Introduction chapter of traditional and article-based theses: a comparison of rhetorical structures and linguistic realisations
Article-based thesis is an alternative thesis format which requires postgraduate students to write and publish articles as a fulfilment of a postgraduate degree. Therefore, knowledge of the rhetorical structure (moves and steps) of article-based thesis (AT) is crucial for the successful completio...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
2019
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| Online Access: | http://journalarticle.ukm.my/14049/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/14049/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/14049/1/26575-96295-2-PB.pdf |
| Summary: | Article-based thesis is an alternative thesis format which requires postgraduate students to
write and publish articles as a fulfilment of a postgraduate degree. Therefore, knowledge of
the rhetorical structure (moves and steps) of article-based thesis (AT) is crucial for the
successful completion of a thesis. This study then seeks to compare the rhetorical structures
and linguistic realisations of thesis introduction chapter found in the Traditional (TT) and
Article-based (AT) theses. To realise the objectives, 12 purposive selected PhD thesis
introductions were analysed based on Bunton’s (2002) move model. Using content analysis,
the moves and steps in the introduction chapters were quantified for their frequency of use
and then examined qualitatively for their linguistic realisations. The data revealed that both
types of theses had obligatory and optional moves and steps. It was also found that the steps
of move 3 in the article-based theses were slightly different from that in the traditional theses.
For the linguistic realisations, it was shown that there were variations in the different moves
and steps in TT and AT. Words such as paper and article were found in move 3 in AT but
were absent in TT. The results have several pedagogical implications. They provide informed
input on the structures of the two types of thesis to the writing instructors and writing
curriculum writers. More importantly, the findings provide knowledge to student writers on
the genre of AT, specifically its rhetorical structures and linguistic realisations. |
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