Evaluative language in applied linguistics research article discussions: exploring the functions and patterns of that-structures in argumentative texts

ReferencesReferences marked by an asterisk (*) indicate the papers included in the current study’s dataset.

• Abdollahzadeh, E. (2019). A cross-cultural study of hedging in discussion sections by junior and senior academic writers. Ibérica, 38, 177–202.
   Google Scholar
• Atai, M. R., & Nejadghanbar, H. (2017). Exploring Iranian ESP teachers’ subject-related critical incidents. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 29, 43–54. * https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2017.08.001
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Aull, L. (2019). Linguistic markers of stance and genre in upper-level student writing. Written Communication, 36(2), 267–295. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741088318819472
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Basturkmen, H. (2009). Commenting on results in published research articles and masters dissertations in language teaching. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 8(4), 241–251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2009.07.001
   Google Scholar
• Basturkmen, H. (2012). A genre-based investigation of discussion sections of research articles in dentistry and disciplinary variation. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 11(2), 134–144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2011.10.004
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Basturkmen, H., & Shackleford, N. (2015). How content lecturers help students with language: An observational study of language-related episodes in interaction in first year accounting classrooms. English for Specific Purposes, 37, 87–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2014.08.001
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Biber, D. (2006). Stance in spoken and written university registers. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 5(2), 97–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2006.05.001
   Google Scholar
• Bitchener, J. (2010). Writing an Applied Linguistics thesis or dissertation: A guide to presenting empirical research. Palgrave Macmillan.
   Google Scholar
• Bruce, I. (2008). Cognitive genre structures in methods sections of research articles: A corpus study. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 7(1), 38–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2007.12.001
   Google Scholar
• Bruce, I. (2009). Results sections in sociology and organic chemistry articles: A genre analysis. English for Specific Purposes, 28(2), 105–124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2008.12.005
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Cai, J. (2016). An exploratory study on an integrated genre-based approach for the instruction of academic lexical phrases. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 24, 58–74. * https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2016.09.002
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Charles, M. (2004). The construction of stance: A corpus-based investigation of two contrasting disciplines [Doctoral dissertation]. University of Birmingham.
   Google Scholar
• Charles, M. (2006). The construction of stance in reporting clauses: A cross-disciplinary study of theses. Applied Linguistics, 27(3), 492–518. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/aml021
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Charles, M. (2007). Argument or evidence? Disciplinary variation in the use of the noun that pattern in stance construction. English for Specific Purposes, 26(2), 203–218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2006.08.004
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Cheng, F. W., & Unsworth, L. (2016). Stance-taking as negotiating academic conflict in applied linguistics research article discussion sections. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 24, 43–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2016.09.001
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Coyle, Y., Guirao, J. C., & de Larios, J. R. (2018). Identifying the trajectories of young EFL learners across multi-stage writing and feedback processing tasks with model texts. Journal of Second Language Writing, 42, 25–43. * https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2018.09.002
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Crosthwaite, P., & Jiang, F. K. (2017). Does EAP affect written L2 academic stance? A longitudinal learner corpus study. System, 69, 92–107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2017.06.010
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Crosthwaite, P., Boynton, S., & Cole, S.III, (2017). Exploring rater conceptions of academic stance and engagement during group tutorial discussion assessment. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 28, 1–13. * https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2017.04.004
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Crosthwaite, P., Cheung, L., & Jiang, F. K. (2017). Writing with attitude: Stance expression in learner and professional dentistry research reports. English for Specific Purposes, 46, 107–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2017.02.001
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Curry, M. J., & Lillis, T. (2018). The dangers of English as lingua franca of journals. Inside Higher Ed, 13. *https://www.insidehighered.com
   Google Scholar
• Diab, N. M. (2016). A comparison of peer, teacher and self-feedback on the reduction of language errors in student essays. System, 57, 55–65. *
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Dontcheva-Navratilova, O. (2016). Cross-cultural variation in the use of hedges and boosters in academic discourse. Prague Journal of English Studies, 5(1), 163–184. https://doi.org/10.1515/pjes-2016-0009
   Google Scholar
• Gray, B. (2013). More than discipline: Uncovering multi-dimensional patterns of variation in academic research articles. Corpora, 8(2), 153–181. https://doi.org/10.3366/cor.2013.0039
   Google Scholar
• Gray, B. (2015). Linguistic variation in research articles: When discipline tells only part of the story. John Benjamins Publishing Company.
