A Comparative Analysis on Research Articles, with Julieta Cabrera

A Comparative Analysis on Research Articles:

the Results, Discussions and Conclusions Sections

    Academic communities depend on  the valuable work of researchers who, not only  do they try to bridge the gaps found in their fields by conducting research, but also embark on communicating their findings to the professional organizations. In order to do so, academic writing communities follow certain parameters to comply with professional organizations´ conventions to put their messages across. Most researchers introduce the topic of their work and highlight its relevance  in the introduction section followed by a description of the methods used and participants involved in the methods section.  As regards the remaining parts of the Research Articles (RA), Swales and Feak (1994) state that whereas results deal with facts, discussions and conclusions include the researcher’s interpretations; in addition, the layout of such sections largely depends on the kind of research questions, which in turn depend on the knowledge area the researcher and the readers belong to. It is the purpose of this paper to analyze and compare two RAs from different fields, medicine and education, placing our focus on the results, discussion and conclusions sections, in order to state if they comply with the requirements set by such communities. El referente es fields? Si es así tiene que pluralizarse

    The article from the field of education written by Abuseileek and Abualsha´r (2014) presents the three sections required by the academic writing conventions: results, discussions and conclusions; however, the authors included  in this last part the limitations and implications found in their research as part of the heading. In the results section, which is isolated from the discussions one, the findings are stated with the help of tables that describe the results of quantitative data. Since the APA (2007) conventions for using tables were respected, the information introduced through the tables is clearly supported. “An informative table supplements- instead of duplicates the text” (APA, 2007, p.82). In the discussions section, the authors restate the key findings with reference to the initial questions   and remind the reader of the overall aim of the study. “The findings of this study affirm that learners who received corrective feedback delivered via computer about error types while writing essays performed significantly better than those who did not receive corrective feedback ” ( Abuseileek and Abualsha´r, 2014, p. 87).  Consequently, the results of the data collected and presented in the previous section are interpreted in the light of the literature reviewed. Finally, in the conclusions section, the authors develop the points mentioned in the introduction of the RA, evaluate whether the objectives of the study have been met and propose further investigation.

    The medical article written by Creutzfeldt (2013) presents the three sections under analysis as well. The results section is subdivided according to topics relevant to the research, summarizing the information in a logical manner, and introducing references to the graphs and figures included. The APA Manual (2010) guidelines established for the use of tables, such as enumeration, reference in the text and explanation on the content, are followed. Most importantly, the content displayed through the charts does not duplicate but extends what was presented in the segment. Even though results do not usually include the writer’s opinion, some personal perspective on the data can be identified, signaled through the use of expressions such as significative change to refer to the state of the experimental group before and after the tests were applied. The discussion and conclusion sections are introduced separately. Most of the summarizing, interpretation and evaluation of data are included in the former, leaving the recommendations of what needs to be done next and the importance of this for conclusions. “Even with a great demand for new training methods in high school and in the area of  CPR training, MMVW serious games must be carefully studied not only from the students’ perspective, but also from the teachers’ and organizations’ perspectives to clarify the challenges and needs required for implementation”. (Creutzfeldt, 2013, para. 48). Lastly, the information drawn from the results section is analysed in connection to the aims of the study and the literature reviewed:

    “Our ambition in this feasibility study was to selectively analyze how teams of young laypersons, personified as avatars , reacted toward and interacted within a virtual world for teaching how to respond appropriately to a medical emergency requiring CPR. [...] The results from these 2 groups are in accordance with what we have found when studying a group of medical students. This implies the feasibility of the concept that MMVW for training CPR teamwork can be carried out easily and with good acceptance from the trainees.” (Creutzfeldt, 2013;para. 32)

     All in all, the examination of the results, discussions and conclusions sections of RAs from different fields shows that the conventions set for the production of academic articles are generally respected and applied by the authors. These articles present differences as regards the arrangement of such sections which respond to the diversity of topics treated by each RA, as Swales & Feak (1994) assert. Conversely, the presentation of the three segments is done separately in both RAs, aiming at the accomplishment of a more comprehensive view on the information gathered. This clearly shows that there are also common features to be found between these RAs, regardless of the area of study they intend to contribute to.

  

References

Abuseileek, A.& Abu-al-Sha´r, A. (2014). Using peer computer-mediated corrective feedback to support EFL learners´ writing. Language Learning and Technology, 19(1), 76-95. Retrieved from http://llt.msu.edu/issues/february2014/abuseileekabualshar.pdf

American Psychological Association (2007). Concise rules of APA style. Washington, DC: British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data.

American Psychological Association (2010). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 6^th edition. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Creutzfeldt, J. (2013). Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training in High School Using Avatars in Virtual Worlds: An International Feasibility Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research. Retrieved from http://www.jmir.org/2013/1/e9/

Swales, J.M., & Feak, C.B. (1994).  Academic writing for graduate students: Essential tasks and skills. Ann Harbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press.