The Idea of an Essay, Volume 2

60 Regardless of the end product, writing in this field requires the development and implementation of key skills that allow occupational therapists to effectively communicate findings, analyses, and evaluations. One such example is the 2012 academic research article entitled, “Evidence-based practice in occupational therapy services for children with autism spectrum disorders in Victoria, Australia,” by Masne Kadar, Rachael McDonald, and Primrose Lentin. These researchers sought to simultaneously inform and persuade their audience—primarily occupational therapy practices—by carefully developing a highly structured article that addressed the need for change within the field. To begin with, they first captured the attention of the audience by explaining the relevancy and importance of their study: “Globally, the incidence of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased substantially over recent years” (284). They then built on this foundation by developing a strong sense of credibility. Unlike the implementation of ethos in more informal works of writing that might rely on developing voice, the authors of this article established ethos through strong supporting evidence from outside resources. In one particular instance, they remark, “This result [of professionals collaborating] is consistent with the finding from the Watling et al. (1999a) survey that occupational therapists regularly collaborate with other professionals during both the evaluation and intervention process” (290). Through statements such as these, Kadar, McDonald, and Lentin establish the legitimacy of their research, thereby enabling their audience to perceive it as truth. In crafting this paper, the authors further develop their credibility through concise presentation of information. They present their material through a format closely resembling that of the scientific method. Broken into eight main categories, it includes the following headings: “Background,” “Introduction,” “Methods,” “Results,” “Discussion,” “Conclusion,” “Acknowledgments,” and “References.” This structure, including both data tables and written paragraph form, not only makes the paper easier to read and comprehend, but it also creates a concise, formal tone. With the titles and subtitles differentiating between sections, Kadar, McDonald, and Lentin avoid any unnecessary, wordy transitions. Each section merely discusses exactly that which its heading identifies. The results section in particular remains concise, presenting the findings without