International Journal of Language S

International Journal of Language Studies
Volume 7, Number 4, October 2013, pp. 101-110
ISSN: 2157-4898; EISSN: 2157-4901
© 2013 IJLS; Printed in the USA by Lulu Press Inc.
Rhetorical moves and verb tense in abstracts: A comparative analysis of American and Iranian academic writing
Azizeh CHALAK, Islamic Azad University, Khorasgan (Isfahan) Branch, Iran
Zahra NOROUZI, Islamic Azad University, Khorasgan (Isfahan) Branch, Iran
Research article (RA) abstract is regarded as an essential part in identifying the basic content of the report among the current academic communities. This study aimed at investigating whether native and nonnative academic writers differed in terms of rhetorical moves as well as the use of verb tense in abstracts. To achieve this end, a sample of 40 RA abstracts (20 by American and 20 by Iranian academic writers) in English was selected from International Journal of Language Studies (IJLS). The data analysis revealed that move two (Purpose), three (Method), and four (Result) were considered the obligatory structural moves in both sets of data, while move one (Introduction) and move five (Conclusion) served as optional moves. With regard to the use of verb tense in each move, it was found that present tense was the preferred tense in move one and five, but past tense was used in move three more frequently in two sets of data. It was also shown that while the present tense was the preferred tense for Americans in move two and four, Iranians more often used the past tense. The findings of this study can help academic writers, teachers and students and raise their awareness to master the conventions of academic writing in scientific communities.
Keywords: Abstract; Academic Writing; Research Article; Rhetorical Moves; Verb Tense
1. Introduction
In the world of increasing international academic Research Articles (RA), English as the international language of science and technology plays an important role and serves as the major channel of sharing scientific knowledge among the members of academic discourse community. Since the presence of Swales' (1990) model of Create A Research Space (CARS), there has been a huge interest in literature on analyzing various parts of the research articles, namely, abstract (Salager-Meyer, 1991), introduction (Amirian & Tavakoli, 2010), and discussion (Amnuai & Wannaruk, 2013).
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Such studies have focused mainly on move analysis or linguistic features that specify the moves.
Abstract as an important area for analysis within the area of genre analysis has also received an increasing attention in the last decade among Iranian academic writers (Jalilifar & Vahid Dastjerdi, 2010; Zand-Vakili & Fard Kashani, 2012). Because abstract is a useful tool of mastering and managing information in the scientific community (Ventola, 1994), it is important for researchers, especially non-native English writers to know and master the conventions of academic writing, and also get familiar with rhetorical features of writing RA abstracts.
In Iran, although a couple of studies on abstracts have been carried out, little has been done on cross cultural comparative study on the rhetorical structure of abstracts written in English by native English authors and nonnative Iranian authors. Moreover, to the best knowledge of the researchers, little research has been carried out on the linguistic moves especially verb tense in each move in Iran. In fact, not many studies have been conducted to examine the role of non/nativeness of the authors in the use of verb tense in RA abstracts.
The primary aim of the present study was examining the rhetorical structure or move structure of RA abstracts written by American and Iranian academic writers in English. Also, this study investigated the verb tense of each move across two groups of writers. It is hoped that this study could show a better picture of RA abstracts and help the novice writers to write efficiently and effectively.
2. Background
In the last two decades, most of the attention in language teaching and learning has been given to the notion of genre and its application (Hyland, 2004). The term genre has different meanings offered by different language researchers. Swales (1990) stated that a genre encompasses "a class of communicative events, the member of which share some set of communicative purposes" (p. 58). According to Martin (1984), “a genre is a staged, goal-oriented, purposeful activity in which speakers engage as members of our culture” (p. 25). Eggins (1994) suggested that genre is considered as the general framework that gives purpose to interactions of particular types. However, there is no agreement on the definition of the concept of genre. In order to provide a basic definition, this study focused on Swales and Feak's (2009) definition of genre as "a type of text or discourse designed to achieve a set of communicative purposes" (p. 1). In other words, a genre acts as a frame or scheme to achieve particular purposes through language.
