Characteristics of Scientific Articles and Communication
Scientific Article Characteristics
Definition and Purpose
A scientific article is a type of text whose main objective is to disseminate the specialized knowledge generated through the systematic work of scientists to those interested in learning more about the subject, whether or not they are specializing.
Sender-Receiver Relationship
The issuer is typically a person competent in the area, such as a researcher, university professor, or expert who has developed research or a study on a particular topic and reached interesting results to share. It is common for researchers to collaborate, meaning the sender of the text might be more than one researcher, or someone who adopts the role of a science communicator to transmit the generated knowledge. In this context, the recipient's characteristics vary:
- If it is a scholarly article, it is addressed to specialists and tends to be more technical.
- If it is a popular article, it is addressed to a general audience rather than experts.
Author's Perspective
The dominant position on matters is clearly objective, belonging to science. All claims must be substantiated with verifiable data or studies; they must not result from strictly personal impressions or opinions. The scientist's initial motivation or insights regarding the issue frame the explanations, but the core content must be based on what is involved throughout the text.
Thematic Scope
The theme of these texts is quite bounded to a particular phenomenon. For example, the problems of education in Chile would be too broad for a single article. A more reduced theme, such as the "Analysis of the results of municipal schools in SIMCE tests during the past three years," would be more appropriate.
Text Structure
The scientific paper, as an expository text, has an introduction, development, and conclusion:
Structure Components
- Introduction: Clearly presents the subject to be worked on and the main associated problems.
- Development: Presents data, research results, and analyzes them.
- Conclusion: Finally, exposes the most relevant analysis findings and suggests future tasks or projects that are missing.