Project I Publication

P. S. Krøyer. "Hip, Hip Hurrah" 1888
Public Domain. 

Well here is the link to My Final QRG! Enjoy.

Evaluation of Rhetorical Situations

U.S Navy. "Medical Staff at Naval Medical Center" November 10, 2009
Public Domain

Below, I will be analyzing the rhetorical public speech situations of three article pertaining to my discipline's controversy- neurology.

Gene Map Becomes A Luxury Item

Author/Speaker:

The author, Amy Harmon, is a national correspondent for the Times, covering the impact of science and technology on American life. She has won two Pulitzer Prizes, one in 2008 for her series, “The DNA Age,” the other as part of a team for the series “How Race is Lived in America,” in 2001. She received a Guggenheim Fellowship in science writing in 2013. In the article, the writer is obviously biased as she finds that the wealthy's access to such medical technology unfair and goes on to allude that the social gap in the U.S is beyond repair.

Audience:

Harmon targets the lower classes of the American public, primarily the more educated of society; such as individuals in business or civil services. She is especially concerned with the middle class tier as she reports that the lack of access to gene mapping technology does a disservice to their way of life. Her rhetoric is formatted to inform the public of the medical "luxuries" the wealthy can gain access to and incited the general public to raise alarm to local government of the medical inequality within the nation.

Context: 

This article is in direct response or is generally influenced by recent Federal government actions made to give lower classes access to more expensive medical treatments- using U.S tax dollars to cover the bill. The writer is definitely referencing the Affordable Healthcare Act do to her obvious bias towards the super rich only having the resources to afford gene mapping research, playing with the idea that government should make such technology available to all citizens. 

Your Next Prescription Could Be a Genome Sequence

Author:  

The author, Meredith Salisbury, is a senior consultant for the life science communications firm Bioscribe. She has covered the genomics field as a journalist for more than a decade and is a co-founder/organizer of the Consumer Genetics Conference. She is a graduate from The University Notre Dame and Cornell University with a Bachelors in English, Political Science, and Journalism.

Audience:

 The article targets individuals well acquainted with genomes and other medical research issues. As well as doctors hoping to use the Human Genome Project's results for their practice or use in diagnostics. The article also hopes to sensationalize the idea that the gene mapping program will eventually become this one pill wonder for medicine, using its title to grab reader's attention.

Context:

The article attempts to persuade its audience in supporting the implementation of genome sequencing technologies in today's hospitals, and debunks any theories that such mapping could be detrimental to one's health. The author sensationalizes the technological strives made by genetic researchers comparing their work to science fiction. It also satirizes the idea of a debate on the issue through the tone of its title, and presentation of pro-sequencing data.

Every Patient a Subject

Author:

Hank Greely is the Deane F. and Kate Edelman Johnson Professor of Law, a professor by courtesy of genetics, and director of the Center for Law and the Biosciences at Stanford University. Co-author Jennifer Kulynych is Senior Counsel in the legal department of The Johns Hopkins Hospital and
Health System.  Jennifer advises the investigators, Institutional Review Board (IRB) committees, research policy makers, and research compliance staff located within the School of Medicine and in the multiple community hospitals and practice groups that are members of Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Audience: 

The intended audience of this article are individuals well acquainted with genomes and other medical research issues. As well as doctors hoping to use the Human Genome Project's results for their practice or use in diagnostics and the gene sequencing technologies for treatment of genetic diseases. The article attempts to have a unbiased position on the issue, presenting the pros and cons of research found using human subjects to map genomes. However they give longer paragraphs and quotes to supporters of the medical process, and notes its victory popularity wise.

Context:

The authors purpose the idea of extreme personalized medicine, where doctors prescribe medications and treatments based solely on the genetics of the subject. It also poses the question whether or not a patient's privacy would be violated if it physician knew every aspect, or could assume certain qualities of the patient's bodily qualities, of the patient's lifestyle. However, the article eventually spires to assume that a person's DNA should never be on file or at the doctor's disposal because it may influence insurance company's coverage policies on certain individuals- more prone to illness due to their genetics- causing coverage discrimination.

Reflection:
After reading the posts made by Isabel and Kyle, I saw that both authors used more credible sources such as the New York Times or the Huffington Post as resources for rhetorical analysis. Isabel's post was the most compelling of the two blogs I visited mostly due to her reference to dates and author credentials within the author/content sections of her post. Kyle used a formatting style to present his findings in a more readable fashion, using a table with brief blurbs of information to give the reader a general idea of the article contents. Overall, I believe that my post is well-developed and consistent with the structure needed to make a strong rhetorical analysis. Especially, when I focused more on the author and data credibility rather than the argument as a whole.

Developing A Research Question

There are dozens of controversies within the Neurology field. While most of these debates are put to rest by ground breaking research and case studies, the more intangible concepts of the medical practice are hotly debated by some of the most successful doctors in medicine.

Below, I listed a few questions that I will eventually explore throughout Project II.

I. What has the international and domestic medical institutions done to institute genome sequencing technology into hospital settings. 

• Related Questions: 

1. Does funding for gene mapping programs contribute to quality research and aid in lowering the costs of the technology for public access?
2. Should the technology be banned in hospital due to conflicts in religious ideals? Are doctors obligated to use such mapping for the betterment of the human condition?
3. Should more developed nations make such genome mapping available to less developed nations, along with other basic medical goods? 

I might enjoy researching this question mostly because of the politics behind funding these medical research programs; especially one as controversial as gene mapping. I want to find whether or not other countries, aside for the U.S, have made greater strides in unlocking the DNA code or if they have banned such research due to ethical obligations.

II. Does Gene Sequencing really help diagnostic physicians pinpoint genetic diseases or other debilitating illnesses?

1. Have doctors definitively used such mapping to cure or treat a debilitating illness before major symptoms surface?
2. What illnesses can doctors treat if a full map of a patient's genome sequence is created.
3. Are the costs of using such technology financially feasible for hospitals to use?

I might find it interesting researching these types of issues because the entire purpose of my previous project was to illustrate the two positions of the genome debate and allow my readers to come to their own conclusion of such technology in hospitals. In theory it may sound good or bad, but is it possible to begin with?

