Abstract
This chapter discusses pertinent research on the structure of research articles from the field of applied linguistics, including the macro-organization of the main sections in articles and patterns in use of rhetorical features, such as metadiscourse and academic criticism. Studies have revealed the importance of particular rhetorical functions, such as the use of alternative explanations in commenting on results in applied linguistics research articles (Basturkmen, Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 241–251, 2009) while also pointing to intra-disciplinary variation in academic norms. In addition, studies have identified a variety of metadiscoursal features used to establish author presence and academic criticism that varies across sections. Following the discussion of features of the applied linguistics research article, the chapter focuses on pedagogical issues related to the instruction of writing the research article, such as rhetorical consciousness raising and the use of annotated corpora. The chapter also presents the novice writer with some questions to consider when constructing a research article in applied linguistics.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Ahmad, U. K. (1997). Research article introductions in Malay: Rhetoric in an emerging research community. In A. Duszak (Ed.), Culture and styles of academic discourse (pp. 273–304). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
Amnuai, W., & Wannaruk, A. (2013). A move-based analysis of the conclusion sections of research articles published in international and Thai journals. 3L; language, linguistics and literature. The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies, 19(2), 53–63.
Basturkmen, H. (2009). Commenting on results in published research articles and masters dissertations in language teaching. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 8(4), 241–251.
Belcher, D. D. (2007). Seeking acceptance in an English-only research world. Journal of Second Language Writing, 16(1), 1–22.
Belcher, D. D. (2009). How research space is created in a diverse research world. Journal of Second Language Writing, 18(4), 221–234.
Charles, M. (2014). Getting the corpus habit: EAP students’ long-term use of personal corpora. English for Specific Purposes, 35, 30–40.
Dahl, T. (2004). Textual metadiscourse in research articles: A marker of national culture or of academic discipline? Journal of Pragmatics, 36(10), 1807–1825.
Dahl, T., & Fløttum, K. (2011). Wrong or just different? How existing knowledge is staged to promote new claims in English economics and linguistics articles. In F. Salager-Meyer & B. Lewin (Eds.), Crossed words: Criticism in scholarly writing (pp. 259–282). Bern and Berlin: Peter Lang.
Dujsik, D. (2013). A genre analysis of research article discussions in applied linguistics. Language Research, 49(2), 453–477.
Feak, C., & Swales, J. M. (2009). Telling a research story: Writing a literature review. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.
Feak, C. B., & Swales, J. M. (2011). Creating contexts: Writing introductions across genres. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.
Fløttum, K. (2010). Linguistically marked cultural identity in research articles. In G. Garzone & J. Archibald (Eds.), Discourse, identities and roles in specialized communication (pp. 267–280). Bern: Peter Lang.
Flowerdew, J. (2014). English for research publication purposes. In B. Paltridge & S. Starfield (Eds.), The handbook of English for specific purposes (pp. 301–321). Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.
Flowerdew, J. (2015). John Swales’s approach to pedagogy in genre analysis: A perspective from 25 years on. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 19, 102–112.
Flowerdew, J. (2016). English for specific academic purposes writing: Making the case. Writing & Pedagogy, 8(1), 5–32.
Fredrickson, K., & Swales, J. (1994). Competition and discourse community: Introductions from Nysvenska studier. In B. Gunnarsson, P. Linell, & B. Nordberg (Eds.), Text and talk in professional contexts. ASLA: Sweden.
Gillaerts, P., & Van de Velde, F. (2010). Interactional metadiscourse in research article abstracts. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 9(2), 128–139.
Holmes, R. (1997). Genre analysis, and the social sciences: An investigation of the structure of research article discussion sections in three disciplines. English for Specific Purposes, 16(4), 321–337.
Hopkins, A., & Dudley-Evans, T. (1988). A genre-based investigation of the discussion sections in articles and dissertations. English for Specific Purposes, 7(2), 113–121.
Hyland, K. (2000). Disciplinary discourses: Social interactions in academic writing. Harlow: Pearson.
Hyland, K. (2005). Metadiscourse. New York, NY: Continuum.
Hyland, K. (2009a). Academic discourse: English in a global context. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.
Hyland, K. (2009b). English for professional academic purposes: Writing for scholarly publication. In D. Belcher (Ed.), English for specific purposes in theory and practice (pp. 83–105). Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.
