Background information in the discussion sections of forestry journals: a case study
The Discussion section constitutes a powerful closing argument used by a researcher to highlight key findings in relation to the existing knowledge with the aim of facilitating readers’ comprehension of the entire study. As previous research has yet to identify the frequencies of the different ty...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
2018
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| Online Access: | http://journalarticle.ukm.my/13589/1/23459-69274-1-PB.pdf http://journalarticle.ukm.my/13589/ http://ejournal.ukm.my/gema/issue/view/1073 |
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| Summary: | The Discussion section constitutes a powerful closing argument used by a researcher to
highlight key findings in relation to the existing knowledge with the aim of facilitating
readers’ comprehension of the entire study. As previous research has yet to identify the
frequencies of the different types of background information and the language resources used
to present them, this study sought to identify the types of background information employed
by expert writers, ascertain the frequencies and positions of the information concerned, and
explore how expert writers use lexico-grammatical resources to present such information in
the Discussion sections of Forestry research reports. Using a genre-based analytical
framework, 60 Discussion sections in Forestry journals were studied. The findings revealed
that provision of essential background information is a principal communicative move
appearing in 95% of Forestry Discussion sections. This section comprises (i) contextual and
theoretical information aimed at facilitating readers’ comprehension of the findings to be
presented, and (ii) a reiteration of objectives, methods and/or hypotheses of the research.
Based on the findings, it is suggested that background information be highlighted to learners
as a segment that serves a promotional function which emphasises the significance of their
research topic in relation to the plenitude of past studies. Using the language resources
identified in this study, it is recommended that lecturers teaching English for Research
Purposes (ERP) focus on the use of (i) adjectives denoting prominence, (ii) investigative and
procedural verbs, (iii) means and purposive adjuncts, and (iv) infinitive clauses describing
expected behaviours in order to help learners clearly furnish relevant background
information. |
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