International Journal of Language Studies, 7(4), 101-110 103
Following Swales’s (2004) genre definition, different research articles have been conducted within the area of English for Specific Purposes (ESP): abstracts (Tseng, 2011), introduction (Swales, 1990); book reviews (Salmani Nodoushan & Montazeran, 2012), book prefaces (Mohsenzadeh, 2013), and conference proposals (Halleck & Connor, 2006). Researchers in most of these studies have focused on the rhetorical organization of the above mentioned genres in terms of their structural moves or their linguistic features.
Over the recent years, abstract as a specific genre, has received special attention in RA studies and has been analyzed from different perspectives in different disciplines. Moten (2009) asserted that abstract is essential for identifying the basic contents of a project as well as its relevance. Abstract is also considered as a gateway into the research literature (Hartley & Benjamin, 1998) or as a key to understand the whole arguments of the original articles (Swales, 1990).
Previous studies on RA abstracts conducted in Iran, however, have been done from different perspectives. Jalilifar and Vahid Dastjerdi (2010) conducted a research study to examine the generic characteristics of thesis and dissertation abstracts across different variations, namely, disciplines and cultures. Collecting 552 abstracts by the speakers of Persian, English, and some other languages, they analyzed abstracts in terms of macro/microstructures in seven disciplines. The findings revealed obligatory and also optional structures used by participants in different languages. They found that cultural and disciplinary differences can affect the structure of abstracts. Providing explicit instruction to a group of Persian speakers on macro/ microstructures, they also found that explicit knowledge of rhetorical structure will enhance the quality of English abstracts. In another study conducted by Zand-Vakili and Fard Kashani (2012), the move structures of Persian and English research article abstracts and introductions were analyzed. Employing and adopting Hyland's (2000) model, they examined 10 Persian and English linguistic articles based on their moves in abstract and introduction. The results showed some significant variations across English and Persian articles. They found that contrary to English abstracts, Persian articles make use of more general macromoves and less specific detailed submoves.
Generally, most of the studies on RA conducted in Iran, have mainly focused on rhetorical moves of different genres with a comparative purpose in English and Persian: rhetorical moves of literature book prefaces in English and Persian (Mohsenzadeh, 2013), communicative moves and author identity of Persian research article abstracts (Hasrati & Gheitury, 2010), a structural move analysis of discussion sections of theses (Salmani Nodoushan & Khakbaz, 2011); and a Swalesian genre approach to the investigation of the
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introduction parts of English, Persian, and EFL applied linguist RA (Amirian & Tavakoli, 2010). In addition to rhetorical analysis of various academic and non-academic genres, a growing number of research studies have focused on linguistic realisations of the moves from different perspectives (Holtz, 2011).
Different models via different formats have been proposed for the structure of the research article abstracts. Weissberg and Buker (1990) suggested a five-move model of an abstract as Background, Purpose, Method, Result, and Conclusion, While, Hyland (2000) presented a five-move structure: Introduction, Purpose, Method, Product, and Conclusion. More recently, Swales and Feak (2012) offered another five-move structure as Background, Aim, Method, Results, and Conclusion which will be used in this study.
3. Method
3.1. Data
This study employed two sets of data. One set was composed of 20 abstracts in English written by American authors. The other set was 20 abstracts in English written by Iranian writers. The selection of the American and Iranian writers was based on the affiliation of the authors. A total of 40 RA abstracts were randomly selected from 2010-2013 from International Journal of Language Studies (IJLS). It is important to note that because of the limitation in the abstracts written by American writers, and in order to compare both groups in the same condition, only 20 abstracts for each group were selected. The rationale behind selection of this journal was partly because of the online availability of the journal and partly because of the variety of authors from different languages and cultural backgrounds. The researchers were also familiar with the style and guidelines of the journal. It is worth mentioning that the present study focused on only one discipline, namely, Language Teaching because disciplinary variations have influences on rhetorical structure and the use of language (

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International Journal of Taalstudie
Deel 7, nommer 4, Oktober 2013, pp 101-110.