Kaplan, R. (Ed.). (2010). The Oxford handbook of applied linguistics (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Kuhi, D., & Behnam, B. (2011). Generic variations and metadiscourse use in the writing of applied linguists: A comparative study and preliminary framework. Written Communication, 28(1), 97–141.
Lee, D., & Swales, J. (2006). A corpus-based EAP course for NNS doctoral students: Moving from available specialized corpora to self-compiled corpora. English for Specific Purposes, 25(1), 56–75.
Lillis, T., & Curry, M. J. (2010). Academic writing in a global context: The politics and practices of publishing in English. New York: Routledge.
Lim, J. M. H. (2010). Commenting on research results in applied linguistics and education: A comparative genre-based investigation. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 9(4), 280–294.
Lim, J. M. H. (2011a). Delineating sampling procedures: Significance of analyzing sampling descriptions and their justifications in TESL experimental research reports. Ibérica, 21, 71–92.
Lim, J. M. H. (2011b). ‘Paving the way for research findings’: Writers’ rhetorical choices in education and applied linguistics. Discourse Studies, 13(6), 725–749.
Lin, L. (2014). Innovations in structuring article introductions: The case of applied linguistics. Ibérica, 28, 129–154.
Lin, L., & Evans, S. (2012). Structural patterns in empirical research articles: A cross-disciplinary study. English for Specific Purposes, 31, 150–160.
Lorés Sanz, R. (2008). Genres in contrast: The exploration of writers’ visibility in research articles and research article abstracts. In S. Burgess & P. Mártin-Mártin (Eds.), English as an additional language and research publication and communication (pp. 105–123). Bern: Peter Lang.
Mauranen, A. (1993). Cultural differences in academic discourse–problems of a linguistic and cultural minority. Afinla-Import, 23(51), 157–174.
Melander, B., Swales, J. M., & Fredrickson, K. (1997). Journal abstracts from three academic fields in the United States and Sweden: National or disciplinary proclivities? In A. Duszak (Ed.), Culture and styles of academic discourse (pp. 251–272). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
Ozturk, I. (2007). The textual organisation of research article introductions in applied linguistics: Variability within a single discipline. English for Specific Purposes, 26(1), 25–38.
Peacock, M. (2002). Communicative moves in the discussion section of research articles. System, 30(4), 479–497.
Pho, P. D. (2008). Research article abstracts in applied linguistics and educational technology: A study of linguistic realizations of rhetorical structure and authorial stance. Discourse studies, 10(2), 231–250.
Rodriguez, M. (2009). Applied linguistics research articles: A genre study of sub-disciplinary variation. Unpublished MA thesis, San Diego State University.
Ruiying, Y., & Allison, D. (2004). Research articles in applied linguistics: Structures from a functional perspective. English for Specific Purposes, 23(3), 264–279.
Samraj, B. (2005). An exploration of a genre set: Research article abstracts and introductions in two disciplines. English for Specific Purposes, 24(2), 141–156.
Samraj, B. (2016). Research articles. In K. Hyland & P. Shaw (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of English for academic purposes (pp. 403–415). New York, NY: Routledge.
Santos, M. B. D. (1996). The textual organization of research paper abstracts in applied linguistics. Text, 16(4), 481–499.
Sheldon, E. (2011). Rhetorical differences in RA introductions written by English L1 and L2 and Castilian Spanish L1 writers. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 10(4), 238–251.
Swales, J. M. (1990). Genre analysis: English in academic and research settings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Swales, J. M. (1997). English as tyrannosaurus rex. World Englishes, 16(3), 373–382.
Swales, J. M. (2004). Research genres: Explorations and applications. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Swales, J. M., & Feak, C. (2000). English in today’s research world: A writing guide. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.
Swales, J. M., & Feak, C. (2004). Academic writing for graduate students: Essential tasks and skills. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.
Swales, J. M., & Feak, C. (2009). Abstracts and the writing of abstracts. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.
Yang, R., & Allison, D. (2003). Research articles in applied linguistics: Moving from results to conclusions. English for Specific Purposes, 22(4), 365–385.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2018 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Samraj, B. (2018). Writing a Research Article. In: Phakiti, A., De Costa, P., Plonsky, L., Starfield, S. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Applied Linguistics Research Methodology. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59900-1_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59900-1_10
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-137-59899-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-59900-1
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)