III. What is the future of the genome technology? Will its research be used for more pressing diseases such as cancer. Can the cancer gene be "found" if more funding is given to genome sequencing?

1. Cancer & Genome Sequencing
2. Cancer Whole-Genome Alterations: A Cure?

I think this will be the most interesting question within the research assignment because of the cancer aspect of it. Since the illness is such a killer among groups around the world, I would interested to see if there is evidence that supports gene sequencing as a preventative measure towards cancer. 

Clarity Part II

Downing, Jenny. "Clarity & Brightness" June 21, 2008
Public Domain

Below entails a few additional sentence information regarding the "Clarity" of the writing process. The four major points I found during the reading are listed including examples. 

Emphasis: 

Most ideas can be emphasized using subordination and coordination. Subordination should be avoided when creating major ideas. Coordination draws attention equally among two or more ideas- compared to subordination's unequal emphasis. Emphasis can be most effective when grouping more spread out ideas or sentences into one. By definition, a QRG has more or less brief points with minor ideas within each. However within my QRG the brief sentences merely cloud the desired idea. 

Ex. This breakthrough in the human DNA code has been declared a human triumph; yet, many perceive this science as the precursor to medical genocide. 

Shifts: 

By definition of a shift is when one changes the point of view of a sentence or paper either through verb tense or sentence structure. This usually occurs within my writing after I quote someone else- who happens to be speaking in a different tense- or when I write a form of narrative / creative essay. I don't have this issue within my QRG because it is a more informative essay.  

Appropriate Language:

The genre of a QRG is, in context, a more casual method to inform the reader of an issue while still providing amble amounts of evidence and data to keep the idea credible. Within my QRG, the topic is more formal due to the content of the issue being more scholarly than a casual argument. But, I also want to keep my audience engaged; therefore, more comprehensible vocabulary is employed to prevent confusion. 

Ex. The pro-gene mapping supports the use of gene sequencing for diagnostics, the anti-mapping groups oppose any use of gene sequencing in medical decisions, while the "limited" sequencing groups supports the technology and its future use in medicine but aims to limit its use only to extreme medical illnesses.
    

Added Needed Words:

This section gave me incite into the concept that small more concise words can have a big impact in the effectiveness of and essay or QRG. However omitting a word or sentences with an unclear message my cause a reader to lose the build up idea of the post or even discredit the piece as a whole. Issues in terms or omitting or overusing words usually occurs when I am writing a narrative because so much could be said that one my type faster than he thinks. 

Identifying Basic Grammar Patterns

La Parole, Ben. "Guernsey Grammar" April 14, 2009
Public Domain 

Below is a link to a Google Doc giving an example to one of my more longer paragraphs within my QRG. Using the commenting feature, I gave a grammar analysis of the paragraph as well as found the different parts of speech I used to express my controversy's issue.

Here is the Link:

Based on my analysis, I found that it was extremely difficult to analyze sentence patterns; especially, when I was searching for the more basic subject points followed by an explanation of the sentence's purpose. I also found that there existed too many fluff words- words that had no real purpose rather than to fill a sentence or make it seem intelligent.  Once I removed those excess vocabulary words I was able to find the basic parts of speech.

Based on the suggested reading, I found that there was very little use for imperative, interrogative, or exclamatory sentence structures. The purpose of the QRG is to inform, therefore the use of declarative sentence structures is ideal.

My only issue in analyzing the longest paragraph was finding items within pages 381-383- which entailed types of verb, subjects, and sentence objects.  

Paragraph Analysis

U.S Navy. "Hauling in the Mooring Line" September 30. 2010
Public Domain

During my paragraph analysis, I found a few reoccurring themes and sentence structures, especially in the vocabulary and paragraph brevity department of the QRG style.

The information and organization of ideas was perfectly fine, however there were points where the sentences either became choppy or confusing in meaning. All I need to do now is review each paragraphs cohesiveness to the headline's main point, so that a flow can we see between subjects.

The draft as a whole is fine, all it needs now is more supportive information and links as well as a conclusion for the entire argument, which I left out in order to focus on the formatting and background information build up.

Here is my Link.

Reflection of Project I Draft

Litterio, Antonio. "Stipula Fountain Pen" May 26. 2011
Public Domain

Below is a reflection on my peer experience and the reviews written. I edited QRGs written by Ayra and Mika, adding possible changes ranging from grammar to paragraph structure.

Audience:

Who is going to read this QRG?

• The audience that will be reading my QRG will be the English 109H class, which is composed of honors level English students. I am hoping that those within this class are well educated and competent enough to understand the general idea of the topic. Therefore, I will structure my QRG to be more readable and memorable in terms of information. This will require small concise points with supporting evidence. 

What are their values and expectations?

• Since this audience is a honors English class, I assume that the group expects a well written and well supported document with obvious structure and conclusions. The development of the argument must also be apparent as well as the background information of the issue itself.

How much information do I need to give my audience?

• My topic pertains to DNA sequencing and dozens of genetic based sciences that involve the manipulation/ documentation of certain DNA codes.With that in mind, I would most likely need to give extensive background information on the basic aspects of DNA. Also, the relative positions of each belligerent within the debate must be extensively clarified, as it does get rather specific in the science department of things.

What kind of language is suitable for this audience?

• My audience is more or less fairly educated and informed, therefore I can have a more academic vocabulary and tone within the piece. However, I don't want to isolate certain people who don't understand the extensive science behind the issue and will most likely have a more colloquial tone in the explanations. 

What tone should I use?

• A formal tone will be ideal within this piece as it gives more of a credibility to the overall message made. I will have to avoid the use of "me" and "I" as it will make it more of a personal narrative than a research presentation of an issue. 

Context: 

What are the formatting requirements of the assignment? Did I meet them?

• Overall the requirements of this assignment were to discern the normal conventions of the QRG from five examples, and utilize the qualities of each to incorporate into our work. I believe that I properly used the information provided to create a proper QRG, furthermore my use of headlines, concise paragraphs, and plenty of space between thoughts kept the overall QRG theme intact.