ISSN: 2157-4898; EISSN: 2157-4901
© 2013 IJLS; Gedruk in die VSA deur Lulu Press Inc.
Retoriese beweeg en werkwoord gespanne in abstrakte: 'n Vergelykende ontleding van die Amerikaanse en Iraanse akademiese skryfwerk
Azizeh CHALAK, Islamitiese Azad Universiteit, Khorasgan (Isfahan) Tak, Iran
Zahra NOROUZI, Islamitiese Azad Universiteit, Khorasgan (Isfahan ) Tak, Iran
Navorsingsartikel (RA) abstrakte word beskou as 'n noodsaaklike rol in die identifisering van die basiese inhoud van die verslag onder die huidige akademiese gemeenskappe. Hierdie studie wat gemik is op die ondersoek of inheemse en aangeboren akademiese skrywers verskil in terme van retoriese beweeg, sowel as die gebruik van werkwoord gespanne in abstrakte. Om hierdie doel te bereik, 'n monster van 40 RA abstrakte (20 Amerikaanse en 20 deur Iraanse akademiese skrywers) in Engels is gekies uit International Journal of Taalstudie (IJLS). Die data-analise het getoon dat skuif twee (Doel), drie (Metode), en vier (resultaat) is van mening dat die verpligte strukturele beweeg in beide stelle data, terwyl skuif een (Introduction) en beweeg vyf (Slot) gedien as opsionele beweeg. Met betrekking tot die gebruik van werkwoord gespanne in elke skuif, is daar gevind dat die huidige gespanne is die voorkeur gespanne in beweging een en vyf, maar verlede tyd gebruik in stap drie meer dikwels in twee stelle data. Dit is ook getoon dat terwyl die huidige gespanne was die voorkeur gespanne vir die Amerikaners in beweging twee en vier, Iraniërs meer dikwels gebruik die verlede tyd. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie kan help akademiese skrywers, onderwysers en studente en hul bewustheid van die konvensies van akademiese skryfwerk in wetenskaplike gemeenskappe te bemeester samel.
Keywords: Abstract; Akademiese skryfwerk; Navorsing artikel; Retoriese Moves; Werkwoord Gespanne
1. Inleiding
In die wêreld van toenemende internasionale akademiese Navorsing Artikels (RA), Engels as internasionale taal van wetenskap en tegnologie speel 'n belangrike rol en dien as die belangrikste kanaal van die deel van wetenskaplike kennis onder die lede van akademiese diskoers gemeenskap. Sedert die teenwoordigheid van Swales (1990) se model van skep 'n Ondersoek Space (motors), is daar 'n groot belangstelling in die literatuur oor die ontleding van die verskillende dele van die navorsing artikels, naamlik abstrakte (Salager-Meyer, 1991), inleiding (Amirian & Tavakoli, 2010), en bespreking (Amnuai & Wannaruk, 2013).
102 A. Chalak & Z. Norouzi
Sulke studies het hoofsaaklik gefokus op skuif analise of taalkundige eienskappe wat die beweeg spesifiseer.
Abstract as 'n belangrike gebied vir ontleding binne die gebied van genre-analise het ook 'n toenemende aandag in die afgelope dekade onder Iraanse akademiese skrywers (Jalilifar & Vahid Dastjerdi, 2010; Zand-Vakili & Fard Kahsani, 2012). Omdat abstrakte is 'n nuttige instrument te bemeester en die bestuur van inligting in die wetenskaplike gemeenskap (Ventola, 1994), is dit belangrik vir navorsers, veral nie-inheemse Engelse skrywers om te weet en te bemeester die konvensies van akademiese skryfwerk en ook vertroud met retoriese eienskappe skryf RA abstrakte.
