Rhetorical Analysis of Academic Journal

Me holding the "Engineering and Mining Journal" Jan-June 2014 edition.

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? Cite specific details from the journal issue in your answers. 

There are too many articles/authors to search through honestly.  However, there are a number of editors whom are credited in the beginning of the journal:  Gavin du Venage, Joseph Kirschke, and Steve Fiscor.  Steve Fiscor is the editor-in-chief of the journal, and has had this role since 2003.  Kirschke is the news editor for Mining Media International, and has been a longtime journalist.  All of the authors and editors are portrayed professionally in the journal.  The articles read like the news, just on the topic of engineering.

An example for the voice used in the articles is, "Pan American Silver is expanding its La Colorada silver mine in Zacatecas, Mexico, based on the positive results of a preliminary economic assessment." (Page 12).


Who is the intended audience for this particular journal issue? How can you tell? Are there any secondary audiences included here? Cite specific details from the journal issue in your answers. 

The intended audience for this journal is people interested in recent events regarding engineering and mining.  I'm pretty sure this is the case because the journal is titled Engineering and Mining Journal, and all of the articles are basically news reports and op-eds about the said topic.  I don't believe there is a secondary audience because normal people wouldn't care about the journal's contents.  For example, an example headline in the journal is, "Guyana Goldfields Commits to Developing Aurora Gold Project."  I suppose you could argue people interested in gold mining could be an intended audience, but this is just one article out of hundreds, and I doubt that just because one article is about gold, an intended audience is people interested in gold.

What is the context surrounding this particular journal issue? How does this affect the content of the journal? (See the bulleted questions on Student's Guide page 180 for specific questions about context). Cite specific details from the journal issue in your answers. 

The journal is about events that recently occurred that are related to mining and engineering.  It is written for people with such interests.  The locations of the news stories varies, with articles being about events that are around the world.  For instance, the opening address from the editors discusses Nelson Mandela's (a South African) contribution to mining, and another article is related to gold in Mexico.

What is the overall message of the journal issue? How did you decide this? Cite specific details from the journal issue in your answers. 

The overall message of the journal is to inform the reader about events in the engineering and mining fields.  I decided this because that is the title of the journal, and from looking at the articles, which are all events related to engineering and mining.  

What purpose is the journal issue trying to achieve? Cite specific details from the journal issue in your answers. 

The purpose of the journal is to inform as well as persuade.  The persuasion comes from the good number of advertisements that are present in the journal.  For example, the first page of the journal is an advertisement for Atlas Copco's newly upgraded DM30 II, and it provides details to acquire further information.