The Mask of the Official Style

            There are many characteristics to the official style that lend to a writer’s ability to hide what they truly have to say. We may call this beating around the bush or avoidance. Many use this to their advantage in hiding the truth of unexpected findings after completing a study. Identification of an age-dependent biomarker signature in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders has many authors all of whom are professors throughout Europe with an interest in autism spectrum disorders. The research was conducted to get a further understanding behind the molecular portion of the disorders. The research was completed for parents of one or more children with a disorder on the spectrum; so that, they can understand what is going on the inside of their child or children. The excerpt being analyzed is a portion of the conclusion, just following the results, in the study.

            In the beginning, the article explains why the study was completed, what the procedure entailed, and what came of the process. After this long-winded explanation, approximately half of the conclusion was evaluating the uselessness of this study. In a very verbose and extensive fashion the professors explain how the experiment has no confident standing in the field of science. The professors even said, “Another limiting factor was the small number of clinical serum samples tested using the multiplex analysis,” which means that it did not follow the standard sample size needed to make the study have any relevance; therefore, re-conducting the study is near impossible because of the lack of samples. Another difficulty with the procedure the professors pointed out  is, “It would be more accurate to repeat the study under prospective conditions in which multiple samples are taken from the same subjects over time, although this is most likely impractical and will result in a high dropout rate,”  so samples should be tested throughout years with the same subjects, but most would not want to stay with all of the testing. This example sentence shows the slow sentence opening of the Official Style which is distracting from the content.  

            The style used in the writing uses complex and scientific wording that has to be simplified by any average reader, such as a parent, to be understood. According to the professors, “the current finding should be considered as preliminary.” Which is a euphemistic way that the results mean nothing at this point. This goes to show just that the study has no factual information that could be used in any want for gaining knowledge on a personal level. The only reason that this study would be productive is to use as reference of what not to do and find new ways of bettering the procedures. The wording used will show those in the field of science quickly just how the study has no relevance in the furthering of knowledge on the subject of autism spectrum disorders. However, the use of the Official Style in this prolonged conclusion makes it very euphemistic for the parents; it shows them how much we still do not know about their child’s disorder and how difficult it is to gain knowledge on helping them.

            The professors that put in all of the work on this write-up of their findings used the Official Style to make the time and effort spent seem influential in history; however, there is a moral conflict with it being written this way. Parents of children with autism want to read studies that will aid in their understanding, but reading this is just a waste of time for them. The human activity system of this document has a main focus on the parents and children and the effect the study has on them. This study could make them lose their ambition in finding help or faith in scientists to discover the answers.

There are many foundations that raise money towards the research of autism spectrum disorders; and when those people hear that there was another study done that got researchers nowhere in their efforts, it is upsetting. But, the professors try to say this is in a way that gives the parents false hope. It says that if the study was done again with all of the changes stated there would be results helping them move forward but with that comes the need for more funds. The passive voice used from the Official Style hides that the professors misused their own time and others money with this study. The authors of the study hide behind the mask of the Official Style.

E. West