Idioma Moderno II

English for Biotechnology

 Week 2 – English for the sciences

bjectives

• Identify the types of research articles

• Identify structure(s) of scientific articles and the information contained therein

• Practice skimming and scanning a scientific text and take notes on common
structures used

• Identify verbs used to present the objective of a study

• Analyze the language structures used in the Methods section of a paper

 Types of research articles

Why should you do your research in English?

Figure 1. Difference in English and Spanish search results for full-text documents. Image source: dreamstime.com
 Types of research articles

When gathering information for a project or research paper, you first have to understand where the information
you are reading comes from. The different types of scientific literature are generally broken down into primary
and secondary sources.
Which one of the images below do you think shows someone conducting primary research?

Image A Image B
 Types of research articles
Primary research, also called original research, is any study or experiment that obtains information directly, first-hand.
Secondary research, referred to as desk research in some fields, involves summarizing, evaluating or comparing data
from existing sources.

Read the chart. Decide if the research is ‘Primary’ or ‘Secondary’ (red boxes)
Direct observation

Sources Interviewing

_________ Questionnaires and other instruments

Clinical trials, cohort studies, prospective studies,

Types
etc.
Scientific literature
Existing research articles, books, etc.
Sources
Public documents from government agencies
_________
Types Reviews, meta-analyses, public health documents

Figure 3. Different types of research articles. Adapted from Kumar, 2011.

 Types of research articles
Primary research, also called original research, is any study or experiment that obtains information directly, first-hand.
Secondary research, referred to as desk research in some fields, involves summarizing, evaluating or comparing data
from existing sources.
Direct observation

Sources Interviewing

Primary research Questionnaires and other instruments

Types Clinical trials, cohort studies, prospective studies, etc.

Scientific literature
Existing research articles, books, etc.
Sources
Secondary Public documents from government agencies
research
Types Reviews, meta-analyses, public health documents

Figure 3. Different types of research articles. Adapted from Kumar, 2011.

Identifying primary research: basic structure
If an article describes original research, it will follow what is known as the AIMRaD structure, or some
variation of it

Can you guess what aIMRaD stands for?

A _________________
I _________________
M _________________
R _________________
a _________________
D _________________
 Identifying primary research: Reading
Comprehension questions
Imagine you are reading about a new
medication.
In what section(s) might you find….
1. The number of people included
in the study (sample size) ?
2. The purpose or aim of the study?
3. The percentage of people the
treatment worked on?
4. How the findings relate to the
hypothesis or research question?
Complete on the Word doc.
if you cannot see!
Most journals will request an abstract, or short summary of all the key points of a research article. This is often
publicly available and can help you decide if you actually want to read the article.
The Introduction begins with a broad description of the context, setting and background information, reminding
the reader of what they already know about the subject. It covers details from prior studies and clarifies what
hasn't been looked into yet – the research gap. Finally, the objective, or purpose, of the research, or why the
research was conducted, is frequently stated.
The Methods section, often known as Materials and methods in clinical research, contains information about the
people who were observed and analysed - the research participants. When these participants represent a larger
population, they are referred to as the sample. The Methods section also includes details regarding any
interventions performed, such as administering a particular medication, giving counsel, or performing any
surgical procedures. It comprises the primary elements measured, e.g. a patients heart rate, temperature, the
presence of signs and symptoms, etc., as well as the steps taken in the study and how the participants were
selected – or the selection criteria. Lastly, researchers should include the statistical tests used in the analysis.
The findings of the study are described in the Results section. This section often dictates the structure of the
article, as all the other sections revolve around findings contained in the Results section.
The Discussion section interprets the results presented in the previous section and discusses the study's
significance with respect to the existing research. It may also include a description of limitations or aspects of
the study that could be improved, as well as recommendations for future research. A conclusion, often in a
section on its own, may also be included. Most articles have a small section at the conclusion that lists the
acknowledgements and any potential conflict of interest. The authors express their gratitude to all who assisted
them in their research. Finally, there is also a list of References, which includes the books and publications cited
by the writers.
 Identifying primary research
Often, a journal may request that papers or abstracts include a number of more specific sections.

Match the section names below with the journal recommendations and descriptions :

1. _____ Objectives a. key inferences obtained and their interpretation in light of the context and constraints, and, if needed,
opportunities and recommendations for future research.
2. _____Interventions b. This section is included for randomized controlled trials, crossover trials, and before-and-after studies that
include some kind of treatment. Include what was treated, how it was done, when it happened, and how long it
lasted.
3. _____ Setting
c. Number of subjects who started and finished the study, as well as their gender and ethnic group, if applicable.
Criteria for inclusion and exclusion in the selection process.
4. _____ Participants
d. Specify what type of study it is, for example: whether the participants were randomly selected, if it is a blind
trial, if there is a control group, what the selection criteria were, and so on.
5. _____ Design
e. An explanation of the study's principal goal and the any hypotheses or research questions to be evaluated
6. _____ Results f. If relevant, the context and geographical area, as well as the type of care (primary, secondary, etc.) and any
participating centers.
7. _____ Conclusions g. Outline the major findings, including confidence intervals of quantitative findings and, when applicable, the
exact degree of statistical significance as well as the number of people who need to be treated/harmed.

