American Institute of Biological Sciences Introduction Discourse community defines as a group of people sharing the same goals and interests and they are trying to share these values by communicating. According to Swales discourse community the way people communicate with each other to achieve common goals and interests. The organization I have chosen in my field is the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) , the organization is a scientific organization that promotes the importance of using science to make decision regarding biology to improve the society. It has been founded in 1947 as a part of the National Academy of Sciences and it became independent organization three years later. Since 1950s until today the organization is promoting and focusing on biology and it is importance. Biology is basically the basic of our lives. As a biology major student and as a health major student I understand the importance of the organization. It promoting a very important topic that could be forgotten, which is biology. Researchers after researching for many years they tend to forget about the basics and about the things that control and affect every results of their search. That is why this organization is very important. The organization members believe they can achieve that by communicating with each other independently, and by communicating with young researchers and students who are still learning the basics of biology. The organization represents the importance of the basics of this filed as everything is build on each other and every fact depends on the other one, so it is important to shade the lights on these small details. The community of American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) focus on discussing public concerns and help in solving them. The organization is financed by people and organizations who are interested. The organization members are almost 40 members who are working full time. According to Swales first character that the organization member share the same goals and interests and they “agreed” on it. In the organization I chosen the group member share the same common goals, which are the uses of biology to make decisions that would change the future of sciences and communities. They also share the goals of improving the public education by introducing more concepts and facts to the educational books in schools and universities. The members of the organization of the American Institute of Biological Sciences provide workshops to publics, too, to the people who are interested in biological sciences. According to Swales second character organization members the way and the mechanism people communicate with each other is important. The organization I have chosen they have special way to communicate as they have weekly outside meetings, and they have groups in social media they communicate with each other through it, and they have a page online where new members can join them and learn more about the organization.

1. American Institute of Biological Sciences
Introduction
Discourse community defines as a group of people sharing the
same goals and interests and they are trying to share these
values by communicating. According to Swales discourse
community the way people communicate with each other to
achieve common goals and interests. The organization I have
chosen in my field is the American Institute of Biological
Sciences (AIBS) , the organization is a scientific organization
that promotes the importance of using science to make decision
regarding biology to improve the society. It has been founded in
1947 as a part of the National Academy of Sciences and it
became independent organization three years later. Since 1950s
until today the organization is promoting and focusing on
biology and it is importance. Biology is basically the basic of
our lives. As a biology major student and as a health major
student I understand the importance of the organization. It
promoting a very important topic that could be forgotten, which
is biology. Researchers after researching for many years they
tend to forget about the basics and about the things that control
and affect every results of their search. That is why this
organization is very important. The organization members
believe they can achieve that by communicating with each other
independently, and by communicating with young researchers
and students who are still learning the basics of biology. The
organization represents the importance of the basics of this filed
as everything is build on each other and every fact depends on
the other one, so it is important to shade the lights on these
small details.
The community of American Institute of Biological Sciences
(AIBS) focus on discussing public concerns and help in solving
them. The organization is financed by people and organizations
who are interested. The organization members are almost 40

2. members who are working full time.
According to Swales first character that the organization
member share the same goals and interests and they “agreed” on
it. In the organization I chosen the group member share the
same common goals, which are the uses of biology to make
decisions that would change the future of sciences and
communities. They also share the goals of improving the public
education by introducing more concepts and facts to the
educational books in schools and universities. The members of
the organization of the American Institute of Biological
Sciences provide workshops to publics, too, to the people who
are interested in biological sciences.
According to Swales second character organization members the
way and the mechanism people communicate with each other is
important. The organization I have chosen they have special
way to communicate as they have weekly outside meetings, and
they have groups in social media they communicate with each
other through it, and they have a page online where new
members can join them and learn more about the organization.
They also have offices with 40 members who work full time
jobs in the organization and organize the meetings and the
studies.
The third character Swales addressed is the sharing of
information and feedbacks, and the support the organization
receives, as group member can share their thoughts and new
ideas with the organization head or president to improve it. The
organization the American Institute of Biological Sciences they
share feedbacks and information online as they have a separate
section that they can get the feedbacks on them. The
organization receives financial support from other organization
and members who are able to finance it. Sometimes and in some
specific events the organization receive financial support from
the government. Because the organization is a government
organization. The workshops managed by the organization funds