What are the content requirements of the assignment? Did you meet them?

• My QRG was structured to give the reader an informative opinion on an issue, as well as present the opinions from both sides of the ail and give the least opinionated information to support basic claims. That was, in my opinion, the most important aspect of the genre, and I made sure to meet them. 

Does my draft reflect knowledge or skills gained in class in addition to my own ideas and voice?

• First of all, I had never even heard of a QRG before this class, so I assume that any to all of my formatting and structure is relatively new- since I haven't yet found a routine for them- and the material I have taken from class has been the most important for my writing. I no long just summarize and throw information into a text just for the sake of it, every word is well thought out and heavily planned.

Have I addressed any of the grammatical issues pointed out?

• My peers only pointed out minor typos within the text, and I immediately corrected them and restructured the sentences to suit the change. But somehow the comment disapears, and I have now reference to the work I have done.

Clarity: Part I

Weijn, Sandor Diego. "Lake Ohrid- The Clear Water" August 24, 2007
Public Domain 

After reading the "Clarity" section of the Rules for Writers handbook, I thought I really need to buckle down on the little bits and pieces that made my writing less than good in certain areas. Below are some of the topics I focused on.

Wordy Sentences & Paragraphs

When it comes to this issue, I only have one institution to blame- High School. I have spent the last four years writing a ludicrous amount of paragraphs that all needed extensive explanation, academic vocabulary, and fluff sentences to make the essay look larger than it is. This is a problem. I have learned that I write with inflated phrases such as "I think that" or "in my opinion..." which makes the reader focus more on the author's opinions than the issue. So I will have to remove the excess to keep the QRG brief and readable.

Variety

As stated above, I have an overabundance of wordy paragraphs and phases that either have dangling modifiers or overly complex explanations- which bore the reader. I order to address this issue, I need to employ a variety of sentence structures with more emotional and logical phases to keep the reader interested. This can include more memorable introductions and catch phrases.

Dangling Modifiers

This portion of the chapter was the most difficult to understand mostly due to its complexity in explaining what a "dangling modifier" is. With that in mind, I will most likely comb through my QRG to find phrases that are similar or identical to the examples given. Otherwise, I see no current issues with the direction of my argument. All of my phrases eventually have a relevant point to them, rather than just pasting information for the sake of pasting information.

Active Verbs

When it come to my writing style I assume- based on the chapter- that I write passively and more "in light of the situation" style. This I now know bores the reader, as he or she finds it as a mere narration of an issue. So in order to correct this, need to write more actively, calling upon the reader to draw an opinion based on the facts presented. Plus, the use of "be" verbs make the QRG less notable, by that I mean makes each sentence sound dull rather than lively and full of emotion.

Reflection:

Ayra and Mika did excellent jobs constructing and explaining their controversies, especially when taking such broad and information packed issues and summarizing it in such simple terms. I have never heard about Mika's controversy- and he did a great job creating brief paragraphs and introductions to fill in the reader to the problem.

What I saw from each document, was a large mass of information with incidental breaks with bullets or visual aides.For example:

"The accusations online that Yaoxue and his team plagiarized their project brought the award’s selection under extreme scrutiny. The blogpost on Github by user KraneSun brought forth the allegations to user Iordan Iordanov, whose code was supposedly used in the award winning project in China. According to Cyranowski, the reporter from the Natural Publishing Group, Iordanov is a software developer in York, Canada, who had “never heard of Zhang before the GitHub posts.” In Iordanov’s responses to many Chinese media sources and Nature.com, he affirmed that the video Zhang Yaoxue posted of his project was, indeed, showing “one of [Iordanov’s] remote-desktop applications” in action. At this, online forums exploded, with users on GitHub saying that Iordanov should file a formal complaint on the matter to the Chinese selection committee that presented the award to Yaoxue."

Also, I found Ayra had issues when supporting her more opinionated phases. Links were rather scarce as well as visual aides. For example:

"This controversy as a whole is mainly opinion. It is up to each person to decide whether what was done was ethical or not. The facts are as follows. The CIA and APA had psychologists torture both victims and prisoners of the 9/11 attacks. They did this in order to gather information. From a psychological standpoint, researchers were trying to figure out how torture corresponds with compliance. The opinions are as follows. Either that the experiments were moral and necessary in obtaining research and information or that they were unethical and there are alternative methods to get the information that was needed."

Overall, the both posts were well supported and easy to read, any suggestions I made were for the sake of keeping the QRG readable, memorable, and grammatically correct. I now have a general idea how my QRG should be structured.

Thoughts on Drafting

Unknown Author, "Man Sitting and Drafting Board" 1936
Public Domain

Below I will be answering two questions regarding the construction of my draft QRG and the information I used from the Student's Guide to Writing . Some of the information, I must admit wasn't that helpful- since it focused more on essay construction- but the rest really help in the overall formatting of the information.

What parts of the book's advice was helpful in writing this genre?

I found that the use of introductions was the most relevant aspect to a QRG because it hooks the reader- incising them to reader further into the post. It also gave a general idea of the controversy as a whole.

I attempted to use a thesis to guide my QRG. This thesis wouldn't be as structured and obvious as normal essay based thesis' but give the reader a general concept of the points that would be presented within the article. Plus i feel more comfortable with this system, preventing me from going off subject.

In regards to the PIE method, I found that the principle of keeping the information simple and brief could really help me imprint my argument into the reader's mind. Plus, I agree that small readable blurbs of information are more memorable that long paragraphs, which seem rather formidable than informative.

What parts of the book's advice was not as helpful? 

The PIE method was a great system, but I feel that the book's constant demands for QRG's to be this less than formal system, really didn't work for me. I prefer to have more structure and an obvious progression of information rather than random bullet points. Bullets should be used only as a way to list more than three points- in my opinion- which I will use in my QRG.

Reflection:

After reading posts made by Kyle and Isabel, I have seen that many people recognize that the need for a heavily structured and obvious thesis statement is not necessary for this style of genre writing. While I prefer to have a more systematic and clear thesis within my introduction and then repeat that same thesis within my conclusion- to remind the reader of what was expressed over the entire piece- I now see that a thesis can be hidden to a certain extent, where a thesis can be stated but it is more abstract than listed point by point. Also, the use of more concise paragraphs is ideal, as the information is more readable and memorable than long paragraphs- taking PIE more into account.

