Potentially, A Piece to the Puzzle

   Despite the medical breakthroughs of our time, the cause(s) of autism are still unknown and there is no cure for the condition.  However, autism researchers have just received permission from the US Federal and Drug Administration to begin a research study testing the effectiveness of a child’s own stem cells from their own umbilical cord blood as a treatment for the disorder.  This is an informational, very objective article that author Mary Brophy Marcus, reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer, appeared to be directing towards the general American population interested in medicine and diseases (like autism). Marcus does a good job using logos to appeal to the audience and enable them to follow the flow of the facts presented in the article.  She also does a commendable job qualifying herself through the quotes and opinions of respected physicians who will and will not be directly involved with the study, which shows an effective use of ethos in establishing her credibility.  However, Marcus hardly varies her syntax, consistently structuring sentences, “___ said, ‘quote,’” (subject verb quote). By backing up and establishing herself as a reliable source, I think the article’s basic purpose of explaining the study to the reader is accomplished.  However, I feel that the article might have made a larger impression on the reader had Marcus used more varied devices to reach out to the audience.