiel authored was a case study about wrist capsulitis. According to Thiel, this was the only piece that would have been publicly published.

3. Context of each piece.

The study design was published on January 14, 2015. This piece is about nicotine exposure to newborn rats, and what, specifically, the effects are. This study is very relevant to Dr. Bailey's situation seeing as she specializes in pulmonary studies. Although the rates of smoking have been steadily declining, this piece relates to how this problem can be addressed for babies who were exposed to nicotine via one of the parents. The abstract from Dr. Bailey was published September 15 of 2015. The abstract is in relation to certain pressure conditions the lungs can be placed under to lower blood pressure in adults. Again, this article relates directly to pulmonology and airway passages in the body, Dr. Bailey's specialty. This is very relevant today because of the increase in diagnoses of diabetes lately, and thus the greater importance on maintaining low blood pressure.

Thiel's case study was published in April of 1988. The case study is on the rare occurrence of wrist capsulitis, a condition most commonly found in shoulders where the joint lining. Seeing as Dr. Thiel is an orthopedic surgeon whose specialty is hands, this was a very relevant case to his work. The study was conducted because it is infrequently found but needed to be documented, so it is a little anachronistic in really not having a specific time period where it is or is not relevant. 

4. Overall message of each piece.

The overall message in Dr. Bailey's study design was that there is increased shortness of breath in the newborn rats exposed to nicotine than the control group of newborn rats exposed to saline solution. The message of her abstract is that regular training of respiratory muscles (breathing exercises) can contribute to lower blood pressure.

The overall message in Dr. Thiel's wrist capsulitis case study was simply that wrist capsulitis can be a debilitating condition and that arthrograpahy can help to identify and cure it.

5. Purpose of each piece.

Each of the pieces obviously have an intention to inform the audience. Dr. Bailey's study design goes a little bit further and also attempts to prove her results to her audience. Her abstract exists mainly to inform the reader about her findings about breathing exercises, and also subtly encourages the audience with the positive connotation of the study.

The purpose of Dr. Thiel's case study is just to document the reasons, symptoms, identifying agents, and treatments of adhesive capsulitis of the wrist.

My Interview Subjects


1. The names of the people you have scheduled to interview for Project 2.

I will be interviewing Dr. Fiona E. Bailey and Dr. Arthur E. Thiel, MD.

2. The names of their organizations and their job titles.

Dr. Bailey is an associate professor of physiology here at the University of Arizona, an adjunct assistant research professor of speech and hearing science, and an assistant professor at the Evelyn F McKnight Brain Institute. Dr. Thiel is an orthopedic surgeon at Benton Franklin Orthopedic Associates.

3. Any higher education degree and the institution that issued that degree.

Dr. Thiel received his title for Doctor of Medicine from Loma Linda University School of Medicine.

4. How many years each professional has worked in the field.

Dr. Bailey has been conducting research at the University of Arizona since 2009. Dr. Thiel has been a certified orthopedic surgeon since 1979.

5. Pictures of the Interviewees.

This is the link for Dr. Bailey's lab, specifically.


6. The time, date, and location of your scheduled interviews.

My interview with Dr. Bailey will take place on Tuesday, March 1st at 4:00 pm in her office. My interview with Dr. Thiel will take place over the phone this Sunday, the 28th, in the afternoon.

7. Interview Questions

  • How would you describe your position or what your work is?
  • How did you get into this profession?
    • Which major?
    • What life experiences influenced that choice?
  • What is the most popular publication in your field/ for you?
  • What is the most difficult genre for you to work in?
  • Which genre do you most enjoy writing in?
  • What is the most popular audience you write for/ your field writes for?
  • In what ways does your daily communication differ from your long-term communication?
    • How often do you take on long term writing projects?
  • Do you have a publication you are most proud of? Which one?
  • How did your college education prepare you for writing in your field? Do you have any advice for me to prepare better in that area?
  • Do you have a preferred medical journal or other publication? Which one, and why?



