Relationship between linguistics and research methodology in the conscious expression of scientific language
RESEARCH PAPER

 

Relationship between linguistics and research methodology in the conscious expression of scientific language

Relación entre lingüística y metodología de la investigación en la expresión consciente del lenguaje científico

Eugenio Jesús López Gómez1, Lisvette Cruz Camacho1, José Martín Pérez1, Mercedes Garcés Pérez2

1 Villa Clara University of Medical Sciences. Cuba.
2 "Marta Abreu" Central University of Las Villas. Cuba.

 

 

ABSTRACT

It has been observed in the scientific and professional field of the Faculty of Technology and Nursing of Villa Clara University of Medical Sciences, a remarkable acceptance and establishment of norms or methodological standards, in a stereotyped way, without consciously relating the structures of those norms with the principles and tools of science that allows its expression: linguistics. The intention of the authors is to alert about the lack of knowledge about the theoretical foundations inherent to the interrelation of linguistics with research methodology; based on the fact that scientific language requires uses and resources different from those of other types.

MeSH: faculty, research, research report, communication, language arts.

RESUMEN

Se ha observado en el ámbito científico y profesional de la Facultad de Tecnología y Enfermería de la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Villa Clara, una notable aceptación y establecimiento de normas o patrones metodológicos, de manera estereotipada, sin relacionar conscientemente las estructuras de dichas normas con los principios y herramientas de la ciencia que les permite su expresión: la lingüística. La intención de los autores es alertar sobre las carencias de conocimiento acerca de los fundamentos teóricos inherentes a la interrelación de la lingüística con la metodología de la investigación; basados en que el lenguaje científico requiere usos y recursos diferentes a los de otros tipos.

DeSC: docentes, investigación, informe de la investigación, comunicación, estudios del lenguaje.

 

 

For centuries, man immersed in its intellectual and researching activity, and motivated by the need to know the world in its entirety, the man of science has been obtaining an exact and reasoned scientific knowledge that has allowed it, even, to define its own science: "Form of social conscience; it constitutes a historically formed system of ordered knowledge whose veracity is constantly checked and punctuated in the course of social practice (...). Science is intimately linked to the philosophical conception of the world (...), with the theory of knowledge, with the researching method".1

According to the Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (DRSA-2015) science is defined as: "A set of knowledge about things, facts and phenomena obtained through the study and observation of its principles and causes".2

Artiles Bisbal et al.3 express about scientific knowledge that: "... constitutes the result of research activity. It is a product of social, work and intellectual activity that represent the ideal reproduction in linguistic form of the objective, regular and practical links of the transformed objective world. It is distinguished because it is essential that it is expressed in a linguistic and non-sensory way. It is the representation of the variety of phenomena of the world and its essence". Here the well-known philosophical conception of language as the material wrap of thought is reaffirmed.

This macro system of science, with all its wealth of knowledge, is integrated as well by different sciences that have defined its object of study in a concrete and particular way, without losing, of course, their relationship with the great system; among them, the linguistic science as the science of language, defined as a system of structured communication that is based on the ability of human beings to communicate through linguistic signs (the word, par excellence); This is what Mari says:4 "The knowledge of a language inescapably forces the study of the word, the basis on which an idea is expressed; it is the designated unit for understanding language".

According to Butragueño Ph D. in Hispanic Linguistics:5 "Linguistics moves in the field of the humanities in an obvious way, given its object of study, and its problems are related to philosophy, psychology, pedagogy, sociology and history; its methods, on the other hand, are similar in many dimensions to those of the so-called natural sciences. Then, linguistics, like any science, focuses on studying and explaining the laws that rule in language".

In line with the previous ideas, the authors of this research paper arrived at the following definition: Linguistics is the science of language, which is a well-structured system, used for communication in different social sectors; among them, the scientist one. Therefore, the sciences need to express their postulates and socialize the results with precision and clarity in the message; for it, it is obvious that the professionals of this sector know that linguistics is the science whose "laws rule in language" of all the others -although each of these possesses its own form of expression and its technicalities-. There is no doubt that the professionals of the other sciences must be theoretically trained for their mastery too. In this direction, Professor Day warned: 6 "A scientist can invest months or years of hard work to obtain data, and then, nonchalantly, let a large part of the value of that data be lost due to lack of interest in the process of communication (...). In the complexities of contemporary existence, the specialist who is trained but not educated, and who is technically qualified but culturally incompetent, constitutes a threat".

Based on these premises, it is imminent to consider the research-science-language relationship, a fundamental aspect on which this work is based. It should be said, then, that there are many questions that researchers ask themselves in the search for scientific knowledge: one of them is, why? question very linked to the need, interest and curiosity of the human being since its first years of life, because it makes it possible to establish the relationships of cause and effect. "Causality is a philosophical category that denotes the necessary connection of phenomena, one of which (called cause) conditions another called effect".1 That is why the whys always accompany man in its daily chores (family, work, professional...).

