Rhetorical analysis is a productive way to (1) establish that inoculation theory exists in practice; (2) identify specific components of inoculation theory at work in such rhetoric; and (3) potentially identify disconnects between experimental investigations of inoculation theory and inoculation theory in practice.

JOSH COMPTON

The Evidence at Large, published in 1805, is a publication of transcripts of testimony offered before Parliament regarding Edward Jenner’s role and legal rights in developing vaccination protocol, with a preface penned by Rev. G. C. Jenner—Edward Jenner’s nephew. This current project engages in a rhetorical analysis of Jenner’s preface, using inoculation theory as an interpretative framework. Key features of inoculation theory are revealed in Jenner’s rhetoric, including threat and refutational preemption. Additionally, this analysis reveals un- and underexplored processes of resistance to influence, including source derogation, attitude confidence, and affect-based resistance that should be explored in future research.

Compton, J. (2022). Inoculation theory as rhetorical strategy in The Evidence at Large (1805). Western Journal of Communication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10570314.2022.2153616