Sunday, February 21, 2016

Brutally Honest Self-Assessment


1. Raw overall opinion of my project.

I'm still a little nervous about the feedback I got on my conventions from my peers and what I saw when I looked at the examples. I saw some QRG's had bolded words, and different colored words, and different sized fonts, but many of my peers remarked that my QRG was hard to read under these conditions. As always, I just wish I had more time to do this project. I honestly don't know how much I would really change because I was pretty pleased with what I turned in but I would have liked another round of peer editing. This isn't me asking for more peer editing, though; this is me telling myself to have a more finalized rough draft the next time around.

2. Weaknesses.

I am afraid I have gotten to the point with my project that I have read it so many times that I have now become blind to it. So, I really hope I am getting across the points I would like to make. I think that the biggest fault in my project would be its content to length ratio. I tried to cut down my project as much as I could while still including important information, but I feel like some of the things the rubric required may have taken away from that. So really, I am afraid that my quick reference guide has evolved into a lengthy reference guide.

3. Strengths

I am really comfortable with my tone of voice in this project. I think that I did a good job being fun and playful at the beginning and end while staying professional when reporting on imperative content. My very first rough draft was a little harsh and biting and I really went back through and analyzed what would be appropriate for this genre, and I think thats why I'm really proud of how I think I will portray myself to my reader.

4. Time Management

Well this will be incriminating. Yes, my time management skills for the creation of the first draft of project 1 were under par. I was not nearly prepared for how to handle the amount of blog posts that were required. It was during this beginning time period that I was still learning how to approximate and allot my time for each blog post. As the weeks of project 1 continued on, I have really become better at managing my time and being better at working and staying on task during that designated time. There is still absolutely lots of room to improve, and especially in an area like this. Now, as far as effort goes, I really did put my top quality effort into this. I don't mean to pat myself on the back; I just remember on the first day of class, one of the guidelines was to create projects that you're proud of. This project may have been a lot of trial and error and a definite learning curve but, in the end, I am proud to show the quick reference guide I have created on my controversy.

Local Revision: Variety


1. How much variation in sentence structures is there in your current draft? Are there any repetitive or redundant patterns?

I have noticed that I have a tendency to use three words in a list form joined with an 'and' to describe things. I would not just describe CVS's decision by saying that it shocked the public, I would say "it was making headlines, and front pages, and emergency segments everywhere". And in describing the stakeholder of the smokers, I used the senses of sight, smell, and sound. The other type of sentence structure I employed multiple times was a sort of structure where I introduce s topic in the first half of the sentence and then follow it with a comma, the words "but actually/rather/also" and then either an addition or contrary belief to the topic from the first half of the sentence. Now, I have only used this form twice in this QRG, because I can see how it may get confusing or tedious to read that type of sentence structure over and over again. I would assert that any redundancy in my quick reference guide would be derived from this latter sentence structure, but I don't think I went overboard on its use.

2. What about paragraph structures and transitions?

My paragraphs are all very short and range from 1-4 sentences. So, I don't engineer specific transitional phrases between these passages. My three main sections of my QRG do employ a sort of transitional phrasing, though they are not traditional. I believe that a traditional transitional phrase would incorporate both the topics of the previous paragraph and the topics of the subsequent paragraph and how they tie in together. The movement of my essay is really centered around the timing of the event since the subject matter is all very fluid. So since this is a QRG, my sub-headers really act as the dividing line between sections when a traditional transitional phrase would be used.

3. What about vocabulary? What are the main strengths and weaknesses of the draft's approach to vocabulary?

I am confident in my vocabulary choices, except for when it comes to referencing CVS directly. I believe the rest of my paper uses a nice variety of terms for the narrow scope of topics I am talking about. But for CVS, besides explicitly stating the name, there are limited options to identify it by except for terms like pharmacy, business, or company. Realistically, yes, there are many other things to call CVS, but that name has to be cohesive and flow well with the rest of the paper. For example, I'm not going to call it the 'CVS association' because I don't feel like that really captures the professionalism; this name sounds too loose. Nor would I reference CVS as a 'firm' because that has a common connotation of the workplace of a stock broker or lawyer. 'CVS enterprise'? Now, that just sounds like I'm geeking out about Star Trek.


