Rhetorical Analysis of Academic Journal

I will explore the rhetorical strategies employed in the entry/article Effectiveness of a Pharmacist-Physician Collaborative Program to Manage Influenza-like Illness from the  Journal of American Pharmacists Association.

Rhetorical Analysis

1. Who are the authors/speakers published in this specific issue of the academic journal you've selected? How many different authors are published here? What do you know - or can you find out - about these people? How are the authors/speakers portrayed in the journal issue?

The authors/speakers published in the specific issue of the academic journal seem to be either Professors from Universities all across the Nation or private researchers. For example, Donald Klepser is a Professor at the University of Nebraska, while William Shrank is the Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer for CVS. There are a variety of different authors that are published here or in other words there isn't a set/core group of writers. I am able to find out information about the writers/speakers just be simply googling them. I can find out where they went to school, their current jobs, and how many dogs that they have. I would say that the authors/speakers are portrayed as medical professionals in this journal issue.

2. Who is the intended audience for this particular journal issue? How can you tell? Are there any secondary audiences included here?

The intended audience for this particular journal issue is for anyone and everyone. It is even intended for those hoping to go into the pharmaceutical field one day. It has articles about current events in the pharmacy world as well as information regarding current research projects/findings. The journal also contains sections on Experiences, Departments, and Features. As for secondary audiences I think that this journal isn't just limited to the Pharmaceutical field. I think that anyone in the health profession could find this journal interesting. 

3. What is the context surrounding this particular journal issue? How does this affect the content of the journal?  

The context surround this journal issue is more focused on the current issues. For example, there are article regarding influenza and vaccines. These two topics are considered "popular" by contemporary standards. However, if a majority of the article are all regarding the same topic then the content is fairly specialized/centralized. Therefore, it is important to find a balance between popular and minuscule pharmaceutical issues.

4. What is the overall message of the journal issue? How did you decide this?

I wouldn't say that there is one overall message of the journal issue. I think that as a whole the journal is just simply relaying current pharmaceutical advances/issues. Upon looking at the Table of Content I realized that there was no real connection between the different articles that were published. This led me to conclude that there really isn't an overall message, but rather just a desire to relay current information. 

5. What purpose is the journal issue trying to achieve?

The purpose of this journal issue to keep the pharmacy world connected to one another through these articles. It keeps people "in the loop" or up to date with current issues in the field.