However, it is observed in the scientific and professional field of the Faculty of Technology and Nursing of Villa Clara University of Medical Sciences, a notable acceptance and establishment of methodological norms; correct admission, but stereotyped by repetition, the habit of always doing so, without asking why they are structured in that way; that is to say, these methodological structures are not consciously related to the principles and tools of science that allow their expression: linguistics.

This situation has been verified in the review of scientific documents: projects, papers, articles, scientific sessions, methodologies and exchanges with professionals, where the use of certain stereotypes is revealed in the usual repetition of methodological structures (titles, scientific problems , objectives, scientific tasks ...), which shows gaps in knowledge about the theoretical foundations inherent in the interrelation of linguistics with research methodology. When it has been exchanged with professionals about whether they know why the objective should be introduced by infinitive, the scientific task by noun or the expected result by participle, some have offered inaccurate answers; others, have confessed not to know. Obviously, this confirms the situation referred to.

In relation to this matter, as a reaffirmation of what has been analyzed, Canto Pérez et al.7 consider that: "... one of the fundamental functions of higher education today is the training of competent professionals". Undoubtedly, a proposal of theoretical training in this respect, based on the interrelation of linguistic science with research methodology, allows scientists to know the reasons for such procedures, as well as the relevant linguistic principles and resources in each case. In this way, the cognitive spectrum of the professional of science is broadened, which favors its work by continuing to incorporate these patterns; but, now, consciously.

The above is reaffirmed in the idea expressed by Laferté and Barroso, cited by González Capdevila et al:8 "The professional improvement of teachers in medical science universities also has a systemic character and it is aimed at perfecting, updating, complementing, expand knowledge, skills and abilities, while promoting the development and consolidation of values, so that it contributes to raising the effectiveness and quality of the teaching, methodological and researching work that takes place in them (...). In the same way, it prepares them to achieve a communicative process of excellence in their actions, which demands the efficient use of the language -mainly the mother tongue- and the foreign language, while promoting the quality of their publications and facilitating the introduction of their scientific results in the social practice".

In perfect correspondence with the previous ideas and encouraged to reverse the situation presented, the authors of this research work plan to carry out a research-development project, as a novel proposal due to the absence of information and treatment of the phenomenon described within the scope of this context . It is, finally, to have a product that allows the linguistic training of the professionals of the Faculty of Technology and Nursing in relation to the conscious expression of scientific language. The intended scientific-methodological impact will be opportunely socialized through the publication of an article. Obviously, it is reaffirmed that knowing the principles and resources of language make this and essential instrument for human communication in all spheres and areas of knowledge.

 

Declaration of interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

 

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES

1. Rosental M, Ludín P. Diccionario Filosófico. La Habana: Editora Política; 1984.

2. Real Academia Española. Diccionario de la Real Academia Española (DRAE). Madrid: Espasa Libros S.L.V; 2015.

3. Artiles Bisbal L, Otero Iglesia J, Barroso Osuna I. Metodología de la investigación para las ciencias de la salud. La Habana: Editorial Ciencias Médicas; 2009.

4. Mari Mutt JA. Manual de redacción científica. Mayagüez: Caribbean Journal of Science; 2008. [Internet]. [Actualizado Nov 2008; citado 19 Dic 2017]. Disponible en: http://www.caribjsci.org/epub1/index.htm

5. Martín Butragueño P. ¿Para qué sirve la lingüística? Rev Cuadrivio [Internet]. 2014. [citado 10 Dic 2017];(14):[aprox. 8 p.]. Disponible en: https://cuadrivio.net/para-que-sirve-la-linguistica/

6. Day RA, Gastel B. Cómo escribir y publicar trabajos científicos. 4ª ed. Washington: Organización Panamericana de la Salud; 2005.

7. Canto Pérez M, Cabrera García AG, Franco Pérez M. El desarrollo de habilidades investigativas en estudiantes de Estomatología, dimensión necesaria para una formación integral. EDUMECENTRO [Internet]. 2014 [citado 19 Dic 2017];6(supl.1):[aprox. 6 p.]. Disponible en: http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2077-28742014000400013

8. González Capdevila O, Mesa Carpio N, González Franco M. La superación profesional en las universidades de ciencias médicas, tendencias y exigencias actuales. EDUMECENTRO [Internet]. 2013 [citado 18 Dic 2017];5(2):[aprox.]. Disponible en: http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2077-28742013000200004

 

 

Submitted: December 20 2017.
Accepted: September 3 2018.

 

 

Eugenio Jesús López Gómez. Villa Clara University of Medical Sciences. Cuba. E-mail: eugeniojlg@infomed.sld.cu

 

 

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