I. QRGs must accurately incorporate the overall message I wish to put across my reader. Threfore, I should organize my paragraphs to be more inevitable and memorable.

II. I should attempt reorganize my introduction to be more of a question answer format rather than a blanket intro discussing the argument.

III.. The wordiness of my paragraphs should be limited to colloquial vocabulary and brief points, listing the information in bullets would solve this issue.

Draft Quick Reference Guide

English Artist. "Work Life Balance Rat Race" March 22, 2011
Public Domain

To be honest, I am really tired and probably made a "C-"  Google Doc. But that doesn't mean that I deserve a "C-" but rather some helpful input from viewers like you. Overall the draft gives the general idea of my discipline's current debate, and the points I present are to lead into my future thesis. I wasn't sure to put hyperlinks into the draft, so I left those out until we move further along into the project; but I would like to know if my current work is readable. I know I am wordy sometimes; especially on issues that have a lot of information to cover, but I am sure all of my readers will leave commentary on any issues.

I would also like to know if my paragraphs are too big and if the subheadings I have are too dramatic. I sometimes get carried away with the titles, and make them seem like 1930's horror film titles rather than subheadings.

So here is my Link to my Doc. Enjoy?

Revision:
After reviewing my original draft Google Doc of my discipline's major controversy, I decided to start fresh partly due to the need to have brief paragraphs separating my controversy's main points and the proceeding information that supports my claims. Also I need to create room for a timeline to contextualize the history of the issue, and also allow me to add quote text boxes within the paragraphs- also used as a visual aid. This new document has more of a stylized structure, with concise paragraphs and more visual aids. Please give any feedback that will make my post more readable/approachable, as I am known to add too much information at once.

Here is the link.

Practicing Quoting

Below, I have posted two quotes taken from two sources cited on my Annotated Bibliography post and will write a brief paragraph on each quote in order to give an example on what a normal QRG would seem like. I have also used highlights in order to point out the different aspects of a normal genre post.

Note:

• Green Highlights will show a Signal Phrase.
• Red Highlights will show the Author's authority on the Topic.
• Blue Highlights will signal where I contextualized a Quote into my Post.
• Yellow Highlights will signal any changes to the Text due to Space.

Quote I:

Brandon Lewis. Screenshot: 9/12/15

Quote II:

Brandon Lewis. Screenshot: 9/12/15

QRG's: The Genre

Lyall, Laura Muntz. "Interesting Story" 1898
Public Domain

Below, I will be analyzing the qualities and characteristics of a genre based blogs or articles. Then through a series of questions, I will conceptualize how genre based blogging utilizes its data, visual examples, and content structure in order to corroborate its main claim.

Question I: What do the conventions of this genre- The Quick Reference Guide- seem to be?

•  Headline/Introduction- The article or blog uses a "catchy" yet informative paragraph in order to draw its reader into the discussion. Using quotes or memorable- sometimes controversial- statements in order to hook the reader's attention. The author relies on the reader's emotions to bring his/her attention into the text.
•  Visual Aide-  This can usually in the form of statistic graphs, data tables, pictures of the issue, or timelines.  They act to solidify the information given throughout the blog piece.
• Headings/Subheadings-  Headings categorize the new points that will be addressed, giving the reader an expectation/ general understanding of the points to come.
• Bullet Information- Act as a form organization for presenting a large quantity of information; therefore, making it more readable.
• Links-  Serve to corroborate the information and cited sources presented by the author. Thus, verifying the reliability of the blog. 

Question II: How are those conventions defined by the author's formatting?

Based on a number of examples, the headline is always above the entirety of the post- giving a basic concept of the information that follows. This is followed by a picture or visual aid to catch the reader's attention as well as serve to conceptualize the issue. The information will then be given on short- but concise- points within a paragraph style (formatting in either bullets or a timeline). The author's points of argument are then set up into subheadings, signaling new information.

Question III: What does the purpose of QRGs seem to be?

QRGs are simply designed to give brief informative information or research. They are either created for political or commercial purposes, so that the information can reach a larger audience, or made to generally inform readers to an issue. 

Question IV: Who is the intended audience for these different QRGs? Are they all intended for similar audiences or different ones? Why?

 The example QRGs are designed to target a specific group of individuals who have an unclear stance on a current issue. Therefore, the author can use the data collected and this argument to sway said audience to support his claim. The author aims to target all groups, for educated to misinformed, and use the brief points and easy to read formatting structure to get the reader generally informed; so that, they will continue to seek other media sources.  

Question V: How do the QRGs use the imagery or visuals? Why do you think they use them in this way?

• Graphs/Charts: Act as a form of organization for statistical information (numerical data) visually and make the information more readable. The author uses this format in order to make the data presented more comprehensible and less daunting. 
• Pictures:  Photos are added to create a more emotional and down to earth feeling for the article; also act to verify the issue as a real world problem. 

Reflection:

After reading the posts made by Morgan, Nick, and Ayra , I have found that when creating a QRG the use of brevity in presentation of information is the most important formatting structures. This is in part due to the author's need to present information on an issue that will stick in the mind of the reader. Therefore, the use of bullets and visual aids are ideal to the imprinting of the information within the mind of the reader; also such structures contextualize the issue and make the information more of a real world issue. 

Cluster of My Controversy

Below entails a cluster map, which is essentially a mind map, that organizes the two major parties of the Gene Sequencing Debate as well as gives a more cohesive image of the two belligerent's policies and outlets to express said policies; as well as, their basic beliefs on the issue at hand.

Lewis, Brandon. Screenshot 9/10/2015

To View Larger Map: Click Here

I organized my map based on four main topics, and various subtopics:

• Who are the Main Belligerents in the Debate- Two of the Most Powerful/Influential.
• Who are There more Famous Speakers- Giving a Quote for the More Recent Speaker.
• Of the two Main Parties, what are the mutually agreed upon beliefs on Gene Mapping.
• Within Each Group: How does their Media portray Genome Sequencing.

