Discourse Community Investigation - Essay Example

Introduction

Bringing people together with similar ideas and theories is perhaps one of the best ways to create advancements in various disciplines. The sharpening of minds through sharing both practical and theoretical research and analyses encourages intellectuals to push boundaries, resulting in the advances humanity needs, especially in science, engineering, and technology. Communication in such settings is thus a crucial part of those intellectual communities. Therefore, a discourse community should dedicate its time and resources to empower its members through sharing a set of values, principles, and assumptions.

About AIChE

AIChE is a global hub for chemical engineers sharing information with engineers from other fields regarding chemicals and chemical engineering topics. The organization has over 60000 members hailing from at least 100 countries worldwide. Considering that it has an average of 100 technical communities, it is rich in resources and insight. The organization's main ways to communicate are through physical conferences, events, webinars, and sharing articles. Since the three former communication methods require a live audience, the articles suffice as the best alternatives to conduct a textual analysis. Therefore, the selection of four example articles will work as a great way to detail what the organization is about and how it communicates.

Textual Analysis

Article Briefing. The first article that captured my attention is titled Transition from College to Corporate Life by Allan Buyinza. The report is quite a good read since it talks about choosing a career path after completing one's studies. It offers a critical look at what students are used to and how life changes after employment. The second article I enjoyed reading is Belinda Akpa on Computational Systems Physiology by Expedito Segovia. It focuses on the involvement of research in computer engineering and its relationship with biomedical science. Both articles were quite comprehensive and, therefore, sufficed as great examples to illustrate with the analysis.

The third article is titled Ronke Olabisi on Biomedical Engineering by Sergovia. It talks about an interview with Ronke and the achievements of black people in biotechnology. The last one is identified under the title Chemistry Shorts: Direct Air Capture & The Future of Climate Change by Idell Bryan. It talks about the significance of chemical science and engineering, focusing on scientists' role in fighting global warming. These articles are all quite informative and entail intricate details about the discourse community. Therefore, they are the best examples to use.

Audience. One important thing to consider while publishing an article is the intended rhetorical audience to reach out to usually. Since the organization works as a mentorship program, the first article is dedicated to young students or recent graduates looking for jobs and would like to understand the transition process. Allan Buyinza does an exemplary job explaining what new employees are likely to experience. The same is noted in Expedito Segovia’s articles since he is more or less interviewing experienced scientists. I believe the authors do so to inform the students and recent graduates about what they should expect in their respective career choices.

Exigence. From a keen look at all the articles used in the textual analysis, one may deduce that mentees inspired the authors to publish their pieces. For instance, the first article is directly talking about students and fresh graduates. They qualify as great mentees since the organization is all about sharing information and helping those in need. The context of most articles, if not all, is to motivate the readers to learn more about chemistry and chemical engineering fields. Therefore, I believe the publications' main aim is to reach out to the readers and motivate them to be better at whatever they do.

Purpose. The texts are trying to share different perspectives on chemical engineering and how they apply in the workplace. One of the articles had an impressive turn where the interview assessed the relationship between computational systems and biochemical engineering. Segovia illustrates the need to embrace computers' application in systems biology, noting that chemical engineering is essential in both fields. Another article on biotechnology affirms that chemistry is necessary for several areas. While sharing more in an interview with Ronke Olabisi, Segovia notes how chemical science helps engineers in the aerospace industry to create composite materials that enhance aerodynamics. Therefore, the sharing of different perspectives by engineers around the world make the organization truly unique.

Evidence. Several forms of evidence are identified in the different articles provided. The first publication (on transitioning) relies on hypothetical scenarios. This process is ascertained when the author talks about the shifting from a classroom to a cubicle. Not all organizations consist of cubicle offices. Therefore, the information displayed here is based on a hypothetical perspective. As for the second article, the evidence is provided in a slightly anecdotal manner. The interviewee talks about the things that inspired her to conduct professional research in her area of expertise. The third article is also a bit anecdotal but shifts to factual statements as the interview progress. Therefore, there are different forms of evidence presented, but most are firmly grounded on hypothetical, anecdotal, and real scenarios.

Assumptions and Values. One of the main assumptions derived from the readings is that most people in the organization are scientists or aspiring engineers. Therefore, most of the content provided is geared to suit their tastes. It is also essential to note that the organization bases most of its values on science and engineering. AIChE strives to unite all engineers under one organization, enhancing intellectuality through healthy discourse and sharing information regarding the different disciplines and their relationships. Therefore, by connecting with several insightful, resourceful, and intelligent members, the organization uses its platform to enhance overall growth and development in science and technology.

Notable Stylistic Devices

It is essential to note that while most of the information provided was factual, there were isolated cases of stylistic devices employed by authors to make their content more enjoyable. In the article that talks about transitioning from school to work life, the author uses climax to inspire the readers. He also makes use of an epigram, where he mentions about practicing. The author stipulates that if one fails to jump inside a pool, they will not learn how to swim. This example acts as an excellent way to encourage the audience to practice more and prepare themselves for real engineering challenges and feats. Personification is identified in the same article where the article mentions 'banishing' a feeling. This scenario makes the feeling seem like a person being exiled. Therefore, the articles make use of stylistic devices, albeit sparingly.

