Analyzing and Comparing Specific Sections in Articles

To start with, Research Papers (RPs) are concerned not only with introduction and methods sections but also results, discussions and conclusions sections. The present study deals with the analysis and comparison of the last three sections taking into account the characteristics of two articles in the education and medicine field through a comparative analysis.

On the one hand, in the Action Research (AR) on education the results were described and discussed in the same section. Barrs (2010) analyzed the results in two periods. Whereas the former described the initial stage of the Action Research (AR) based on a research question and how the data was collected through tables, the latter considered the initial hypothesis in order to take action, observe and reflect on the results achieved.

On the other hand, in the article on medicine the results section was written isolated from the discussed section. Aspelund et al (2010) analyzed the results through three subtitles: Baseline Associations, Hazard Ratios with Disease Outcomes and Chronic Kidney Disease and Coronary Heart Disease Risk Prediction. In this case, results were shown through tables and figures which provided quantitative information to the reader.

According to Swales (1998), tables and or/figures reflect the data collected with text which should be logically ordered. Barrs (2010) formulated a research question and presented the data collected through a text and the illustration of five tables in the first period of Action Research (AR). As shown in Tables 1-3, the results were the students’ postings and replies on a forum platform during a four-week programme. Some results were based on data associated with the reasons for the low number of replies to posts through a post project questionnaire (see Table 4) and other results were related to students’ needs for more help with using the forum platform (Table 5). The outcomes that are related to question(s) or hypotheses of the paper are described in the results section. During the second period and after the data collection of the pilot investigation, Barrs (2010) generated a research hypothesis and the responses were associated with the total number of students´ postings, replies and a breakdown of the type of replies (Tables 6-8).

The main findings of the research are shown in the results section without interpreting their meanings.  Aspelund et al (2010) presented the data collected through a text, tables and figures. Swales (1998) explains that researchers use text to state the results collected. As shown in Table 2, the results were related to demographic and clinical baseline characteristics by chronic kidney disease (CKD) status. Some results were connected with the associations of renal function with coronary heart disease and non-vascular mortality (see Table 3) and other results were based on hazard ratios of renal function and risk of coronary heart disease and non-vascular mortality (Figure 1). As shown in Figure 2, the results were associated with hazard ratios on risk of vascular and non-vascular outcomes in people with chronic kidney disease compared to people without chronic kidney disease.

According to Barrs (2010), “ an Action Research (AR) project was initiated with a Computer- Mediated Communication (CMC) programme being implemented during an eight-week summer vacation period, in order to provide a platform for students to interact in the target language outside of class” (p.10). The first period involves a pilot investigation based on a four-week project in which the results reveal that lack of time, interest in the discussion topic and general interactional problems with the forum platform contributed to the low amount of interaction on the site. The second period is related to the findings from the initial investigation. Taking into consideration the results from the first period, there is a large amount of target language interaction during the eight –week summer vacation.

According to Aspelund et al (2010), the research discusses the associations of chronic kidney disease stages with major cardiovascular disease and non-vascular mortality in the general adult population. Results reveal that even the earliest stages of chronic kidney disease are associated with higher risk of coronary heart disease for people without manifest vascular disease and that advanced stages are associated with non-vascular mortality, particularly deaths from causes other than cancer. Aspelund et al (2010) discuss “(…) assessment of chronic kidney disease (…) improves prediction of risk for coronary heart disease in this population” (p.1).

All in all, a comparison between both study researchers based on education and medicine is established in which the Results, Discussions and Conclusions sections could be well described in the present paper. Considering each of the three sections might be well analyzed in each of the study researchers. This research paper may attract readers’ attention because it establishes the main points between two different articles which make emphasis on different fields. It seems that on the one hand, Barrs (2010) through her Action Research (AR) demonstrates that the CMC programme provides a useful platform for students to communicate in the target language outside of class. On the other hand, Aspelund et al determine that further studies are needed to investigate associations of chronic kidney disease and non-vascular mortality from deaths not attributed to cancer.

References

Aspelund, T., Chowdhury, R., Danesh, J., Di Angelantonio, E.,Gudnason, V., & Sarwar, N. (2010). BMJ Research: Chronic kidney disease and risk of major cardiovascular disease and non-vascular mortality: prospective population based cohort study. Retrieved April 2012, from http://bmj2010;341:c4986

Barrs, K. (2010). Language Learning & Technology: Action Research. Fostering Computer- Mediated L2 Interaction Beyond the Classroom.  February 2012, vol. 16, nº 1, pp.10-25. Retrieved April 2012, from http://llt.msu.edu/issues/february2012/actionresearch.pdf

Swales, J. M. (1990). Genre analysis: English in academic and research settings. (Cambridge Applied Linguistics Series). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.