Comparative Genre Analysis

Genetic engineering has been an area of research of extreme relevance many scientific articles,
educational videos, as well as other genres have been made to convey information as well as different
ideas and perspectives of genome biology. The following genres regarding genetic engineering have
been analyzed and compared to increase our understanding of the aspects that distinguish each of these
genres. “A Prudent Path Forward for Genomic Engineering and Germline Gene Modification,” is a
scientific research article that was release in 2015 by the American Association for the Advancement of
Science. Following this article, we will analyze the YouTube video, “Genetic Engineering Will Change
Everything Forever- CRISP.” This video was published by the YouTube channel Kurzgesagt- In a Nutshell
in August 10, 2016. Analyzing the purpose, delivery, and the use of rhetoric appeals in each genres
structure will allow us to become better writers of these, and it will also depend our understanding of
the information being presented.
The purpose of the genre is typically responsible for the audience that it is meant for. For
example, if the purpose of a book is to inform about a subject then the audience would most likely be
that who’s interested or knows about that subject. The author is then able to find the best way to
effectively convey the information to the expected audience. The article “A Prudent Path Forward for
Genomic Engineering and Germline Gene Modification,” purpose is to deliver information to scientist to
encourage the research of genomic modification as well as the safe practices of it. The expected
audience must be knowledgeable with genome biology; therefore, the author does not have to focus on
explaining scientific terms or data. The following sentence was extracted from the article, “It is critical to
implement appropriate and standardized benchmarking methods to determine the frequency of off-
target effects and to assess the physiology of cells and tissues that have undergone genome editing.”
We can observe that the author knows that his audience will understand the language without a
problem because he doesn’t try to imply the meaning of difficult words within the text. The author
focuses on explaining the unknown information to the audience and making its point clear. The YouTube
video which has a relatively similar purpose is intended for a much less knowledgeable audience. The
purpose of the video, “Genetic Engineering Will Change Everything Forever- CRISP,” is to inform about
genetic engineering and raise awareness towards it. We know that the author did not expect a
knowledgeable audience primarily because the video begins by explaining the concept and providing
details as well as visuals to allow his intended audience to understand. Therefore, by analyzing we can
determine that the video is meant for a general audience that is researching the subject or just drawn in
by the information. By comparing both genres, we see that the purpose and audience make a huge
effect on the delivery of the information presented by each.
An author if good at constructing different genres must be able to define the method of delivery
that best suits the corresponding audience and purpose. As previously analyzed the purpose of the
scientific article in part is to persuade research for genetic engineering methods, the author knows that
the information must be presented in a convincing manner. Because of this the article states all the
benefits and innovations that would be brought into the world by genome modification. The very first
sentence of the article reads as follows, “Genome engineering technology offers unparalleled potential
for modifying human and nonhuman genomes.” From the beginning the author is trying to ensure a
positive reaction from the audience by doing this. He then continues to explain the possible downfalls to
modifying and altering genomes. Then again, he sugars coats the unpleasant news by providing the
possible solutions making the audience question itself about it causing intrigue. By delivering the
information in this sequence the author achieves his purpose. The video as well seems to have a
sequence in which information is delivered to make the most sense to the audience. A series of
historical discoveries and events that allowed the modification of genes form the introduction of the
video. Common knowledge about the subject is given at the beginning to ensure that the audience
doesn’t become overwhelmed by unknown terms or ideas throughout the video. Doing so will prevent
the audience from leaving the video unseen due to lack of understanding and will keep them engaged.
Throughout the video this sequence of explanation is done with every new idea that is presented. The
genre allows for the author to cover a large amount of information in a very short amount of time. The
delivery is suitable for the purpose and audience because it provides visuals and narration of the
information allowing it to give life to the ideas, leading the audience to retain the information. The
images shown for each idea impact the response of the audience toward that idea, making it a
strategical approach to managing emotional appeals as well. Both genres achieve their purpose through
different methods of delivery, but they both include a specific sequence to the delivery of their
information. The sequencing strategies used could be compared to problem and solution for the article
and chronological order of events for the video.
Being able to generate distinct emotions within an audience results from good use of rhetorical
appeals. Ethos, logos, and pathos allow the audience to create opinions and make decisions by
appealing to their beliefs, knowledge, and emotions. For example in the article regarding genetic
engineering ethos is used in the following statement , “Although characterized by some as another form
of “germline” engineering, mitochondrial transfer raises different issues and has already been approved
by the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority and by Parliament in the United Kingdom, and is
being considered by the Institute of Medicine and the Food and Drug Administration in the United
States ” The author includes other known sources and organizations to generate credibility to the
information. The most prevailing rhetorical appeal in both genres is logos. This is mainly because the
purpose of both is to inform, therefore the authors include facts, historical events, and data to appeal to
the logic of the audience. Rhetorical appeals are essential for achieving the purpose of a genre, as well
as all the aspects previously analyzed.
After analyzing and comparing the two genres selected, we can now focus on determining what
makes them different from each other. The scientific article focused on the introduction of new
information leaving no space for explaining the scientific terminology being used. It is expected as the
genre indicates that science will be addressed. The video has a mode of delivery that is quite different
because it can show visuals of the information that is being explained. These outstand as the most
significant differences between these two genres. The aspects unique to a genre, make the genre.
 References

Baltimore, D., Berg, P., Botchan, M., Carroll, D., Charo, R. A., Church, G., . . . Yamamoto, K. R. (2015). A
prudent path forward for genomic engineering and germline gene modification. Science,348(6230), 36-
38. doi:10.1126/science.aab1028

Kurzgesagt- In a Nutshell YouTube (Producer). (2016, August 10). Genetic Engineering Will Change
Everything Forever- CRISP[Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAhjPd4uNFY&t=12s