Sentences per Paragraph. A general conclusion notes that there is an average of three sentences per paragraph from the readings provided. However, the first article is an exception since there are instances where the author uses both long and short paragraphs. To get the number of words used in a sentence, I saw best to use averages as the numbers were not constant. An average of 21 words per statement was noted using random sentences selected in the articles.

Simple Sentences. Considering that there are four texts used in this paper, it is vital to work with averages to provide the needed insight into the statistics. There were very few simple sentences in all pieces provided, mostly because the details were intricate. An average of 10 simple sentences was noted in each article.

Complex Sentences. There were significantly more complex statements compared to simple ones. A complex sentence makes use of independent and dependent clauses. From the readings, an average of 15 complex statements was identified. Therefore, there were more complex statements than simple ones, mostly because of the authors' content.

Compound Sentences. Such statements are those believed to consist of at least two independent clauses. The articles had a great show of compound sentences. I managed to identify an average of 13 compound statements in the texts analyzed. Therefore, while they were not as many as complex statements, they were more than simple ones.

Complex/Compound Sentences. This type was rare, and I only managed to pick one or two statements for the readings provided. I noted one in Olabisi’s interview, where she talks about a hip implant and stress shielding. I also think a statement where she mentions about labeling COVID as an airborne disease as another example.

Adjectives and Adverbs. They were used in all four examples. I noted an average of five adverbs and five adjectives in each article.

Sentences and Vocabulary. All sentences were interestingly done in an active voice. While most of the vocabulary was simple, technical terms were used when necessary.

Additional Information

Claims or Arguments. The first article brings out an interesting argument based on claims that there is a significant difference in school and work life. A general acceptance is expressed throughout the claims made. I agree with the author that, in most cases, new employees realize that the kind of work they are subjected to may have very little to do with the content learned in school. As for the other articles, a general argument tries to note the connection between different engineering forms and how chemical engineering relates to all. None of the claims made were rejected or controversial. Therefore, I believe the authors did an incredible job of expressing their thoughts and ideas articulately and without any form of bias.

The Writing Structure. The article talking about the transition from school to work has a general feel where the author maintains the flow of information without being too specific at any given moment. This scenario differs when comparing with the interview articles. It is essential to note that they begin with a broad spectrum in the introduction and narrowing down to specific thoughts, ideas, and experiences expressed by the interviewees. These articles are also sub-divided into different sections with sub-headings. The headings represent the various topics tackled by Segovia while interacting with Olabisi and Belinda. Therefore, different texts are used in different texts, which is probably due to the different topics and authors.

Convincing Evidence. In my opinion, I believe the first article deals with hypothetical scenarios and relies on the experiences of other older professionals. Therefore, while the evidence may sound convincing, it is vital to note that not all work environments are the same. But from a general perspective, relying on the advice pointed out by experienced peers may be beneficial for young students and graduates. The convincing evidence in the other articles is based on pictorial representations and testaments from the interviewees. From reading the articles, one can ascertain who is providing the information and whether it is credible since most of the content provided is based on factual theories and practices. Therefore, the information provided seems credible and trustworthy.

Tone. In the first article, there is a rather informal tone by how the author expresses his thoughts and opinions. This style is also enhanced by stylistic devices, which are mostly avoided in formal reports. The difference is well noted in the other pieces since they were interviews that were later transcribed. There is a formal tone in the remaining articles, noting that the interviewees were clear, concise, and straight to the point. Both tones worked perfectly in their respective areas.

The Writing Styles. I believe the first article struck a balance between descriptive and expository writing. Since the writer was attempting to convey information about the transition mode from campus life to the work environment, a bit of expository writing was used. But since the author was describing thoughts and opinions, I feel he may have mixed both though in excellent fashion. The interview articles were mainly expository, considering that the scientists were using facts and figures to share theories. Therefore, both writing styles were noted in the text analysis.

Formatting. The first article followed an essay format, noting an introduction, body, and conclusion. As for the other articles, it is essential to note that they followed a question-answer format. Each question regarded certain topics the interviewer presented to the participants. Thus, the formats were well structured and streamlined to pass information without any issues noted.

Topics. The main topic in the first article was about how to transition from school life into work environments. I think the author may have missed out on some of the negative aspects of workspaces, such as toxic management in some isolated cases. As for the other articles, the main topics regarded the different engineering challenges in biotechnology, medical science, computational systems, and chemical engineering. All topics were well handled and concluded.

Strategies. I like to think that all authors use persuasive skills to convince the readers to read more. For instance, the first author used personal thoughts and ideas to entertain readers, while the other made sure to provide intricate details about the topics covered. Thus, both authors did a marvelous job.

Conclusion

A discourse community should dedicate its time and resources to empower its members through sharing a set of values, principles, and assumptions. The organization's main ways to communicate are through physical conferences, events, webinars, and sharing articles. Since the three former communication methods require a live audience, the articles suffice as the best alternatives to conduct a textual analysis. Therefore, the selection of four example articles works as a great way to detail what the organization is about and how it communicates.