My main argument for this debate, is to favor the use and implementation of gene sequencing technology and its associated genetic engineering technologies within the healthcare environment for the betterment of diagnostic healthcare and for a more logical approach towards the treatment of mental or physical disabilities contributed by genetic mutations/errors. In my research, I have found substantial evidence from medical professionals and geneticists who view the technology as vital for future healthcare; as well as, found counter arguments in order to discuss or clarify the ethics being such tech. The cluster will also allude to the broad spectrum of argumentation on this issue, as some view the technology as a means for other more controversial medical treatments- abortions, anesthetization- or another example of the lack of morality within science.

Reflection:
After reviewing the posts made by Morgan and Alyssa, I found that cluster maps can really make an issue readable and comprehensible. I was very impressed in the way both organized their debate using colors and brief points. I too tried to keep each point, each position, each major event separate so that there would be little confusion when attempting to understand my discipline's current debate. Alyssa used more color and imagery in order to keep the reader's attention; while Morgan used clearly described outlines to prevent a mixing of information. I will use both of these qualities in any future cluster maps.   

Annotated Bibliography in AMA Format

de Boulogne, Valentin. "Saint Paul Writing his Epistles" 1618-1620
Open Public Domain

Below are the reference citations of all of the works used in my previous three blogs. They are structured in accordance to my desired major/discipline and range in content from scholarly journals to social media outlets. Each citation is followed by a brief description of the source.

Source I:

Stetka, Bret S. The Three Major Controversies in Neurology: A Debate. [Online/Web] Medscape Multi Specialty. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/844694_2. [May 18, 2015]

Stetka is a medically licensed physician who is the Editorial Director for Medscape writing numerous articles with the company's affiliate WebMD. The article "The Three Major Controversies..." presents the issue of the ethic of genetic mapping and the two opposing sides opinions/arguments. Stetka writes to inform the reader of neurologists current support for such mapping; while also noting genealogist discomfort in using such tech since the mapping is more or less incomplete. This article will be used for a majority of my base line position on the issue.

Source II:

Hayden, Erika Check. Genome Sequencing Stumbles towards Clinic. [Online/Web] Nature Weekly Journal. http://www.nature.com/news/genome-sequencing-stumbles-towards-the-clinic-1.14842. [March 11, 2014]

Hayden is a career reporter, writing articles ranging from the 9/11 attack to recent advances in bio medical engineering. The main purpose for this article is to persuade its audience in opposing the implementation of genome sequencing technologies, yet debunks any theories that such mapping could be detrimental to one's health. Hayden satirizes the idea of a debate on the issue through the tone of its title, and presentation of pro-sequencing data. This article will be used as a reference for a counter argument to my claim.

Source III:

Donely,Greer. Hull, Sara Chandros. Berkmen, Benjamin E. Prenatal Whole Genome Sequencing: Just Because We Can, Should We? New York City, NY. The Hastings Center Report: Hastings Center; [July-August 2012].

Greer, Hull, and Berkmen are career physicians and medical analysts whose journal presents the current opposition argument on whether it is ethical to use such genome mapping in child development; even though we have the capability of do so. The source itself focuses more on the issue of whether to inform the parents of unborn children of possible "undesired" qualities of the child. The text focuses more on hypothetical instances where a pregnant parent, being informed of a child's disability by the gene mapping technology- may abort the pregnancy. This journal will also be used as a reference to a counter argument to my projects claim.

Source IV:
McKusick, Victor A. Mapping the Human Genome: Retrospective, Perspective and Prospective. Philadelphia, PA. The American Philosophical Society; [December 1997].

Victor A. McKusick is a world renown geneticist, the "Founding Father in Medical Genetics," and the Professor of Medicine for the John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. McKusick presents an eight page journal regarding the future of the Human Genome Project as it nears completion in 2001. The article entails the history of the mapping of the human genome sequence, and provides definitions and simplified explanations to the basic aspects of the project's research. This article will be used as my reference to the origin of the Gene Sequencing Debate.

Source V:

Twitter. Neuroscience News (neurosciencenew) "Possible Role of Glial Cells and Astrocytes in Neurological Disorders." August 17, 2015 [Tweet].

The Neuroscience News twitter page presents a news coverage style post with links to the article on the organization's webpage, as well as reference to the laboratory that made the announcement. The content of the link entails the newest research study into the genome sequence, and presenting data that supports the claim that due to mapping doctors may be able to look for certain group of nervous system cell tissue mutations that contribute to a debilitating neurological disorder. This tweet will be used as a form of recent example that genome sequencing is improving medical care and doctor's ability to find disorders or future illnesses before any major symptoms over come the patient.

Source VI:

Twitter. Neuro.Social.Self (nuerosocialself) "Potential Device for at-Home Parkinson Treatment" September 5, 2015 [Tweet].

Neuro.Social.Self is an online organization that posts links to contemporary essays, videos, and recent news articles written by either sociologists, psychologists, neurologists, or geneticists. The page act as as a form of median to genetic and neurology news updates. As a resource, the tweet links the reader to an instance where gene sequencing technology can detect shifts in the body's condition when it is diagnosed with Parkinson disease. The tweet is in a way a means to support the use of this technology, and presents an article that is from a pro-sequencing laboratory tech organization. This tweet will also act as a recent example genome mapping's success in the treatment or prevention in major neurological illnesses.

Source VII

Hidary, Jack. The Future of Cancer Research- Whole Genome Sequencing. [Online/Web] The Huffington Post Corp. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jack-hidary/the-future-of-cancer-rese_b_4385075.html. [12/03/2013].


The Huffington Post is a international online news corporation that covers a wide range of current issues regarding health, government, society, and the economy. The article is written by journalist Jack Hidary who is also a entrepreneur. Hidary co-founded Vista Research in 2001 as an independent financial research company; as well as became President/CEO of Earth Web/Dice. The article serves to promote the use of gene sequencing as a means for cancer research and treatment. The article, attempting to be unbiased, presents new research that has found that the mapping of genes- in rats and mice- has allowed researchers to predict/theorize with a lower chance of error when a patient may develop tumors and where. Hidary predicts that after a new round of funding for these programs, researchers may be able to push for clinic trials.