In Iran, hoewel 'n paar van die studies oor abstrakte uitgevoer is, het min gedoen is oor kruis-kulturele vergelykende studie oor die retoriese struktuur van abstrakte in Engels geskryf deur moedertaal Engelse skrywers en aangeboren Iraanse skrywers. Verder, om die beste kennis van die navorsers, min navorsing is uitgevoer op die taalkundige beweeg veral werkwoord gespanne in elke skuif in Iran. In werklikheid het nie baie studies gedoen is om die rol van nie / nativeness van die skrywers in die gebruik van werkwoord gespanne in RA abstrakte ondersoek.
Die primêre doel van die huidige studie is die ondersoek van die retoriese struktuur of skuif struktuur van RA abstrakte geskryf deur Amerikaanse en Iraanse akademiese skrywers in Engels. Ook hierdie studie ondersoek die werkwoord gespanne van elke beweging in twee groepe skrywers. Daar word gehoop dat hierdie studie 'n beter prentjie van RA abstrakte kon wys en help om die beginner skrywers om doeltreffend en effektief te skryf.
2. Agtergrond
In die afgelope twee dekades, het die meeste van die aandag in die taal onderrig en leer is gegee aan die idee van genre en die toepassing daarvan (Hyland, 2004). Die term genre het verskillende betekenisse wat aangebied word deur ander taal navorsers. Swales (1990) verklaar dat 'n genre sluit "'n klas van kommunikatiewe gebeure, die lid van wat deel 'n stel kommunikatiewe doeleindes" (p. 58). Volgens Martin (1984), "'n genre is 'n opgevoer, doelgerigte, doelbewuste aktiwiteit waarin sprekers betrek as lede van ons kultuur" (p. 25). Eggins (1994) het voorgestel dat genre word beskou as die algemene raamwerk wat doel gee om interaksies van bepaalde tipes. Daar is egter geen ooreenkoms oor die definisie van die konsep van genre. Ten einde 'n basiese definisie verskaf hierdie studie gefokus op Swales en Feak se (2009) se definisie van genre as "'n tipe van die teks of diskoers ontwerp om 'n stel van kommunikatiewe doeleindes te bereik" (p. 1). Met ander woorde, 'n genre tree op as 'n raam of skema om spesifieke doelwitte te bereik deur middel van taal.
International Journal of Taalstudie, 7 (4), 101-110 103
Na Swales se (2004) genre definisie, verskillende navorsing artikels is gedoen binne die gebied van Engels vir spesifieke doeleindes (ESP): abstrakte (Tseng, 2011), inleiding (Swales, 1990); boekresensies (Salmani Nodoushan & Montazeran, 2012), boek voorwoorde (Mohsenzadeh, 2013), en konferensie voorstelle (Halleck & Connor, 2006). Navorsers in die meeste van hierdie studies het gefokus op die retoriese organisasie van die bogenoemde genres in terme van hul strukturele beweeg of hul linguistiese kenmerke.
Oor die afgelope jaar, abstrakte as 'n spesifieke genre, het spesiale aandag gekry in RA studies en is ontleed uit verskillende perspektiewe in verskillende dissiplines. MOTEN (2009) beweer dat abstrakte is noodsaaklik vir die identifisering van die basiese inhoud van 'n projek, sowel as die relevansie. Abstract word ook beskou as 'n poort na die navorsing literatuur (Hartley & Benjamin, 1998) of as 'n sleutel tot die hele argumente van die oorspronklike artikels (Swales, 1990). Verstaan
​​Vorige studies oor RA abstrakte wat in Iran, maar het gedoen vanuit verskillende perspektiewe. Jalilifar en Vahid Dastjerdi (2010) het 'n navorsingstudie die generiese eienskappe van tesis en verhandeling abstrakte oor verskillende variasies, naamlik, dissiplines en kulture te ondersoek. Invordering 552 abstrakte deur die sprekers van die Persiese, Engels, en 'n paar ander tale, ontleed hulle abstrakte in terme van makro / mikrostrukture in sewe dissiplines. Die bevindinge geopenbaar verpligtend en ook opsioneel strukture wat gebruik word deur die deelnemers in verskillende tale. Hulle het bevind dat kulturele verskille en dissiplinêre die struktuur van abstrakte kan beïnvloed. Verskaffing eksplisiete opdrag om 'n groep van die Persiese sprekers op makro / mikrostrukture, hulle het ook bevind dat eksplisiete kennis van retoriese struktuur van die gehalte van die Engelse opsommings sal verbeter. In 'n ander studie wat deur Zand-Vakili en Fard Kahsani (2012), is die skuif strukture van Persiese en Engels navorsingsartikel opsommings en ​​inleiding ontleed. Diens en die aanneming van Hyland se (2000) se model, het hulle ondersoek 10 Persiese en Engels taalkundige artikels wat gebaseer is op hul beweeg in abstrakte en bekendstelling. Die resultate het getoon 'n paar belangrike verskille oor Engels en Persiese artikels. Hulle het bevind dat in teenstelling met Engels abstrakte, Persiese artikels gebruik maak van meer algemene macromoves en minder spesifieke gedetailleerde submoves.
