Learning Activity 4.5

As a consumer of research reports, the most important thing(s) for me in the introduction section of a high-quality research report is the clarity of purpose. If the point of the article isn’t clearly defined at some point in the near beginning then I quickly lose interest. In searching for an example I came across an article about Henry VIII. The renown English King was known for having a foul temper and constant mood swings. Particularly after a major jousting accident that left him with a severely damaged leg for the remainder of his life. The last sentence of this journal article is concise and clearly states the point the author is going to try and prove, “The author presents a hypothesis that absorbed lead from his medications might have been a major factor in King Henry’s personality change” (Charlton, 2017, p. 72). A strong statement like this both further clarifies the title and allows the reader to know exactly where the rest of the article is headed.

The language also has an impact on me. While I expect a high-quality research report to use scholarly language I appreciate when authors are straight-forward with their intentions. If the language is too rich or complex I feel it makes an article unattractive. Take the first sentences of this abstract from an article on cholesterol reduction, “Clinical trials have firmly established that 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins) can induce the regression of vascular atherosclerosis and reduce cardiovascular-related morbidity and death in patients with and without coronary artery disease” (Comparato & Altana, 2001, p. 328). In this case, despite the fact I know what the title says about the article, the information in the abstract is confusing and has words I am unsure of.

The above-referenced journal article is from one of my sister’s medical textbooks (she is an emergency room doctor). However, it would be interesting if anyone has come across scholarly articles in their own field that they couldn’t decipher language-wise.

References

Charlton, A. (2017). King Henry VIII’s (1491–1547) Personality Change. Sage Journals, 25(2), 72-80. Retrieved January 21, 2018, from http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0967772017694571

Comparato, C., & Altana, C. (2001). Drug Properties or Effects of Profound Cholesterol Reduction? Europe PMC, 11(5), 328-343. Retrieved January 21, 2018, from http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/11887430