Source VIII

Smith,Wesley J. Ethical Stem Cells Grow Brain. The National Review [Online/Web] http://www.nationalreview.com/human-exceptionalism/422734/ethical-stem-cells-grow-human-brain-wesley-j-smith. [August 19, 2015].

Wesley J. Smith, is a senior journalist for the Discovery Institute’s Center on Human Exceptionalism, as well as a consultant to the Patients Rights Council. In May of 2004, Smith was named one of the nation’s premier expert thinkers in bio engineering by the National Journal due to his work in bioethics. The article entails how scientists of Ohio University have grown a full brain within the labs. This "scientific wonder" is in part of extensive gene and neurological mapping used to duplicate the complex muscle, with most of its basic functions operable. Due to its pro-mapping for the greater good of science rhetoric, I this article will be used for a majority of my base line position on the issue.

Source IX

Rockoff, Jonathan. Why Gene Editing Technology Has Scientists Excited. The Wallstreet Journal [Online/Web] http://www.wsj.com/articles/why-gene-editing-technology-has-scientists-excited-1434985998. [June 28, 2015].

The article entails how new gene mapping and in this case "editing" may permit scientists to correct mutations in the genetic make up of humans; therefore, correcting major DNA errors that contribute to mental and physical disorders. The article hopes to promote the technology by referring to its possible medical impact on the treatment of usually permanent disorders to the economic prospects of the technology's industrial manufacturing and implementation in hospitals. The article will serve as another example of the positive aspects of the use of genetic mapping and its associated technology.

Source X

Markoff, John. Cost of Gene Sequencing Falls, Raising Hopes for Medical Advances. The New York Times [Online/Web]. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/08/technology/cost-of-gene-sequencing-falls-raising-hopes-for-medical-advances.html. [March 7, 2012].    

The article, written by seasoned bio engineering expert and medical ethics analyst John Markoff, describes how government funding and the decrease in the expense to map and catalog genetic sequences within DNA has allowed a greater population of scientists to undergo research into the mapping of the human genome; as well as, use the collected data to create technology necessary for future genome based diagnostics. The article predicts that by 2020 most hospitals will have the capability to use gene mapping technology within their diagnostic departments and research facilities for cancer treatment.The article will serve as another example of the positive aspects of the use of genetic mapping and its associated technology.


Note: For this bibliography, I referred to the NWTC.edu services to cite my sources in the American Medical Association citation style and used Health Science Library for specific case by case examples including media. Finding and Access to this page was given by Google.com

Reflection:

After reading the posts made by Kelly and Trey, I was able to see that many other writers were confused or unsure how to properly cite a social media source; such as Twitter, when it came to their discipline's citation style format. Iran across this issue as well, as the AMA format citation has no standard for citing social media, as most professionals in this field use more accepted means to obtain information- either through research journals or conventional reading sources. I was able to find two other individuals who had my citation style and they too seemed to have a discomfort citing social media, and as a result our citations differed slightly in certain areas. But overall, those who did have my citation style used an identical fomating style for the more conventional resources.

Ideology in My Controversy

Fildes, Luke. "The Doctor" 1891
Open Public Domain

In the following blog, I will be answering a series of questions regarding my disciple's current ongoing debate or controversy. The answers under each questions will give the reader a more informed understanding of the issue of Genome Sequencing and the belligerent's medical position.

Who is involved with the controversy or debate?

Currently there are three groups involved with the issue of the implementation of genome sequencing into medicine: the pro-gene mapping physicians, the anti-mapping groups, and the "limited" sequencing groups. The pro-gene mapping supports the use of gene sequencing for diagnostics, the anti-mapping groups oppose any use of gene sequencing in medical decisions, while the "limited" sequencing groups support the technology but aim to limit its use.

Who are some of the major speakers/writers with these groups?

Currently there exist hundreds of doctors and physicians who have either opposed or supported the use of whole genome sequencing within medical practice.One of the more prominent supports of the technology's implementation would be Muin Khoury, Director of the Office of Public Health Genomics. For the opponents, speakers range Conservative Republican politicians- President George Bush- to anti-abortion groups who perceive the tech as another means to justify abortion.  


 What kind of social/economic/cultural/political powers do each group have?

All three groups have vied to out do the other factions in terms of media and political power. Proponents of the technology tend to be politically left, physicians, genealogists, and neurologists. Their  means to promote their cause can be found in Left-wing television outlets to medical journals. As for opponents, the group tends to have right wing support politically and numerous anti-abortion/ religious groups to support the cause. Their appropriate media outlets are either Conservative news groups and religious news journals regarding medicine.

What resources are available for each group?

Both groups use research studies to support their claim or boost support for their cause. Since it is currently impossible to definitively prove the affects of gene mapping on medical treatment, most of these resources are biased.

What counts as evidence for each group?

Proponents usually use research studies and doctoral essays to list the possible uses for the gene technology on patient diagnostics; as well as, physician testimonials regarding their use of mapping for treating genetic illnesses.

Opponents tend to use ethical and religious appeals to support their claim. This ranges from concepts that doctors will abuse the technology and possibly miss the real cause for a certain illness to the idea that such mapping will allow parents to "pick-and-choose" what child to birth or abort.

Is there a power differential between these groups?

Since gene mapping and its affiliated technology are in the same realm of abortion, genetic engineering, and in some cases cloning, the two major groups have been involved in a perpetual tug-of-war. Currently, the United States has limited the use of genome mapping, placing it in the same category as stem cell research, while the populous has altered its opinion on abortion many times in the past decade. Both groups have considerable influence, and it is impossible to differentiate them.

Is there any acknowledged common ground between these groups? 

Generally, the less extreme factions of each group recognize the possible benefits to have this "map" of the whole human genome in regards to medicine and the prevention/treatment of major genetic illness.

Is there any unacknowledged common ground?

Both groups, in my opinion have covered or made a position on all possible outlets of the issue. This is partly due to its involvement in many political debates; as well as, professionals using any possible ground for their advantage. I could not find one unacknowledged position or fact that wasn't used in a journal or major debate.

Do the various groups listen to each other? 

In the less political side of the issue-where doctors, researchers, or geneticists are involved in the discussion- the groups tend to acknowledge new facts or information as a major influence on how extreme their position is. However, on every other scale, each side refuses the idea to cooperate or cede anything to their opponent; partly due to the religious/ cultural aspect of the debate.

Evaluation of Media Sources

Below are two social media posts that give incite on positions or present new information regarding a current Debate within my Discipline. Both posts can be found on Twitter and I will be answering presented questions to confirm reliability and relevance.
Post I

"@NeuroscienceNew" Tweet.
Lewis, Brandon. Screenshot: 9/5/2015

Credibility: 
The Neuroscience News is an official Twitter feed that presents new information regarding brain research, jobs within Neurology, neuroscience forums, and student resources regarding the field. It is based in Houston, Texas and has its own website, neurosciencenews.com. All of its links lead me to conclude that this is a well known database for neurosciences and doctors.

Location:
The organization is directly involved with the debate as they are reporting at the actual laboratory where the discovery was made. However, they are not involved directly with the issue, only reporting the findings in relation to the debate.

Network:
The organization can be found on all levels of media, from Facebook to Google+, and is an accredited news agency within the medical world.

Content:
The content is a news coverage style post with links to the article on the organization's webpage, as well as reference to the laboratory that made the announcement. Overall, nothing opinionated or unsupported factual wise.

Age:
The post was made on August 17, 2015 making it a recent and more factually updated post with information current to the issue. As for the site, the last post or update was 24 hours ago.

Reliability:
I believe that this is a reliable post and information outlet because of it accreditation with other research groups, links to its editorial staff to allow readers to search the author's background, as well as a number of links to there cited references.

"@neurosocialself" Tweet
Lewis, Brandon. Screenshot: 9/5/2015

Credibility:
The author of this post is an online organization that posts links to contemporary essays, videos, and recent news articles written by either sociologists, psychologists, neurologists, or geneticists. It is a Twitter only page that does not have other means to access its articles. Presents links to other works. Fairly credible as it only posts links to other credible news sources, and does not make opinionated remarks on the issue.

Location:
The tweet page is based in Sydney, Australia. Has access to media outlets to post there article link tweets.

Network: 
The page has references to other twitter based sociology- medical based webpages, but it unclear whether or not those pages support or recognize the twitter page as a credible outlet for news. The page has no other outlets- social media wise- to access it. However, more than 1400 people follow the page.

Content:
All content are links to other essays or research news coverage. The page act as as a form of median to genetic and neurology news updates. Overall, nothing opinionated or unsupported factual wise.

Age: 
The post was made on September 5, 2015 making it the most recent and factually updated post of the two presented within this blog. The information is the most recent and current with the ongoing debate.

Reliability:
I believe that this is the most reliable post and information resource because of its use of links to relevant research groups, links to its editorial staff to allow readers to search the author's background, as well as a number of links to there cited references. Plus all of its link authors are longtime doctors and members of the medical community.

Evaluation of Scholarly Sources

Fetti, Domenico. "Portrait of a Scholar" First Half of the 17th Century.
Open Public Domain

In this post, I will be presenting two scholarly sources and answering presented questions for each source in order to determine credibility, purpose, and relation towards a current controversy within my selected major/discipline.

Source I: Prenatal Whole Genome Sequencing: Just because we can, should we?

What is its purpose?
The first source comes from the JSTOR database and presents the argument on whether it is ethical to use such genome mapping in child development; even though we have the capability of do so. The source itself focuses more on the issue of whether to inform the parents of unborn children of possible "undesired" qualities of the child.

How and Where was it Published?
This journal was published by the Hastings Center, an independent nonpartisan bioethics publishing group, and only consists of 13 pages. These pages where published between July to August of 2012 in Garrison, New York. The article was "peer reviewed" before publication.

What kind of Sources does it Cite?
The article references 33 citations through out its entire 13 pages. All citations can be found on the reference tab of the JSTOR link. All references are either from previous editions or other medical journals.

Who is the Author?
The article is written by three authors: Greer Donley- a lawyer in Washington D.C- Sara Chandros Hull- PhD.D and member of the Department of Bioethics for the National Institute of Health- and Benjamin E. Berkman- Professor of Law and Deputy Director of the Bioethics Core for the National Human Genome Institute. 

Who is its Intended Audience?
 The article targets individuals well acquainted with genomes and other medical research issues. It may also play towards individuals who support or denounce forms of abortion, as the journal discusses the issue of informing parents of their child's genetic issues before it develops into the second stage of pregnancy. 

How did I find it?
The article is the first result when typing in the phrases "Genome Sequencing" and "Neurology" into the JSTOR search tool. It is also found as the first result in Journals.

Source II: Mapping the Human Genome: Retrospective, Perspective and Prospective


What is its Purpose?
The second source come also from the JSTOR database and presents an eight page journal regarding the future of the Human Genome Project. The article entails the history of the mapping of the human genome sequence, and provides definitions and simplified explanations to the basic aspects of the project's research.

How and Where was it Published?
The article was published by the American Philosophic Society based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The eight pages where published in December of 1997.

What kind of Sources does it site?
The eight pages only reference and cite four reference citations; which are either previous journals regarding the completion of the Human Genome Project.

Who are the Authors?  
The author of this journal is Victor A. McKusick- the "Founding Father in Medical Genetics" and the Professor of Medicine for the John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

Who is the Intended Audience? 
The article targets individuals well acquainted with genomes and other medical research issues. As well as doctors hoping to use the Human Genome Project's results for their practice or use in diagnostics.

How did I find it? 
The article is the second result when typing in the phrases "Genome Sequencing" and "Neurology" into the JSTOR search tool. It is also found as the first result in relevant Journals.

Evaluation of General Sources

Niaz. "Debate Logo" January 11, 2008
Open Public Domain

Below, I will briefly discuss and summarize two current debates regarding my major- as see in the "My Discipline" post and the analyze the source credibility of the two articles.