3. goes to the account of the organization, too.
According to Swales the fourth character is the way needed to
communicate with each other such as newsletters, scholarly
journal articles, trade magazines, blogs, and website. The
organization I have chosen they have many ways of
communications they have online website, telephone number
and they have an office. They also have offices people can
communicate with them through them and they have also E-
mails people can communicate, suggest, and ask them questions
via E-mails or online.
The fifth Swales’ character the organization represents specific
vocabulary and words common between the group members. The
organization American Institute of Biological Sciences uses
specific words very common in the biology field that some
people might face a hard time understanding it. The
organization posts scholar articles online that non-sciences
people might face a hard time in understanding them or reading
them easily.
The sixth point Swales’ character represented that new member
can communicate and have a voice in the organization, too. And
allowing the new members to be active members in the groups.
The organization American Institute of Biological Sciences
welcomes the new members specially the young interested
students and researchers. The organization is open for anyone
interested with an easy access and many different locations
around Washington, D.C., and Virginia. Its locations are Reston
and downtown Washington.
Conclusion
In this paper discourse community defined as a group of
people sharing the same goals and interests and they are trying
to share these values by communicating, . And the organization
I have chosen is the organization American Institute of
Biological Sciences that uses the sciences of biology and
communicate with people interested in this field and that is a
huge benefit to people who are interested and want to learn
more about the topic. The importance of the organization

4. American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS), and the
importance of the discourse community in two different fields,
and complaining the two shows the strength of the two
concepts. The benefits of the organization that it is an approved
government organization and the leader is elected the members
of the bored.
References
Swales, John. ‘The Concept of Discourse Community.” Genre
Analysis: English in Academic and Research Settings.
Cambridge UP, 1990. Pp. 21-32
The American Institute of Biological Science
https://www.aibs.org/home
Running head: PARIS TERRORIST ATTACK 1
PARIS TERRORIST ATTACK 7
Two Perspectives on Paris Terrorist Attack
Abdulrahman Taieb
George Mason University

5. Two Perspectives on Paris Terrorist Attack
It is not a secret that we live in a world becoming more unsafe
with every passing day. Among the many threats facing the
world today, terrorism ranks highly. Terrorists struck France,
and when they did, major media outlets and newspapers were
there to cover the story. The story was the same, but it was
featured differently in different newspapers. This difference in
perspectives can clearly be seen by examining two newspaper
articles from The Washington Post and Forbes. In the articles
titled “This is Why the Paris Attacks Have Gotten More News
Coverage Than Other Terrorist Attacks,” published in The
Washington Post, Brian Phillips (2015) explores how terrorists
arranged an attack on France and why the unfortunate incident
generated more media coverage that other related incidents. On
the other hand, Laurie Laird (2015), in the article “The Paris
Attacks and the Economic Impact of Terrorism,” published in
Forbes, digs into the same issue, while focusing more on its
economic effects on the country. However, despite generally
addressing the same topic, the two authors differ significantly
in their approach and usage of styles. Although both articles
discuss the Paris terrorist attack, they are written differently
based on each publication’s intended audience.
Being a newspaper that circulates mainly in the District of
Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, The Washington Post is read
by a varying set of readers, who are diverse in age, outlook
perspectives, and even political views. Undoubtedly, the
newspaper is largely liberal; hence, its views will tend to range
from the political center towards the left. The newspaper is read
by the general public, who may not be in need of having
detailed information about specific and technical issues. This
can be deduced from the way Phillips (2015) introduces his
article. He notes, “It seemed like the world stopped. News
outlets devoted nonstop coverage to the terrorist attack in Paris.