   Google Scholar
• Herazo, J. D. (2014). Second language (L2) development as concept-mediated textual activity: Exploring the role of functional language concepts in classroom L2 communication and learning (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from *https://doi.org/http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/20998/1/HERAZO_ETD_2014.pdf
   Google Scholar
• Hashemi, M. R., & Shirzadi, D. (2016). The use of hedging in discussion sections of applied linguistics research articles with varied research methods. Journal of Teaching Language Skills, 35(1), 31–56.
   Google Scholar
• Hirano, E. (2009). Research article introductions in English for specific purposes: A comparison between Brazilian Portuguese and English. English for Specific Purposes, 28(4), 240–250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2009.02.001
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Ho, M. C. (2017). Navigating scholarly writing and international publishing: Individual agency of Taiwanese EAL doctoral students. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 27, 1–13. * https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2017.02.004
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Holmes, R. (1997). Genre analysis and the social sciences: An investigation of the structure of research article discussion sections in three disciplines. English for Specific Purposes, 16(4), 321–337. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0889-4906(96)00038-5
   Google Scholar
• Hu, G., & Cao, F. (2011). Hedging and boosting in abstracts of applied linguistics articles: A comparative study of English-and Chinese-medium journals. Journal of Pragmatics, 43(11), 2795–2809. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2011.04.007
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Hu, G., & Cao, F. (2015). Disciplinary and paradigmatic influences on interactional metadiscourse in research articles. English for Specific Purposes, 39, 12–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2015.03.002
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Hyland, K. (1994). Hedging in academic writing and EAP textbooks. English for Specific Purposes, 13(3), 239–256. https://doi.org/10.1016/0889-4906(94)90004-3
   Google Scholar
• Hyland, K. (2002). Activity and evaluation: Reporting practices in academic writing. In J. Flowerdew (Ed.), Academic discourse (pp. 115–130). Longman.
   Google Scholar
• Hyland, K. (2005). Stance and engagement: A model of interaction in academic discourse. Discourse Studies, 7(2), 173–192. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461445605050365
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Hyland, K. (2008). Persuasion, interaction and the construction of knowledge: Representing self and others in research writing. International Journal of English Studies, 8(2), 1–23.
   Google Scholar
• Hyland, K. (2011). Disciplines and discourses: Social interactions in the construction of knowledge. In D. Starke-Meyerring, A. Paré, N. Artemeva, M. Horne, & L. Yousoubova (Eds.), Writing in knowledge societies. Perspectives on writing (pp. 193–214). The WAC Clearinghous; Parlor Press. http://wac.colostate.edu/books/winks/
   Google Scholar
• Hyland, K. (2014). Dialogue, community and persuasion in research writing. In L. Gil-Salom & C. Soler-Monreal (Eds.), Dialogicity in written specialized genres (pp. 1–20). John Benjamins Publishing Company.
   Google Scholar
• Hyland, K., & Jiang, F. (2018). ‘We believe that…’: Changes in an academic stance marker. Australian Journal of Linguistics, 38(2), 139–161. https://doi.org/10.1080/07268602.2018.1400498
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Hyland, k., & Tse, P. (2005a). Evaluative that constructions: Signaling stance in research abstracts. Functions of Language, 12(1), 39–63. https://doi.org/10.1075/fol.12.1.03hyl
   Google Scholar
• Hyland, K., & Tse, P. (2005b). Hooking the reader: A corpus study of evaluative that in abstracts. English for Specific Purposes, 24(2), 123–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2004.02.002
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Ishikawa, M. (2018). Written languaging, learners’ proficiency levels and L2 grammar learning. System, 74, 50–61. * https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2018.02.017
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Jalilifar, A. R. (2009). Research article in applied linguistics: A genre-based writing guide. Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz.
   Google Scholar
• Jalilifar, A. R. (2011). World of attitudes in research article discussion sections: A cross-linguistic perspective. Journal of Technology & Education, 5(3), 81–90.
   Google Scholar
• Jalilifar, A. R., Hayati, A. M., & Namdari, N. (2012). A comparative study of research article discussion sections of local and international applied linguistic journals. The Journal of Asia TEFL, 9(1), 1–29.
   Google Scholar
• Jalilifar, A., & Moazzen, F. (2014). Attitudinal language in research article discussions: A contrastive study of ISI and Non-ISI Journals. Taiwan International ESP Journal, 6(1), 1–30.
