ICW: Prewriting for Rhetorical Case Study

Prewriting- Rhetorical Case Study

· What connects your sources? As you write, you’ll likely come to a start of a controlling idea.
o My sources are divided into two for the genetic causes of Autism and two for the possible vaccine causes of Autism. My fifth source details the statistics of Autism, especially noting the growing prevalence of the disorder. While there is not a great deal of conflict or contention dealing with the possible genetic influences, the idea of the vaccines causing them has caused a lot of debate. One source, a court ruling from the Federal Court of Claims, states that vaccines were not the cause of Autism in the children of three families. They stated that enough hard evidence wasn’t presented to support the claim. Several mothers that replied to the Drs message board after their show on vaccines and autism presented a different viewpoint. The mothers felt that they had lost their kids to Autism within days of their vaccines.
o Controlling Idea: There has been controversy as to whether vaccines have caused Autism or if there is a genetic cause of Autism. One major reason there is a debate is that children get vaccinated prior to age 5 and Autism is normally diagnosed in the time between birth and age 3; there is a definite overlap.
· How would I organize my sources in my essay? Spend a little time narrating why I chose the organization pattern I did.
o Organization
§ Intro dealing with Autism, present some facts about Autism
§ Genetic causes of Autism and analysis
· MedScape Study (2005)
· Washington University Study (2007)
§ Vaccines causing Autism and analysis
· Court Ruling
· Drs Message Board
§ Conclusion tying the different viewpoints together and ending with some more stats from my 5th source
o Why?
§ My sources for the genetics of Autism fit together in that they both researched the same topic. An interesting not is that the 1st source was from 2005 and the 2nd was from 2007. In those two years, much research has been done and the genes in question have been narrowed even more. As there is more contention around the vaccines, I have them after the genetics to present another possibility for the increases in diagnosis. The court rulings stated that the vaccines didn’t cause the Autism affecting three families while the message board presents mothers’ pleas that their children were “lost” to Autism soon after being vaccinated. My 5th source deals more with the statistics of Autism and these stats will be inserted into the introduction and the conclusion
· How do you plan to transition between your sources?
o Intro to Source 1
§ There has been a lot of research conducted in the last several years looking into the possible genetic causes of Autism.
o Source 1 to Source 2
§ A more recent study was conducted two years following this one and has managed to narrow the focus of the genetics of Autism.
o Source 2 to Source 3
§ While many scientists are investigating the genetics of Autism, many families have voiced concerns that their children’s vaccinations caused the onset of Autism
o Source 3 to Source 4
§ The Federal Court of Claims may have ruled that the vaccinations weren’t the cause of the Autism affecting these families, however, for several mothers replying to the Drs message board, vaccines were the cause of their children’s disorder.
o Source 4 to Conclusion
§ The mothers’ viewpoints on the vaccinations impacting their child’s Autism have presented one possible cause.