“Polishing gems” – new generic developments in the varieties of medical case reporting and their discourse

Abstract

This article aims to present and discuss new developments in the macro-genre of medical case reporting. These developments are novel forms of case reports published in international medical journals, going beyond the mere reporting of a case of a new disease or of its novel aspects. They may consist in the differences at the level of form, function and mode of content presentation. The data for the study constitute various publications derived from prestigious medical publishing outlets in English and will be analysed from the qualitative discourse perspective. The article demonstrates both generic creativity on the part of the authors as well as reflections on the changes taking place in medical practice.