Structure of Moves in Research Article Abstracts in Applied Linguistics

Seden Can, Erkan Karabacak and Jingjing Qin
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Seden Can: Department of English Language Teaching, College of Education, Yeditepe University, 26 Ağustos Yerleşimi, İnönü Mah., Kayışdağı Cad., 34755 Istantul, Turkey
Erkan Karabacak: Department of English Language Teaching, College of Education, Yeditepe University, 26 Ağustos Yerleşimi, İnönü Mah., Kayışdağı Cad., 34755 Istantul, Turkey
Jingjing Qin: Department of English and Writing Studies, Zayed University, P.O. Box 144534, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Publications, 2016, vol. 4, issue 3, 1-16

Abstract: An abstract summarizes the accompanying article in order to promote it. While many move-analysis studies of abstracts in applied linguistics (AL) have used similar coding frameworks and demonstrated similar rhetorical organizations, their findings have not yet been aggregated to show the overall picture. The present study aimed to both examine move structures in AL abstracts and compare the results with previous studies both synchronically and diachronically. Fifty abstracts were collected from articles published in the journal English for Specific Purposes (ESP) between 2011 and 2013. Sentences were coded using a five-move scheme adapted from previous studies. Combining the results from previous research and the present study showed that most AL abstracts give information on the purpose, methodology, and findings of the associated article, while about half of the articles omit introduction of the topic and discussion of the findings. It was also found that authors frequently violate the move sequence expected by current schemes. These findings consistent with previous research suggest that future researchers informed by move analyses should explore the connection between the findings of move analyses and teaching materials for academic writing.

Keywords: move analysis; genre analysis; EAP; abstracts (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A2 D83 L82 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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