Considering Delivery and Style

CONSIDERING DELIVERY AND STYLE

This week, we were asked to find a blog, a trade journal or newspaper article, and a scholarly article written by a professional in our chosen field. We were then asked to compare the differences in their styles of writing and delivery in order to compare their audience and purpose. I found an online blog about occupational therapy and compared it to a article I found from The Washington Post and an article published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AJOT). The biggest difference I noticed right away is the how formal each of the writings were.

BLOG

The blog entries were written in the most informal way. There was so specific structure I found that they stuck to. The informality, to me, suggests that they are writing for an audience such as the general public or anyone who is interested in learning the basic facts about occupational therapy. They don't necessarily use terms that only professional occupational therapists would understand and don't go into incredible depth and detail in their blogs. Their purpose is more to introduce people to world of occupational therapy and give them general knowledge about the different topics they write about.

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

The article from The Washington Post was written more formally then the blog entries. The writer was writing to an audience like the general public, but mostly those in or around Washington D.C. The purpose of this article was not to teach people about occupational therapy, but rather share a very inspirational story with others about a triple-amputee who formed a life long bond with his occupational therapist. The use of dialogue in this article also shows another difference in the style of writing, and is appropriate due to the fact that they are telling a story, not just writing something informational.

 JOURNAL

The AJOT article was the most formal of all three writings. They used very formal language and structure, and more in detail descriptions. The researchers used words that only other professionals or researchers with an already developed knowledge in occupational therapy would understand, such as "socioderagraphic variables, anthropometric measures, and Peabody Developmental Motor Skills, Second Edition." The audience they are writing for is a more professional and educated group than the blog, and it is not for someone who is just beginning to learn about occupational therapy. Their purpose is to publish their studies for other professionals and researchers in the field to read and review.

Compare their styles here - Blog , Newspaper Article ,  AJOT article

WORKS CITED 

Bellows, Laura; Davies, Patricia; Anderson, Jennifer and Kennedy Catherine. "Effectiveness of a Physical Activity Intervention for Head Start Preschoolers: A Randomized Intervention Study." American Journal of Occupational Therapists. 67.1. (2013): 28-36. Web. 2 February 2013. 

"Sensory Food Aversion or Picky Eater." Occupational Therapy. Wordpress. Web. 2 February 2013.

Ruane, Michael. "Triple amputee and occupational therapist for bond of bothers during soldier's recovery." The Washington Post 4 December. Web. 7 February 2013.