Stance and Engagement in Research Articles: Natural Science vs. Social Science

Stance and Engagement in Research Articles: Natural Science vs. Social Science

Research has indicated that academic writing involves interaction between writers and readers. Writers make use of different linguistic features to express their attitudes toward text and involve readers in their respective discourse community. The rhetorical options scholars in academia employ to engage their reader in dialogic discourse has attracted researchers’ attention. However, studies to date have examined Research Articles (RAs) in natural science and social science fields using Hyland’s (2005) model of engagement. While building upon this body of knowledge, the present study compares the use of engagement markers in introduction section of RAs in these two fields using Martin and Whites’ (2005) engagement model. The data consists of a corpus of 24 articles from natural sciences and 24 from social sciences fields. Results of corpus analysis revealed natural science writers’ preference for the use of more dialogic interaction in RAs. We also found that RA authors in natural sciences frequently opt for expanding strategies, while their counterparts in social sciences draw upon using more contracting strategies in their RAs. The results have pedagogical implications for academic writing in different disciplines.

Research has indicated that academic writing involves interaction between writers and readers. Writers make use of different linguistic features to express their attitudes toward text and involve readers in their respective discourse community. The rhetorical options scholars in academia employ to engage their reader in dialogic discourse has attracted researchers’ attention. However, studies to date have examined Research Articles (RAs) in natural science and social science fields using Hyland’s (2005) model of engagement. While building upon this body of knowledge, the present study compares the use of engagement markers in introduction section of RAs in these two fields using Martin and Whites’ (2005) engagement model. The data consists of a corpus of 24 articles from natural sciences and 24 from social sciences fields. Results of corpus analysis revealed natural science writers’ preference for the use of more dialogic interaction in RAs. We also found that RA authors in natural sciences frequently opt for expanding strategies, while their counterparts in social sciences draw upon using more contracting strategies in their RAs. The results have pedagogical implications for academic writing in different disciplines.