Metadiscourse As Promotion Of Knowledge Claims In Research Articles

In recent decades,a large number of scholars have been studying how to increase attractiveness and persuasion of knowledge claiming in research articles(Berkenkotter & Huckin,1995;Law & Williams,1982).Academic writers intend to make use of metadiscourse to persuade readers to follow their thinking,participate in their research,accept their knowledge claims,and acknowledge their scholar identity.Metadiscourse,therefore,is an essential way of examining the promotion of knowledge claims in research articles.The present study makes a tentative attempt to explore how metadiscourse is employed in knowledge claiming in research articles through the analysis of 51 research articles in linguistics from world-wide journals.By adopting Trine's(2008)signaling words of knowledge claims,the thesis firstly searches knowledge claims.Secondly,by integrating Hyland & Tse's(2004)classification of metadiscourse,the present paper proposes the analytical framework.Thirdly,with the help of AntConc,the present study explores the distribution and frequency of each kind of metadiscourse.Finally,through analyzing the use of metadiscourse in specific examples,the present paper elaborates how metadiscourse is employed as promotion of knowledge claiming in research articles.The study reveals that metadiscourse used in promoting knowledge claims covers hedges,boosters,attitude markers,self-mention,and engagement markers.They are mainly employed in the sections of Abstract,Introduction,Result and Discussion in research articles,especially the Result and Discussion.Each kind of metadiscourse is loaded with different function.Hedges open a dialogue to communicate with readers;boosters highlight writers' confidence in their knowledge claims;attitude markers affect readers' interpretation through showing writers' attitude;self-mention highlights writers' presence and contribution;engagement markers involve readers into the research in order to build writer-reader solidarity,and increase the persuasion of knowledge claims and seek for readers' acceptance.The present study highlights the promotional role of metadiscourse in knowledge claiming in research articles.We hope this research would be helpful for academicwriters to improve their awareness of making use of metadiscourse in knowledge claiming so as to promote their research.