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REFLECTION

Reflection
By: Ellie Ostler
4/2/15

REFLECTION

The process writing a research paper-or in this case completing a multi genre projectincludes 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

REFLECTION

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.