Local Revision: Pronoun Usage


1. How effective is your pronoun usage? What does it tell you about your writing style?

I actually found my pronoun usage to be very minimal, and I would say that really doesn't leave a lot of room for ambiguity or vagueness, which is essential for a QRG. The only consistent repetition in pronouns would be for the pronoun 'it', which was always used in the same sentence as its original subject. There were other instances throughout my paper where I employed the use of 'it' but simply as the beginning of a sentence, and not as a pronoun. I am overall actually pleased with my pronoun use, and thus the clarity of my paper.

2. Do you ever refer directly to the audience? Is this effective (and how)?

I do refer directly to my reader several times at the beginning of my quick reference guide and also again at the end. I did this because I think it breaks down the barrier of strict third person formality, especially is the setting of a QRG. Also, my controversy is very relevant to almost everyone since CVS Pharmacies are all over the nation, which makes the story able to be relatable, and thus I thought it appropriate to tap into that aspect.

My Pronouns


It (the time)

You (reader)
You (reader)
We (the United States)
Its (CVS’s)
It (company’s official statement)
It (an event)
It (the purpose of CVS’s decision)
It (CVS’s decision)
Them (tobacco companies)
It (a consequence)
It (this specific situation)
They (smokers)
Its (CVS’s)

Local Revision: Passive and Active Voice



Passive
Active (Specific)
Active (General)
  • ·       Was announced
  • ·      Were hit
  • ·      Occur
  • ·      Forced
  • ·      Is affected

  • ·      Roaming
  • ·      Evoke
  • ·      Introduce
  • ·      Implores
  • ·      Surfaces
  • ·      Asserts
  • ·      Conjure
  • ·      Declared
  • ·      Dwindle
  • ·      Cripple
  • ·      Endorsing

  • ·      Ceased
  • ·      Are (8)
  • ·      Is (18)
  • ·      Walk 
  • ·      Find
  • ·      Attempting
  • ·      Was (7)
  • ·      Passing
  • ·      Marks
  • ·      Announced
  • ·      Remove
  • ·      Made
  • ·      Was making
  • ·      Decided
  • ·      Stopped
  • ·      Selling (2)
  • ·      Gained
  • ·      Have employed
  • ·      Were (2)
  • ·      Remain 
  • ·      Placed 
  • ·      Has been aware
  • ·      Following (2)
  • ·      Stay 
  • ·      Points 
  • ·      Has been declining
  • ·      Fall 
  • ·      Played 
  • ·      Taken 
  • ·      Recognize 
  • ·      Understand 
  • ·      Placed 
  • ·      Has been 
  • ·      Incurred 
  • ·      Have (4)
  • ·      Put 
  • ·      Has existed
  • ·      Will rally 
  • ·      Portrayed 
  • ·      Is geared 
  • ·      Fixing
  • ·      Puts 
  • ·      Solidified
  • ·      Remain 
  • ·      Influence 
  • ·      Has witnessed 
  • ·      Observed 
  • ·      Take 
  • ·      Happened 
  • ·      Opened 
  • ·      Standing 
  • ·      Purchase 
  • ·      Relocate 
  • ·      Carries 
  • ·      Pare 
  • ·      Stops 


1. Analyze your verb usage in regards to passive voice and generic active voice.

Yes, I do use instances of passive voice and a large majority of general active voice. My reasoning for using the passive voice is because each instance of its use is because I am trying to order my sentence in a way that will be cohesive with the rest of my paragraph. For example, it flows well to juxtapose the same subject at the end of one sentence and the beginning of another. In some cases, I used a passive verb so that the reader wouldn't be lost on who the sentence was about (considering the fact that the story frequently jumps from stakeholder to stakeholder. As far as general active verbs go, I will go back and edit my draft for more descriptive words, but there are many instances when the general active verb is not only sufficient, but necessary. For example, the excerpt "Larry J. Merlo...made the company's statement" flows better and provides a more succinct and clear description than "Larry J. Merlo...enunciated the company's statement" in my opinion.

2. How could your verbs be improved?

In relation to my last example, I am not saying there is no middle ground for finding verbs that at least provide a little more description that my initial choices. I will improve the verbs that I currently have that have the potential of expressing the 'how' of the action. I will look for synonyms for my is/are/was/were verbs as well, because even if these verbs are relatively generic, I have repeated them a lot.