   Google Scholar
• Jiang, F. (2017). Stance and voice in academic writing: The noun + that construction and disciplinary variation. International Journal of Corpus Linguistics, 22(1), 85–106. https://doi.org/10.1075/ijcl.22.1.04jia
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Jiang, F., & Hyland, K. (2015). The fact that: Stance nouns in disciplinary writing. Discourse Studies, 17(5), 529–550. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461445615590719
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Jin, B. (2018). A multidimensional analysis of research article discussion sections in the field of chemical engineering. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 61(3), 242–256. https://doi.org/10.1109/TPC.2018.2817002
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Johnson, N. H., & Lyddon, P. A. (2016). Teaching grammatical voice to computer science majors: The case of less proficient English learners. English for Specific Purposes, 41, 1–11. * https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2015.08.001
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• *Jones, M., & Haywood, S. (2004). Facilitating the acquisition of formulaic sequences: An exploratory study in an EAP context. In N. Schmitt (Ed.), Formulaic sequences: Acquisition, processing, and use (pp. 269–300). Philadelphia, USA: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
   Google Scholar
• Kanoksilapatham, B. (2015). Distinguishing textual features characterizing structural variation in research articles across three engineering sub-discipline corpora. English for Specific Purposes, 37, 74–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2014.06.008
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Kawase, T. (2015). Metadiscourse in the introductions of PhD theses and research articles. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 20, 114–124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2015.08.006
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Khamkhien, A. (2014). Linguistic features of evaluative stance: Findings from research article discussions. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 4(1), 54–69. https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v4i1.600
   Google Scholar
• Khedri, M., Heng, C. S., & Ebrahimi, S. F. (2013). An exploration of interactive metadiscourse markers in academic research article abstracts in two disciplines. Discourse Studies, 15(3), 319–331. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461445613480588
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Kim, C., & Crosthwaite, P. (2019). Disciplinary differences in the use of evaluative that: Expression of stance via that-clauses in business and medicine. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 41, 100775–100714. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2019.100775
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Kim, I. (2017). Metadiscourse in persuasive essays by elementary students in South Korea and the US. Journal of Language and Cultural Education, 5(2), 80–102. https://doi.org/10.1515/jolace-2017-0020
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Lancaster, Z. (2016). Do academics really write this way? A corpus investigation of moves and templates in” they say/I say”. College Composition and Communication, 67(3), 437–464.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Le, T. N. P., & Harrington, M. (2015). Phraseology used to comment on results in the discussion section of applied linguistics quantitative research articles. English for Specific Purposes, 39, 45–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2015.03.003
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Liu, Y., & Buckingham, L. (2018). The schematic structure of discussion sections in applied linguistics and the distribution of metadiscourse markers. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 34, 97–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2018.04.002
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Macaro, E., & Mutton, T. (2009). Developing reading achievement in primary learners of French: Inferencing strategies versus exposure to ‘graded readers’. Language Learning Journal, 37(2), 165–182. *https://doi.org/10.1080/09571730902928045
   Google Scholar
• Martín, P. M. (2008). The mitigation of scientific claims in research papers: A comparative study. International Journal of English Studies, 8(2), 133–152.
   Google Scholar
• Martínez, I. A. (2003). Aspects of theme in the method and discussion sections of biology journal articles in English. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 2, 103–123.
   Google Scholar
• McKinley, J., & Rose, H. (2018). Conceptualizations of language errors, standards, norms and nativeness in English for research publication purposes: An analysis of journal submission guidelines. Journal of Second Language Writing, 42, 1–11. * https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2018.07.003
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• McLaughlin, E., & Parkinson, J. (2018). We learn as we go’: How acquisition of a technical vocabulary is supported during vocational training. English for Specific Purposes, 50, 14–27. * https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2017.11.003
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Millot, P. (2017). Inclusivity and exclusivity in English as a Business Lingua Franca: The expression of a professional voice in email communication. English for Specific Purposes, 46, 59–71. * https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2016.12.001
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Moin, R., & Salami, M. (2015). Stance and engagement discourse markers in journal’s author guidelines. The Journal of Teaching Language Skills (JTLS), 7(3), 109–140.
