Allende, Carla - Lacanna, Alejandra - Rodriguez, Viviana
Evaluating Global
Characteristics of Research Articles
Although academic writing
papers share some overall characteristics, every field has its own genre as
well as community conventions and requirements. Comparing research articles
(RAs) offers an interesting opportunity to explore academic discourse
strategies common to diverse fields. This paper aims to explore
discursive similarities and differences in two articles belonging to two
different fields, that is, educational and medicine ones. The sections analyzed
within each paper shall be the introduction, the literature review and the
methods sections respectively. The medicine paper belongs to Jørgensen, Zahl
and Gøtzsche (2010); the educational article has been written by Baralt,
Pennestri and Selvandin (2011).
Overall, the papers’ outlines
are different, probably due to in-house specific requirements. As far as
the introduction in each paper is concerned, Baralt et al. (2011) do not
overtly express it, but it has been developed by means of a detailed
explanation of what data visualization is as well as what Wordle (2009) means
to research and education. Conversely, Jørgensen et al. 's (2010) article seems
to have a clear introductory section where the three moves that characterize
introductions are clearly established, that is, the writers create the needs to
run the research and they also establish the reasons for their present study.
As regards the tense choice,
both articles use similar tenses to attain similar propositional aims. In the
introduction to both articles, the present perfect tense is used to show
studies carried out so far. For instance, Baralt et al. (2011) state
"Data visualization tools have recently generated increased
interest..." (p. 1); and Jørgensen et al. (2010) assert
"Comprehensive systematic reviews of randomised trials of mammography
screening have estimated..." (p. 1). In short, this practice
may be said to have had the desired effect of showing the utmost importance of
the problems under study.
Following Swales and Feak ’s (1994)
"Creating A Research Space" (C.A.R.S.)
model for paper writing examination, three moves should be
included in introductions of papers so as to capture readers' attention, and it
is sensible to say that both papers successfully create research space by
means of reviewing the current state of affairs of their object of study.
While Jørgensen et al. (2010) present the effect research has had on
prevention and by so doing, acknowledge the importance of carrying out continuous
investigation on the subject, Baralt et al. (2011) directly open a new area of
inquiry by introducing wordles in the field of EFL teaching. In addition, in
Baralt et al. ‘s (2011) paper, there is an expository excerpt within the
introduction about Wordle (2009), a technological devise examined for use in
the class. Conversely, there are no such clarifications in the other paper
perhaps due to the chosen topics themselves.
While the medicine article acutely reflects its
quantitative nature, the educational one clearly shows its qualitative
inclination. The former provides specific details concerning percentages and
other quantitative information, such as statistical analyses in relation to
changes in mortality trends and comparisons between regions and age groups. In
the latter, it is explicitly stated from the very beginning that an action research
project was carried out, and the qualitative evaluation of the main findings
renders itself more philosophical than empirical. The two diverse natures
of the articles are reflected throughout the papers but specifically in the
methods sections; the article by Jørgensen et al. (2010) openly delimits it
after the introduction to the paper, whereas the article by Baralt et al.
(2011) does not explicitly state it, although it can be perfectly located in
the description of the classroom context and the steps taken during the
research project.
All in all, once a thorough exploration of both
articles has been carried out, it can be concluded that although the two
articles belong to completely different fields - the education and medicine
ones - they share some general characteristics as far as discourse organization
is concerned. Thus, both articles contain an introduction, where the importance
of their research is weighed, a relevant literature review section, where the
state of the arts with respect to their objects of study is discussed, and an
accurately depicted methods section, where the details concerning the context
in which their research has been carried out are stated as well as described.
In other words, these papers differ mainly in their nature; while Baralt
et al.'s (2011) paper offers its audience more qualitative data by means of an
action research project, Jørgensen et al.'s (2010) article provides the
scientific field with a rigorous study in which exact as well as accurate
information is quantitatively explored and thoroughly examined.
References
Baralt, M., Pennestri, S., & Selvandin, M. (2011) Action
research: Using wordles to teach foreign language writing. Language
Learning and Technology. 15 (2), 12-22. Retrieved April
2013, from http://llt.msu.edu/issues/june2011/actionresearch.pdf
Jørgensen, K., Zahl, P-H., & Gøtzsche, P. (2010) Breast
cancer mortality in organized mammography screening in Denmark: comparative
study. BMJ Online First. Retrieved April 2013, from http://www.bmj.com/content/340/bmj.c1241
Swales, J.M., & Feak, C.B. (1994). Academic writing for
graduate students: Essential tasks and skills. Ann Harbor, MI: The
University of Michigan Press.
