Results and conclusions:

a comparative analysis between

a medicine and an education paper

The idea of sharing knowledge between professionals of any field may be actualized by means of research papers. Those who want to grow in their academic fields may have access to published findings which will be a source for getting information. On their side, to develop thoroughly their investigations, researchers focus attention on the results, discussions and conclusion sections of their papers.

According to Swales, (1998, cited in Pintos & Crimi, 2010) results are descriptive in nature as writers tend to compare results and explain them. This author also suggests that it would be unrealistic to present all the collected data, so a selection is made and findings are summarized through text, tables and figures. In the same line, communication simplicity may be required to better understand outcomes which are supported with examples, statistics and quantitative data.

Discussions can be written in isolation or with the conclusions (Swales and Feak, 1994, cited in Pintos, Crimi 2010).Researchers evaluate whether the stated hypothesis matches the outcome of findings, which is re stated by means of calling back the purpose of the research. In this way, the hypothesis is supported or refused, as later on in the conclusion, suggestions or actions to be taken may appear. The purpose of this paper is to compare how results, discussions and conclusions are developed in an education paper (Aryadoust, 2004) and a medicine paper (Kraut, 2010). To do so, academic style format requirements, aims and grammar features will be analyzed in each section. 

Broadly speaking, Swales and Feak (2004, cited in Pintos & Crimi, 2010) have signaled that results are types of texts which should be logically ordered in the same way as described in method section and referring the readers to a table or figure where they can see data, which will constitute a way of presenting a large proportion of information in a small space.  Nevertheless, tables are not used to present the information that has been already introduced in text format but to call attention to main points so that the reader can understand and compare easily the data. This is the case of the education paper where the author presents about half of the findings in text type, using simple past to describe them without delving into interpretations as in “large reliability indexes indicated that the raters had implemented the rating criteria homogenously and constantly” and when he reports “indexes close to zero suggested that the observed performance of the raters could be attributable to chance or intervening variables” (Aryadoust, 2004, p.2).

In addition, this paper appears to meet format academic style requirements (Purdue Owl, 2007) as tables stand on different pages, are numbered, and have an individual title which is brief and clearly explanatory of the topic as in “Fit indices of the Models Postulated in the Study”(Aryadoust , 2004, p.2). As for their format, tables are written in heading caps, flush right positioned and italics. Within tables, columns report comparable variables down all rows and have a descriptive heading. In Table 4 there are three columns for different raters and each one show indexes that correspond to variables in different rows. This pattern is followed in the three tables which seem to give consistency and readability to the presentation, as general notes below the charts help the reader understand the main outcomes.

Another means of presenting results are figures, which require the reader to estimate values because they convey an overall pattern of results (Pintos & Crimi, 2010) .There are different type of figures that may supplement the information included in the body of the paper: bar graphs, scatter plots, line graphs and pie graphs. They are supposed to foster communication and readability, otherwise the readers may draw their attention from the data and the writer’s credibility may be questioned.

 For the sake of guiding the reader, figures may have to include a legend or caption below that should explain abbreviations and terminology consistent with those used in the text and other figures (Purdue Owl, 2006).This is the case of the education paper where the researcher clarifies through the caption below figures that there is a moderate correlation between the latent traits which means that when they are separable they are parts of the same measurement model.

Regarding grammar features, a variety of tenses and hedging may be also a way of presenting accurately research outcomes. In the analyzed papers both researchers seem to compare and support evidence but they do it in a moderate tone. Thus, past passive voice is used to describe steps in the research, simple present to relate findings to the literature review or show data presented in tables or figures, simple past to describe outcomes and hedging  as modals can or may, as long as the verb assume , suppose, prove or denote.

Results sections have descriptive paragraph patters, so one of the main issues a writer should care about is not sounding very strong and change tenses to express facts that can be applied in general, to action research already finished or put the necessary emphasis on the object of study (Hamps-Lyons and Heasley, 1987, cited in Pintos & Crimi, 2010).

Concluding his report, Aryadoust (2004) states in the discussion section the purpose of his research that was to investigate the validity of a writing model. Findings are interpreted by saying that Model 1and 2 failed to show good features of differences in terms of their traits. In addition, outcomes are analyzed by comparing them with what has been outlined in the literature review. The researcher also proposes the two factors model of writing and recommends that the merged criterion of their research should be further analyzed.