   Google Scholar
• Mu, C., Zhang, L. J., Ehrich, J., & Hong, H. (2015). The use of metadiscourse for knowledge construction in Chinese and English research articles. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 20, 135–148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2015.09.003
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Mur-Dueñas, P. (2011). An intercultural analysis of metadiscourse features in research articles written in English and in Spanish. Journal of Pragmatics, 43(12), 3068–3079. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2011.05.002
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Ong, K. K. W., & Zhang, L. J. (2018). The effects of code-switched reading tasks on late- bilingual EFL learners’ vocabulary recall, retention and retrieval. System, 72, 13–22. * https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2017.10.008
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Parkinson, J. (2011). The Discussion section as argument: The language used to prove knowledge claims. English for Specific Purposes, 30(3), 164–175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2011.03.001
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Parkinson, J. (2013a). Representing own and other voices in social science research articles. International Journal of Corpus Linguistics, 18(2), 199–228. https://doi.org/10.1075/ijcl.18.2.02par
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Parkinson, J. (2013b). Adopting academic values: Student use of that-complement clauses in academic writing. System, 41(2), 428–442. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2013.03.002
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Peacock, M. (2006). A cross-disciplinary comparison of boosting in research articles. Corpora, 1(1), 61–84. https://doi.org/10.3366/cor.2006.1.1.61
   Google Scholar
• Peters, E., & Pauwels, P. (2015). Learning academic formulaic sequences. Journal of English for academic purposes, 20, 28–39. * https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2015.04.002
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Pho, P. (2013). Authorial stance in research articles: Examples from applied linguistics and educational technology. Palgrave Macmillan.
   Google Scholar
• Qi, D. S., & Lapkin, S. (2001). Exploring the role of noticing in a three-stage second language writing task. Journal of second language writing, 10(4), 277–303. *https://doi.org/10.1016/S1060-3743(01)00046-7
   Google Scholar
• Ruiying, Y., & Allison, D. (2003). Research articles in applied linguistics: Moving from results to conclusions. English for Specific Purposes, 22(4), 365–385. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0889-4906(02)00026-1
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Ruiying, Y., & Allison, D. (2004). Research articles in applied linguistics: Structures from a functional perspective. English for Specific Purposes, 23(3), 264–279. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0889-4906(03)00005-X
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Samraj, B. (2002). Introductions in research articles: Variations across disciplines. English for Specific Purposes, 21(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0889-4906(00)00023-5
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Sheppard, B. E., Elliott, N. C., & Baese-Berk, M. M. (2017). Comprehensibility and intelligibility of international student speech: Comparing perceptions of university EAP instructors and content faculty. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 26, 42–51. * https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2017.01.006
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Swales, J. M. (1990). Genre analysis: English for academic and research settings. Cambridge University Press.
   Google Scholar
• Thompson, G., & Yiyun, Y. (1991). Evaluation in the reporting verbs used in academic papers. Applied Linguistics, 12(4), 365–382. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/12.4.365
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Vičič, Š. G. (2015). Variation and change in the grammatical marking of stance: The case of that-Complement clauses in research articles. ELOPE: English Language Overseas Perspectives and Enquiries, 12(2), 9–28.
   Google Scholar
• Wallwork, A. (2016). English for writing research papers (2nd ed.). Springer International Publishing.
   Google Scholar
• Wang, J., & Jiang, F. (2018). Epistemic stance and authorial presence in scientific research writing: Hedges, boosters and self-mentions across disciplines and writer groups. In P. Mur-Dueñas & J. Šinkūnienė (Eds.), Intercultural perspectives on research writing (pp. 195–216). John Benjamins Publishing Company.
   Google Scholar
• Wang, W., & Yang, C. (2015). Claiming centrality as promotion in applied linguistics research article introductions. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 20, 162–175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2015.05.002
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Wei, J. (2016). Thematic choice in Chinese college students’ English essays. English for Specific Purposes, 41, 50–67. * https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2015.09.003
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Weisi, H., & Asakereh, A. (2020). Hedging devices in applied linguistics research papers: Do gender and nativeness matter? Glottotheory, 12(1), 71–83. https://doi.org/10.1515/glot-2020-2013
   Google Scholar
• Wette, R. (2017). Using mind maps to reveal and develop genre knowledge in a graduate writing course. Journal of Second Language Writing, 38, 58–71. * https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2017.09.005
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Yang, A., Zheng, S. Y., & Ge, G. C. (2015). Epistemic modality in English-medium medical research articles: A systemic functional perspective. English for Specific Purposes, 38, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2014.10.005
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Zhang, G. (2015). It is suggested that… or it is better to…? Forms and meanings of subject it- extraposition in academic and popular writing. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 20, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2015.02.004
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Zhang, M. (2018). Collaborative writing in the EFL classroom: The effects of L1 and L2 use. System, 76, 1–12. * https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2018.04.009
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar