REFLECTION2

ReflectionBy: Ellie Ostler4/2/15

The process writing a research paper-or in this case completing a multi genre project- includes conducting research then using what was found to come up with a question of inquiry, a thesis statement, an audience, and a way to portray information to convince that audience of what you are arguing. A summary of this process can be depicted by giving examples of that very process. As for my conducted research, my sources ranged from videos to survey results about every type of medicine, not just complementary or integrative medicine. One of the most helpful resources I found was an article titled Are You Considering Complementary Health Approaches? from the National institute of healths National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. This website included pros and cons about not just complementary medicine but alternative and conventional medicine as well. As I mentioned in my annotated bibliography for this source, This article [] goes further into another direction of thinking from a patients point of view. It is important to note that the audience of this article are patients considering complementary medicine because of the information that is provided. The author uses key points as sort of a step by step process for patients to use when choosing certain health care options. Pros and Cons are intertwined throughout information provided which elicit steps to follow to reach the goal of choosing a treatment plan right for the patient. Concerns and precautions are listed and elaborated upon in order to inform the reader of what should be done before choosing a health care plan. As mentioned in my bibliography, this source provided information that patients in search of treatment are typically concerned about Understanding a therapys potential benefits, risks, and scientific evidence is critical to your health and safety. Scientific research on many complementary therapies is relatively new, so this kind of information may not be available for every therapy. However, many studies are under way, including those that NCCIH supports, and knowledge and understanding of complementary therapies are increasing all the time (Are You Considering Complementary Health Approaches?, 2006). Another source I found to be especially helpful was one titled Balanced Living by B. Lamley (2015). This news article contained an interview supported by facts as well as a video. What made this source so imperative to have in my research was that this article has the same audience as me. This was basically a shortened template or example of what I needed to do to convince my audience that integrative medicine is the best form of treatment. I found it ironic that even some of the same sources I found earlier in my research to support my thesis were used to do the same in this article: As defined by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health, integrative medicine combines mainstream medical therapies and CAM therapies for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness. Again, this is the same source I used from the NCCIH (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health) to define the different types of medicine: Complementary and alternative medicine, complementary medicine, alternative medicine, integrative medicinewe have all seen these terms on the Internet and in marketing, but what do they really mean? (Complementary, Alternative, or Integrative Health: Whats In a Name?, 2015). Once my research was conducted to answer my question of inquiry and my thesis statement to prove that integrative medicine is the best form of treatment, I then chose my audience. My audience is skeptical patients looking for treatment or wondering about treatment options. As I stated in blogs 6 and 7, My audience is going to be anyone looking for health care advise; moreover, patients in search of treatment options. [] This audience allows me to not get too lost in the scientific aspect of my research while allowing me to present my topic in a relatable and less wordy way. As I mentioned in blog 8, My readers are skeptical patients. Their relevance to my argument is their level of knowledge about integrative medicine. Because most patients do not know the treatment opportunities available to them my purpose is to convince them of what is- in my opinion- the best form of treatment that I have found from my research. Again, because I have expected my audience to know little to nothing about what I am arguing, I have planned accordingly to make my argument as straightforward as possible. I care about this topic because of my love for medicine and everything else involved in the process of someone aspiring to enter into the medical field. I have taken medical science classes before along with completing several hundreds of hours of job shadowing and volunteering for nearby hospitals and clinics. However, my medical training is nowhere near where it needs to be to talk to anyone other than those at the same level of knowledge as me (young students on the medical field track) or less knowledge about this topic (the public or more specifically patients skeptical about various types of medicine other than what they are used to). Finally, throughout this process I discovered my underlying purpose in conducting this research. My purpose is to convince my audience why integrative or complementary medicine should be accepted and highly regarded in the medical community as well as why it is the best form of treatment. I chose my two genres of a brochure and an advertisement (digital poster) because I found them to be the best way I could present my information to my audience. Both of my genres would exist in doctors offices or any place in which medicine was administered. I most heavily relied on spatial organization as the most important mode of communication for me to use. There are people hired in businesses designated to make advertisements aesthetically pleasing. Needless to say, making my advertisements visually appealing was almost more important that the information I chose to put in them. As for the information, I strategized which pieces of information I could best use to convince my audience by using Aristotles appeals. Although most of my information of statistics and surveys provided as logos appeal, I used ethos and pathos of relating to my audiences situation (health standing) as well as a bandwagon tactic to further attempt to convince my audience as to why integrative medicine is the most effective form of treatment. As portrayed in the purpose of my advertisement, the study and scientific evidence supporting integrative medicine is continually growing. Integrative medicine has a sufficient amount of supporting evidence to be considered the most effective form of treatment. In the end, most people do not know the treatment opportunities available to them. Again, my purpose in conducting and conveying this research is to convince my audience why the best form of treatment is integrative medicine. In conveying this, I believe my genres will be effective forms of information to convince my target audience that integrative medicine is the best form of treatment.