6. Many people changed their Facebook or Twitter profile pictures
to show solidarity with France” (para. 1). There is no doubt that
this introduction is general in its nature, thus targeting general
audience.
Phillip’s (2015) main purpose in this article is to inform the
general public about the Paris attack. He rarely goes into the
specifics and details of the matter. Rather, he presents
information and offers his opinion as to why the Paris terrorist
attacks received more coverage than other similar terrorist’s
attacks. In his effort to inform, he begins by asking vital
questions: “Why this attack? Why didn’t the suicide bombs the
day before in Lebanon, or the slaughter of more than 100
college students in Kenya earlier this year, draw such an
outcry?” (para. 2). This question is quickly answered when
Phillips explains that, “First, ‘news’ is generally considered to
be something especially unusual,” and “second, news outlets are
influenced by their consumers” (para. 5, 6). Through invoking
questions and comparing the situation to others that have
happened before, the author succeeds in drawing attention to his
arguments – and therefore conveying the message in the
process.
Phillips (2015) never forgets his audience as he writes. He
employs astonishingly simple vocabulary in his writing. He uses
the style of writing that is informative and close to the basic
reading level of his readers. The author is fully aware of the
diverse nature of his readers and does a good job in
communicating with them simply. When the author asserts that
“the journalism truism is that ‘dog bites man’ is not a story, but
‘man bites dog’is” (para 5), he deliberately makes use of
common and familiar phrase with the intention of making this
article simple so as to reach a broad range of readers.
As it is common in any informative piece, Phillips (2015)
maintains the required distance while sharing his views. He
writes from the point of an observer, taking great care not to be
a participant in the events he describes. From his words, one
gathers the view that the author is definitely very much

7. concerned and worried that terrorists can strike and claim so
many lives in the process. He even notes that in theory, all
terrorist attacks should probably receive similar coverage; after
all, all lives are important. However, the author maintains an
impartial tone, sticking to his argument:
The Paris attack continues to draw interest because of the
relative rarity of terrorism in France, the fact that the country
receives visitors from around the globe, the shocking nature of
the attack, and the potential implications for the Islamic
State’s future plans. (para. 33)
It is important to note that while indeed the author does not
come out as being too sentimental about the topic, his rather
observatory tone is important in maintaining objectivity.
Unlike Phillips’ article in The Washington Post, Laird (2015)
writes for a different type of audience. In her Forbes article
titled “The Paris Attacks and the Economic Impact of
Terrorism”, it is clear that Laird is writing for an audience that
is fully informed on economic and business matters. It is
important to note that Forbes is a purely business magazine
whose articles are retailored for the taste of business savvy
clients. As a matter of fact, the article is chiefly concerned
about the economic effects of terrorism, hence uses the Paris
attack as a case study. The type of audience is revealed straight
in the introduction of Laird’s article when the author indulges
her readers with brief business statistics that:
France’s CAC-40 index opened on a weak note, but was never
down much more than 2%, ending just 0.1% lower for the day.
London’s FTSE-100 index slipped by a larger, but still-
measured, 1%, while Germany’s DAX index actually inched
0.1% higher. (para. 1)
There is absolutely no doubt that general readers are kept off –
this information is strictly aimed at readers with financial
knowledge at their fingertips.
Unlike Phillips who wrote to inform, Laird (2015)goes a step
further in her writing, by taking sides in the discussed
argument. The overall point is to prove that indeed terrorist

8. attacks affect economies adversely. Laird not only informs her
readers of this point, she persuades them into believing it as
well. In her efforts to convince, the author is relentless. She
declares, “While a downturn in travel stocks is a common, and
typically transitory, reaction to threats and acts of terrorism, a
more lasting effect could come from the economic impact of
fearful consumers and tighter borders“(para. 3). Later in her
arguments, she takes this point home, by noting that Europe has
already started showing these signs as some countries were
already considering closing their borders. Indeed the Paris
attack would send shockwaves to European economies.
Throughout her article, Laird (2015) remains professional and
official, employing the type of language that is formal, making
use of suitable vocabulary. The author is fully aware of her
readers and serves them with the appropriate vocabulary. For
instance, in saying “consider the fragility of both European
economies and the institutions underpinning the European
Union,” (para. 5), the author employs a type of vocabulary that
is selective and meant to communicate with her intended
audience. It is obvious that not everyone has the ability to
understand the ‘fragility of European economies’ as well as the
institutions that serve to hold their union together.
In her article, Laird (2015) presents herself as a master of the
subject she addresses. She argues authoritatively and seems to
be in full command of all she says. She is sure that terrorism
has a negative impact on economies. She does not guess the
truthfulness of her thesis; she simply knows and has proven it.
She ends by saying, “the human cost of the Paris tragedies is
incalculable; a measurable economic toll is bound to follow”
(para. 9). The author’s tone is that of concern because she is
fully aware that when all is said and done, economies will
suffer because of terrorist attacks – similar to the one that
happened in Paris.
Terrorist attacks are indeed a blow at humanity. They lead to
loss of lives and destruction of property. They maim economies,
leading to the impoverishment of the masses. The Paris terrorist

