Makoul et al. (2007) also briefly summarize the methods used for the research.
3. The first subheading of the Methods section is "National Survey." This subsection explains that the researchers culled their information from a larger study about professionalism in medicine. This and the overall research on professionalism was conducted by Northwestern University and offered to almost 1500 respondents in the 48 contiguous states. The next subsection of Methods is "Video Sample," which refers to the videotaped samples used to gather data in this study. Finally, "Statistical Analysis" details the type of analysis used to analyze data. Table One of the Results section is entitled "Characteristics of the Survey and Video Samples," and outlines some of the demographic data gleaned. Subheadings in the Results section include "Shaking Hands," a section that is accompanied by Table 2: "Greeting Behavior: Survey Responses and Video Observations." Subsequent subheadings include "Patient Names," "Physician Names," and "Other Considerations." Each of these subheadings essentially guides the reader's eye quickly to the specific results of the study and are enormously helpful when reviewing the article.
4. The Discussion (Comment) section restates some background information about the study and outlines the motives, methods, and results. Then the authors analyze the results to draw relevant conclusions. Their observations are compared with current practices and so the authors...
Both the Introduction and Discussion sections are relatively free of jargon because the subject matter is not technical: greetings are a part of everyday human communication behaviors.
6. The research article is interesting and presented in a clear, logical fashion. Although seemingly a simple issue, shaking hands and greeting patients is a very important part of the intake phase. Patients form first impressions of their doctors fast, and those first impressions are indelible. Therefore, physicians should take better care to introduce themselves well to make their patients feel comfortable. A relaxed patient is more likely to trust the doctor and cooperate with medical staff. No part of the article is muddled, largely because of the accessible subject matter and lack of jargon used by the authors.
7. Journal articles play a major and integral role in the communication across clinical disciplines. For instance, this article unites all health care workers and does not only address the concerns of doctors. Moreover, the current article can be considered cross-disciplinary as it deals with communications and human behaviors. An article like this can circulate among any number of college departments or academic circles, or among any number of professional organizations in a wide range of fields.
References
Makoul, G., Zick,…
