Annotated Bibliography

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Seeing as my controversy was a medical topic, I will be using the AMA style for the citations below.

Annotated Bibliography

Ajibade D, Vance D, Hare J, Kaplan L, Lesniak B. Emerging Applications of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine to Sports Injuries. Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine. 2014;2(2). doi:10.1177/2325967113519935. 

The authors in this scholarly journal wrote the article in the attempt to address that stem cells and regenerative medicine are new ways in which athletes are going about treating their injuries; they also discuss the safety concerns that come along with these therapies. The primary audience for this journal is orthopedic doctors and surgeons, other scholars, and individuals researching the effect of stem cell transplants/injections/etc. on the human body. The scholars' purpose was to stress that while these new therapies offer new alternatives and stronger recoveries, caution must be taken as more studies need to be done before the therapies will be considered safe to practice. The authors split up the article into sections where they discussed what stem cells where, where they could be extracted from, current clinical applications, and controversies these therapies have brought up in the sports world. I will use this source in my analysis when discussing how stem cell treatments can impact athletes.

EurekAlert!. UH Case Medical Center investigating adult stem cells for sports injuries.  2015. Available at: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-08/uhcm-ucm082015.php. Accessed September 6, 2015.

The UH Case Medical Center released this article in order to announce that the use of stem cells to treat sports injuries might be allowed in the United States sooner than anticipated. The audience of this article is various physicians and individuals that were looking into the procedure that had to rely on leaving the country to have it done because of FDA regulations. The purpose of the article is to highlight the study involving mesenchymal stem cells going on in the MSC conference in 2015; the pilot trial will involve using an individuals own MSC cells (types of stem cells) to treat their own injuries. If it is successful, athletes may no longer have to travel outside the U.S. to hsve the procedure done. I will use this social media source in my analysis when discussing how little official research has been done to help determine the efficacy of stem cells transplants in accordance with injuries.

Ismail A. Stem Cell Research and Ethics: An Update. Oman Medical Journal [serial online]. January 2015:1, 2. Available from: Academic Search Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed September 5, 2015.

In her scholarly article, Ismail attempts to convey the ethical concerns of individuals that are against stem cell research. Her primary audience includes other scholars, researchers, and academic individuals interested in the ethics involved with stem cells. The purpose of the article is to reveal why many individuals raise issues with the concept of such research, which involves pathos and individual values/beliefs. She discusses how most of the controversy begins at the question “When does life begin?” This question ties both political and religious ideology, and is thus why it has become such a controversial topic. This relates to my topic by arguing the opposing viewpoint and showing that the reason some people do not support the research is because of ethics. I plan to use this article for quotes in my analysis when stating why individuals disapprove of the use of stem cells.

Phillips T. Pros and Cons of Stem Cell Research. Aboutcom Money. Available at: http://biotech.about.com/od/bioethics/i/issuestemcells_2.htm. Accessed September 4, 2015.

Theresa Phillips wrote this article in order to give a general overview on stem cell research as well as to provide readers with a sense of the arguments for and against the controversy. Her primary audience is the general public, as it is written in a very informative yet casual style. Phillips describes the controversy of stem cells, how it is now changing, and how stem cells have impacted the lives of many individuals. The purpose of the article is to argue both sides of the debate- it shows the positives and the negatives. She writes more arguments under the “Pros” heading, but the arguments under the “Cons” heading weigh heavier on an individual’s values and morals. She shows how this type of research can be extremely beneficial, yet difficult for many to accept. I plan to use this article in my analysis when I first introduce the topic of stem cell research and when I discuss the various reasons for support/opposition on the topic.

Porucznik M. Forum Examines Stem Cells in Orthopaedics. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. 2014. Available at: http://www.aaos.org/news/aaosnow/apr14/cover3.asp. Accessed September 4, 2015.

Porucznik wrote this article in order to create a better understanding of the use of stem cells in orthopedics today. Her primary audience is other academics and people interested in how stem cells are being used in the orthopedic world today. She reveals that there are many types of stem cells, that bone marrow stem cell transplants have been happening for years, and that there are some problems when determining how to deliver and manage the stem cells safely. Due to the lack of research in the field, it is difficult for physicians and researchers to know exactly how much this type of therapy would work on different injuries. Until more research can be done to learn how to control the pathways of the growth of stem cells, it makes it impossible for diseases such as osteoarthritis to be treated. I plan to use this article when defending my claim that research should be allowed on stem cells in order to determine their effectiveness.

Schrotenboer B. Companies offer athletes hope with questionable stem cell treatments. USA TODAY. 2015. Available at: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2015/09/01/stem-cells-fda-athletes-joseph-purita-rolando-mcclain/71504998/. Accessed September 6, 2015.

This lengthy article was provided in a link by a Biomedical Ethicist at Stanford University over Twitter. The piece was written in order to reveal how athletes might have different treatment options other than surgery when they develop injuries. The intended audience for this article is athletes along with the general public that is interested in stem cells and their benefits. The purpose of the source was to discuss how a new company has developed a mixture of human cells derived from one’s own fat called “The Soup” in order to treat athletes' injuries. The article even lists off a few athletes that had released their names and gone through the treatment before. They all claimed that the treatment was faster than surgery and rehab, and left them feeling wonderful shortly after the treatment. The popularity for such treatments was so immense that it led to an FDA shutdown (of a different company) and had created problems for the industry ever since; however, the company that manufactures the “soup” believes it can make the market. I will be using this source in my analysis when discussing how stem cell treatments are being severely restricted in America even though it seems to have helped many individuals.

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Reflection

While reading my classmates' blogs, I was able to determine that I was on the right track with my annotations and citation styles. For example, I read and commented on Davis' bibliography (who also used AMA formatting for his citations) and determined we were both on the same track with formatting. His annotations helped show me that mine weren't too over-the-top, and had an appropriate amount of detail. 

Furthermore, when I read and commented on Laura's annotated bibliography, I was able to see her annotations were similar in length and planning. Her annotations also provided enough information to actually learn about her topic, which has inspired me to take a second look at my annotations to ensure that others gain interest in my topic when they read about my sources and what not. While her citations were in MLA format, they helped me understand a little more about what different fields focus on when citing a source. 

All in all, the reflection process helped me learn more about how I would like to approach my audience, alter my annotations, and whether or not I was properly formatting my citations. I want to attempt to make my annotations a little more engaging, this way the rhetoric can help attract people that might not otherwise be interested in my topic. Lastly, I think commenting and reflecting on other posts is a very important part of the writing process; it gives you a better understanding of what you are doing right, and what you are doing wrong.