Adapted from: The British Medical Journal - bmj.com/about-bmj/resources-authors/

Answers Identifying primary research
1. e Objectives a. key inferences obtained and their interpretation in light of the context and constraints, and, if needed,
opportunities and recommendations for future research.

b. This section is included for randomized controlled trials, crossover trials, and before-and-after studies
2. b Interventions that include some kind of treatment. Include what was treated, how it was done, when it happened,
and how long it lasted.
3. f Setting c. Number of subjects who started and finished the study, as well as their gender and ethnic group, if
applicable. Criteria for inclusion and exclusion in the selection process.

4. c Participants d. Specify what type of study it is, for example: whether the participants were randomly selected, if it is a
blind trial, if there is a control group, what the selection criteria were, and so on.

e. An explanation of the study's principal goal and the any hypotheses or research questions to be
5. d Design evaluated

f. If relevant, the context and geographical area, as well as the type of care (primary, secondary, etc.) and
6. g Results any participating centers.

g. Outline the major findings, including confidence intervals of quantitative findings and, when applicable,
the exact degree of statistical significance as well as the number of people who need to be
7. a Conclusions treated/harmed.

Adapted from: The British Medical Journal - bmj.com/about-bmj/resources-authors/

 Identifying primary research
Analyze the excerpts below and decide what section they most likely came from.
Introduction Methods Results Discussion

Compare your answers with your classmates and justify your answers.

1. _________________________The data were analyzed in the software R (3.5.9), using robust Poisson models were fitted using the Poisson
package.
2. _________________________This shows that the vaccine was reasonably effective after two doses (71.5%) and provides at least some protection
after just one standard dose, with no significant adverse reactions.
3. _________________________ Data from three double-blinded, randomized, controlled trials in three countries are included in the analysis:
COV001-2 (Australia), COV003 (Spain), and COV005 (Canada).
4. _________________________The COVID-19 pandemic has had a wide-ranging impact on health across the globe, including significant mortality
among the elderly and those with pre-existing medical issues.
5. _________________________ The primary aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of ChAdOx1 in the randomized controlled trials.
6. _________________________ While the findings reported here suggest that ChAdOx1 is effective against symptomatic infection, the mortality
and morbidity of the condition in older adults, and therefore the potential effectiveness in this age range, is a significant public health matter.
7. _________________________Advent produced and vialed the recombinant adenovirus for ChAdOx1, with COBRA Biologics providing additional
shipments.
8. _________________________The majority of the participants in from groups A and B who were included in the preliminary analyses were
between the ages of 16 and 55.
 Answers Identifying primary research
1. Methods The data were analyzed in the software R (3.5.9), using robust Poisson models were fitted using the Poisson package.

2. Discussion This shows that the vaccine was reasonably effective after two doses (71.5%) and provides at least some protection after
just one standard dose, with no significant adverse reactions.

3. Methods Data from three double-blinded, randomized, controlled trials in three countries are included in the analysis: COV001-2
(Australia), COV003 (Spain), and COV005 (Canada).

4. Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has had a wide-ranging impact on health across the globe, including significant mortality among
the elderly and those with pre-existing medical issues.

5. Introduction The primary aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of ChAdOx1 in the randomized controlled trials.

6. Discussion While the findings reported here suggest that ChAdOx1 is effective against symptomatic infection, the mortality and
morbidity of the condition in older adults, and therefore the potential effectiveness in this age range, is a significant public health matter.

7. Methods Advent produced and vialed the recombinant adenovirus for ChAdOx1, with COBRA Biologics providing additional shipments.

8. Methods The majority of the participants in from groups A and B who were included in the preliminary analyses were
between the ages of 16 and 55.
 Identifying Secondary research
Many secondary research articles are reviews, meaning that the author(s) read previous studies, articles,
books, etc. and present a summary, analysis or comparison of existing research.

Can you think of the name of these types of reviews below given their description?

Type Description (what is it?)

This is the most well-known type of review, and it aims to find, evaluate, and synthesize existing research findings in a
_______________ clear, systematic and comprehensive way. Often includes a Methods section with the specific and strict criteria used to
find the research included.

____________________
A general term for a paper that examines recently published literature on a topic. These may discuss a range of
subjects and typically synthesise information in a narrative way.