Oor die algemeen, die meeste van die studies oor RA wat in Iran, het hoofsaaklik gefokus op retoriese beweeg van verskillende genres met 'n vergelykende doel in Engels en Persiese: retoriese beweeg van die letterkunde boek voorwoorde in Engels en Persiese (Mohsenzadeh, 2013), kommunikatiewe beweeg en skrywer identiteit van die Persiese navorsingsartikel abstrakte (Hasrati & Gheitury, 2010), 'n strukturele skuif ontleding van bespreking afdelings van tesisse (Salmani Nodoushan & Khakbaz , 2011); en 'n Swalesian genre benadering tot die ondersoek van die
104 A. Chalak & Z. Norouzi
bekendstelling dele van Engels, Persiese, en EFL toegepas taalkundige RA (Amirian & Tavakoli, 2010). In bykomend tot retoriese ontleding van verskeie akademiese en nie-akademiese genres, 'n groeiende aantal navorsingstudies het gefokus op taalkundige realisasies van die beweeg van verskillende perspektiewe (Holtz, 2011).
Verskillende modelle via verskillende formate is voorgestel vir die struktuur van die navorsingsartikel abstrakte. Weissberg en Buker (1990) het voorgestel 'n vyf-stap model van 'n abstrakte as agtergrond, doel, metode, resultaat, en gevolgtrekking Terwyl Hyland (2000) het 'n vyf-move struktuur: Inleiding, Doel, metode, produk, en Gevolgtrekking . Meer onlangs, Swales en Feak (2012) wat 'n ander vyf-move struktuur as agtergrond, doel, metode, resultate, en Gevolgtrekking wat gebruik sal word in hierdie studie.
3. Metode
3.1. Data
Hierdie studie diens twee stelle data. Een stel is saamgestel uit 20 abstrakte in Engels geskryf deur die Amerikaanse skrywers. Die ander stel was 20 abstrakte in Engels geskryf deur Iraanse skrywers. Die keuse van die Amerikaanse en Iraanse skrywers is gebaseer op die affiliasie van die skrywers. 'N Totaal van 40 RA abstrakte is lukraak gekies 2010-2013 van International Journal of Taalstudie (IJLS). Dit is belangrik om daarop te let dat as gevolg van die beperking in die abstrakte geskryf deur die Amerikaanse skrywers en om beide groepe te vergelyk in dieselfde toestand slegs 20 abstrakte vir elke groep gekies. Die rasionaal agter seleksie van hierdie tydskrif was deels as gevolg van die beskikbaarheid aanlyn van die tydskrif en deels as gevolg van die verskeidenheid van skrywers uit verskillende tale en kulturele agtergronde. Die navorsers was ook bekend met die styl en riglyne van die tydskrif. Dit is noemenswaardig dat die huidige studie het gefokus op net een dissipline, naamlik Taalonderrig omdat dissiplinêre variasies het invloede op retoriese struktuur en die gebruik van taal (