The debate in general discusses the issue of mapping gene sequencing within neurology and its affects on healthcare or diagnostics. In laments terms, the argument centers around whether the medical process of mapping the genes of the mind poses a risk to the patient's overall mental health, and if the technology is reliable enough to be used in diagnosing illnesses.

Source I

URL: My first source comes from Medscape.com a ".com" web resource for doctors and physicians that features peer-reviewed medical journal articles, daily medical news, and a drug database. It was launched in New York and is staffed by retired or freelance doctors.

Author:  The author is Bret S. Stetka, MD who is the Editorial Director for Medscape writing numerous articles with the company's affiliate WebMD. He has many social media avenues that explain his work and are supported by the companies themselves; including, Twitter, LinkedIn, and the Medscape staff bios.

Last Updated: The article was last updated on May 18, 2015. The article has the most recent studies of the issue and the debate that ensued from the issue.

Purpose: The article is made only to present the issue and the two opposing sides opinions/ arguments. It is informing the reader of gene sequencing and its properties; while then presenting three main points the two opposing sides bought up. The article even presents poll results to show support for each opinion.

Graphics: There are no graphics regarding the article; just images concerning ads and other article links.

Position on Subject: The article attempts to have a unbiased position on the issue, presenting both sides of the argument and listing evidence presented. However they give longer paragraphs and quotes to supporters of the medical process, and notes its victory popularity wise.

Links: All links send the reader to any cited reference window, as they are bracket links, all of which are found on the Medscape.com and is merely a pop up window.

Source II

URL:  My second source comes from Nature.com a ".com" organization and an independent online news organization based in New York. The company has spent close to 150 years serving medical and technological professionals in designing tools for molecular biology.

Author: The article was composed by Erika Check Hayden, who has worked for Newsweek reporting on numerous bio medical issues. She has a Twitter account as well as links on her account to the official Nature News twitter page.

Last Update: The article was posted on March 11, 2014. Therefore the article's facts and arguments may be dated compared to the Medscape article and debate references. There are no signs of updating since.

Purpose: The main purpose for this article is to persuade its audience in opposing the implementation of genome sequencing technologies in today's hospitals, yet debunks any theories that such mapping could be detrimental to one's health. It also satirizes the idea of a debate on the issue through the tone of its title, and presentation of pro-sequencing data.

Graphics: There are no accompanying graphics with the article, only surrounding ads and pictures for other articles.

Position on the Subject: The article is entirely anti-sequencing due to its satirical perception of its implementation into hospitals. I find that the research is sloppy and needs more evidence/ clinical experience before use.

Links: The links around the article either direct the reader to other Nature.com articles and news feeds or to related articles to the Genome sequencing debate- but only those written by the company. Most of its recommended links redirect to recent issues unrelated to the article.

My Discipline

 Bilz,Friedrich Eduard."Phrenology"
1894 . Public Domain Licence 

The following blog entails short commentary about my chosen major- Neurology and Cognitive Sciences- at the University of Arizona, and answering five questions regarding certain aspects of my field and any controversy or ongoing debates within the major.

Question 1: What do students in your program learn how to do?

Within this program, students have a wide variety of educational directions to take in regards to the Neurosciences. Since the field mostly covers the study of the brain and aspects of behaviorism/ psychology, most of the students are trained to become medical professionals- from doctors to behavioral analysts. Most students are trained to be familiar with the lab atmosphere of the profession and using their knowledge of chemistry, can theorize how the mind reacts to certain natural chemicals. Furthermore, most students in the program move on to the Pre-Health department to be trained in medical administration and healthcare.

Question 2: What do people who get degrees in this field usually go on to do for work?

Since this program is Pre-Neurology and Cognitive sciences, most student who obtain the degree move on to medical school to receive their doctorate and practice medicine specializing in neurology. This however is not the only career path. Many students who obtain this degree can work as analysts for corporations- predicting the market based on human behavior- or can move to numerous government jobs in intelligence gathering (CIA) to basic social work. 

Question 3: What drew you to this field?

What really motivated me to this field was my curiosity towards the major and my family history of mental disability / cancer. My mother was diagnosed with thyroid cancer when I was five, and many of the doctors feared that the cancer metastasized from the gland to the spinal cord and into the brain stem. They believed that if this was so, the radiation treatment would "alter" her behavior and threaten to damage her thinking processes. Luckily, the cancer stayed put and none of that scary medical drama manifested, but the idea left a lasting impression on me.

I now want to have a role in the preventing of cancer in the brain and play a major part in any operations that could save an individual from dying from illnesses within the cranial region.

Question 4: Who are the leaders/most exciting people involved in your field right now? Why? 

Currently, the most exciting individual within the Neuroscience field has to be Dr. Ben Carson because A). he is the only known doctor to be able to separate conjoined twins that shared a brain without the patients dying after the operation, and B). he is currently running for President of the United States. This is the most exciting member of the field because it demonstrates how someone involved in the major can go from one amazing feat of precision and medical impossibility to enjoying success in a heated political race. This shows me any dream can become a reality and that one is not limited to one's degree specialty.

Question 5: What are the leading academic/scholarly journals in your field? Where are they published?  

Currently there are thousands of neurological or cognitive behavior study journals throughout the world, with rankings varying among counties or universities. However three of the most cited journals are the Elsevier Journal (Elsevier.com), the Nature Reviews Neuroscience of the Nature Review publishing group, and the Annual Review of Neuroscience journal. Elsevier is published in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Nature Reviews Neuroscience journal is published in the United Kingdom. And the Annual Review of Neuroscience is published in Palo Alto, California.

Reflection:
After reading the blogs posted by Alyssa and Nick I realized that many people decide to enter a major purely for a personal drive to learn, create, and better our society. Alyssa showed me her heartfelt desire to nurse the most fragile form of human life back to a stable condition, was based on her emotional connection to children. Nick demonstrated that inner curiosity with all of us, and that dream to one day better human existence through innovation. I have found that I am not alone in my quest to place my mark in society. They are but two dreamers who want nothing more than to dedicate their lives for others. I too am one of those dreamers. And in order to fulfill my dream I must work harder, and dedicate myself long before I get to such a position like medical practice.