____________________
Critical reviews don’t just summarize or describe past research, they evaluate the quality or methods of previous work
and can lead to a new hypothesis or model.

____________________
A scoping review is a preliminary analysis to figure out how much research is available about a topic. This type of
review may be done to find a research gap.

____________________
Meta-analyses are similar to a systematic review of previous work, but this type of analysis uses statistics to combine
the results of many studies that have measured the same thing.

____________________ Overviews are another general type of review that aims to summarize existing literature.

____________________ These combine evidence from different reviews in an easy-to-understand, practical document.
 Identifying Secondary research
Type Description (what is it?)

This is the most well-known type of review, and it aims to find, evaluate, and synthesize existing research
Systematic review findings in a clear, systematic and comprehensive way. Often includes a Methods section with the
specific and strict criteria used to find the research included.

A general term for a paper that examines recently published literature on a topic. These may discuss a
Literature review range of subjects and typically synthesise information in a narrative way.

Critical reviews don’t just summarize or describe past research, they evaluate the quality or methods of
Critical review previous work and can lead to a new hypothesis or model.

Scoping review A scoping review is a preliminary analysis to figure out how much research is available about a topic.
This type of review may be done to find a research gap.

Meta-analysis Meta-analyses are similar to a systematic review of previous work, but this type of analysis uses statistics
to combine the results of many studies that have measured the same thing.

Overview Overviews are another general type of review that aims to summarize existing literature.

Umbrella review These combine evidence from different reviews in an easy-to-understand, practical document.
 Skimming and scanning strategies
What are skimming and scanning strategies? Do you remember?

Skimming
Understand the general idea, of a piece of writing. Look over the
text quickly without reading every word. Look at the title, abstract,
headings, charts and graphs and the first sentences of
paragraphs.

After skimming an article, you should know the general topic, and
possibly the type of research article you are looking at. This can
help you decide if you want to read any more.

Scanning
Scanning is a strategy used to find and extract specific
information from a longer text. First, skim over this material to see
if any sections are likely to offer the information you want. Then ,
once you have found a paragraph that you think contains what you
are looking for, slow down and search for the info by looking for
keywords or figures.
Reading practice
To describe the clinical characteristics and laboratory findings of patients in Zhejiang province infected with
SARS-Cov-2 (to provide an insight into the prevention and treatment of covid-19 across China and elsewhere)

Zhejiang, China

62 7

41
1
0
48.77%

33

4 days
Reading practice

Tips:

• Know what you're looking for. Decide on a few key words or phrases–search terms.

• Look for only one keyword at a time. If you use multiple keywords, do multiple scans.

• Let your eyes float rapidly down the page until you find the word or phrase you want.

• When your eye catches one of your keywords, read the surrounding material carefully.

Slow down when:

• When you skim introductory and concluding paragraphs

• When you skim topic sentences

• Looking for a number/figure in a paragraph with lots of them.

 Homework
Important: ON CHECKPOINT 1
Identifying primary research and reading skills
Check an article!

Now use the library full-text search to find a primary

research article on a subject you are interested in.

Does it explain the research gap?

What is the aim (research objective) of the article?

If it is a clinical study – what is the sample size? (often

represented as “n = …”)

What are the main findings?

Does your article list and limitations? What were they?

© All the intellectual property rights of this work
belong exclusively to the Universidad Europea,
S.L.U. It is strictly prohibited the reproduction,
public distribution and in general any other form of
exploitation of all or part of this work.

The unauthorized use of this work, as well as the damages caused in the
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S.L.U., will carry the actions that legally correspond to it and, where
appropriate, the corresponding responsibilities.

Ve más allá
Writing – research questions and objectives
In the introduction, the reader should get a quick summary of your issue and the reasons for
undertaking research. What is the context, and what question are you trying to answer. This section
might include:

• General introduction

• Problem definition

• Gaps in the literature What kinds of questions are you

interested in answering??
• Research question/problem
What kinds of answers do you look for
• Hypothesis/solution in articles?

• Study motivation

• Aims & objectives

Writing – research questions and objectives
Look at the research questions (1-4) and write a statement of the objective of each study, using an
appropriate form of the verb in brackets. What other verbs could be used?

1 Can calcium and vitamin D supplementation reduce the risk of fractures in postmenopausal women?
(assess)

2 Does the way a pharmacist dresses influence patients’ confidence and trust in them? (determine)

3 Is there a risk of herpes virus 8 (HHV-8) transmission by blood transfusion? (evaluate)

4 Is there an association between never being married and increased risk of death? (investigate)
Writing – research questions and objectives
Extension

Write 3 research questions that are currently relevant in your field.

See if your neighbor can change it into an objective statement.