9. attacks shook France and left a terrible memory that will stay in
the minds of people for a very long time. As seen in Brian
Phillips’ (2015) article in The Washington Post and Laurie
Laird’s (2015) article in Forbes, the Paris attacks shocked not
only France, but the world at large. However, while addressing
the same topic, the two authors explore issues differently, with
Philips writing to the general audience and Laird remaining
specific and technical in her approach. The two articles are
written differently, based on each publication’s intended
audience, making it apparent that audience is the most
important feature for all authors to consider when determining
the appropriate style for their writing.
References
Laird, L. (2015, November 16). The Paris attacks and the
economic impact of terrorism.Forbes.Retrieved from:
http://www.forbes.com/
Phillips, B. J. (2015, November 16). This is why the Paris
attacks have gotten more news coverage than other terrorist
attacks. The Washington Post. Retrieved from:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/
Discipline Project Assignment: Professional Association
Analysis 1
Discourse Analysis: Professional Association in Your Field

10. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After completing this 2-part
Discipline Awareness project in English 302, students will be
able to:
Understand the concept of a discourse community
· Be able to identify and analyze a major professional
association in the field
Understand the concept of genre
· Be able to differentiate among genres in periodicals
Understand the concept of the rhetorical situation
· Be able to identify an issue in their field that interests them
PREPARATION FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT:
Read Swales excerpt posted on Blackboard
Watch YouTube: Facebook as a Discourse Community
(References Swales)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NPPQajrqSA
Part 1. Your Personal Discourse Community:
In groups, discuss a membership / interest group you belong to:
a book club, sports team, fraternity, sorority, stamp collecting
group, gaming group, a church group, even a closed Facebook
page w/a specific focus.
Identify the following points:
· What are the group’s agreed upon common goals?
· How do group members communicate with each other?
· How do participating group members provide information and
feedback to each other?
· What genres or forms of communication, topics, and texts do
members of the group use to uphold the purpose of the group?
· What specific forms of language does the group use
exclusively, including specific terms, “lexis” (jargon), and / or
acronyms?
· What is the relationship between novice and expert members
in your group?

11. Write a 1-1/2 to 2- page paper, double-spaced, and formatted in
APA style, discussing your findings.
Part 2: Professional Discourse Community in your Discipline:
Discourse Community Analysis Essay (20% of course grade)
Moving beyond your personal discourse communities, think of
your future career in your field after graduation. What kind of
professional organizations can you find in your discipline?
Choose one that interests you. Applying the same considerations
to this organization as you did with your personal discourse
community, look for the same principles:
· shared goals
· mechanisms for intercommunication between groups
· How does the group use the above mechanisms to provide
information and feedback to members?
· shared vocabulary (“lexis”) specific to this particular
community
· genres and the role written texts play in furthering the group’s
goals
· novice and expert members: who may join, how do they join /
leave?
Explore the discourse community’s website, social media, and
at least one published article from a professional / scholarly
publication from this community.
Write a 4- to 5-page analysis that argues the purpose and
benefits of belonging to the specific professional organization /
discourse community in your field you have selected for this
assignment. Follow the DCA Essay Structure posted on the
Course Content page, using Swales’ six-points to support your
claim that this organization is a discourse community.
Your essay should be double-spaced, using APA style, with
properly formatted title and References pages. See sample Title
page on Bb Course Content page. List references alphabetically
by authors’ last names in a separate References page at the end
of the paper. Title and References pages are in addition to the 4-
to 5-page analysis.
Your introduction should define the term “discourse

12. community,” based on Swales; mention your field and name the
specific professional organization you have selected for this
assignment. Thesis: argue that your chosen organization is a
discourse community, according to Swales’ six-point definition.
Body paragraphs should use Swales’ terms and identify the
aspects of your professional organization as a discourse
community (one per paragraph). You should also:
· Provide a quote from each of three different genres the
organization uses, e.g. scholarly article, trade magazine article,
newsletter, blog, social media platform, etc., as evidence of
your claims about each genre and the rhetorical situation
(audience, purpose, style). Required: Minimum of 1 quote from
each genre properly formatted in APA style.