On the other hand, the medicine research paper (Kraut, 2010) seems to present some different characteristics. The results sections show findings through five tables that may be zoomed out by clicking on them to be read. Very probably, the tables do not appear written in the text because of space reasons as heavy data is included. Below each of them, short, concise and explanatory paragraphs outline the outcomes of tables.

A feature to be highlighted is the absence of notes to clarify abbreviations or explain average measurements, what makes the understanding of these tables quite difficult. However when delving into tables, readers can find outcomes developed in columns and rows. This way of presenting results seem to provide a complete scope on the researched topic as the reader can see the relation of variables. The same pattern is used in all the tables which give consistency to the presentation, considering that they are the only means to present collected data as there are no figures.

As it has been suggested, findings are summarized not only through tables and figures but through text. Six well balanced paragraphs appear to develop logically cause and effect organized paragraphs. They meet academic style requirements (Purdue Owl, 2007). In the case of the education paper (Aryadoust, 2004) the heading Results is placed flush left in bold type and containing headed subtopics that guide readers to follow the research performed. The research procedure will be described step by step, referring to the five different trials, conducted to see the effect of the uses of Internet on people’s well being and depression.

 As regards grammar features, Kraut (2010) uses simple present to refer the reader to tables or match data to other findings and simple past to show the way variables combine as when he suggests “these analysis are summarized in table 1”, “these demographic results echo results of national polls” and “younger participants reported more use of the Internet to meet people and participate in online groups” (2010, p.4).

The author has included the discussion on a different section. At the beginning he reminds the audience about the purpose of the study “to determine whether people’s use of the Internet to obtain health sources would have consequences for their psychological and physical health” (p.8).In subsequent paragraphs, the researcher points out what combination of variables they examined to support their assumptions. The use of modal may can be considered as a feature not to sound definite on outcomes as in “it may be that one source in the increase of depression is the misinformation people get from factually incorrect websites” (p.8).

In spite of that, data analysis is held using simple past but without hedging as they are facts that both writer and reader will definitely agree with, as in “results from the current study showed that communicating with others was associated with decline of depression when the communication was with friends” (p.8).

The conclusion section consists of a single sounding paragraph. Summing up his piece of writing, the researcher goes back to the purpose of the paragraph, noticing also the gap found in the field which was mentioned in the introduction: ”the study examined the consequences of using the Internet in a way that other studies have not” (p.10). In addition, in this part of papers, readers could be expecting to find out whether hypotheses could be supported or refuted.

Thus, Kraut (2010) suggests that using the internet to obtain health sources increases depression; the language choice of the verb suggests is a hedging strategy that provides a provisional tone, as limitations in the work are also noted:”since we do not control the use of the Internet chosen by respondents” and” we cannot determine whether these effects were due to characteristics of the individuals” (p.10). In the last sentence a recommendation is made for other researchers to determine what leads people to seek out health resource online.

All in all, both papers make use of linguistic strategies to develop ideas by means of an academic style and

showing acknowledged information on the topics. The reader is guided to see, analyze and draw conclusions

about the topic investigated throughout the research process, which culminates with an attempt to support or

refute the original hypothesis. In both papers the writers, by means of displaying findings through texts, tables

and figures and discussing on their causes and consequences, may help readers have access to specialized

material which may foster their professional development

Reference

Aryadoust, V. (2004) Investigating Writing Sub-skills in Testing English as a Foreign  

   Language: A Structural Equation Modeling Study TESL-EJ Teaching English as a Second or   

   Foreign Language National Institute of Education, Singapore www.tesl-e 2010

   Org/word press/issues/volume13/ej52/ej52a9/

Bassierire, K., Pressman, S., Kiesler, S. & Kraut, R. Effects of Internet Use on Health and

   Depression: A Longitudinal Study. J Med Internet Res 2010:12(1):e6

   http:/www.jmr.org/2010/1/e6 doi: 10.2186/jmr.1146

Purdue OWL. (2006).Quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing Retrieved August 2010 from

  http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/563/01

Pintos, V. & Crimi, Y. (2010). Unit3:  The Research: Results Discussions and Conclusions.  

  Universidad CAECE. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Retrieved May 21, 2010  

  http://caece.campusuniversidad.com.ar/mod/resource/view-phpid=4582.