Genre Analysis of Rhetorical Moves in Libyan MA Thesis Abstracts
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36602/faj.2026.n21.13Keywords:
genre analysis, academic abstracts, CARS model, rhetorical moves, intercultural rhetoricAbstract
This paper presents a detailed genre analysis of Master of Arts (MA) thesis abstracts written by Libyan students in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and Applied Linguistics. Utilizing John Swales’ (1990) Create a Research Space (CARS) model, the study examines a corpus of 20 abstracts through a mixed-method approach to investigate how novice scholars rhetorically structure their research summaries. The analysis reveals a universal, formulaic adherence to the Introduction-Methods-Results-Discussion ( IMRD) structure and the three CARS moves, indicating strong foundational training. Notable strengths include meticulous methodological description and clear presentation of aims and findings. Distinctive features include a pronounced orientation toward localized, practice-oriented justification of the research niche, a descriptive rather than persuasive rhetorical tone, and minimal engagement with prior international literature. When considered within the framework of intercultural rhetoric, these patterns reflect not a deficit but a strategic adaptation to the Libyan socio-educational context and a specific developmental stage in scholarly writing. The study concludes with a three-stage pedagogical framework designed to scaffold Libyan postgraduate students’ transition from competent local reporters to persuasive, globally engaged scholars.
References
Al-Ali, M. N. (2006). Genre-pragmatic strategies in English letter-of-application writing of Jordanian Arabic-English bilinguals. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 9(1), 119–139. https://doi.org/10.2167/beb160.0 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050608668633
Al-Khasawneh, F. M. (2017). A genre analysis of research article abstracts written by native and nonnative speakers of English. Journal of Applied Linguistics and Language Research, 4(1), 1–13. http://www.jallr.com/index.php/JALLR/article/view/521
Aziz, A., Mahmood, M. A., Ahmad, S., & Akbar, N. (2021). A genre analysis of master dissertation abstracts in TEFL: A corpus-based study of rhetorical moves. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 17(Special Issue 2), 884–898. https://www.jlls.org/index.php/jlls/article/view/2748 DOI: https://doi.org/10.17263/jlls.904084
Berkenkotter, C., & Huckin, T. N. (1995). Genre knowledge in disciplinary communication: Cognition/culture/power. Lawrence Erlbaum. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/358302
British Educational Research Association [BERA]. (2018). Ethical guidelines for educational research (4th ed.). https://www.bera.ac.uk/publication/ethical-guidelines-for-educational-research-2018
Bunton, D. (2002). Generic moves in PhD thesis introductions. In J. Flowerdew (Ed.), Academic discourse (pp. 57–75). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315838069-11 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315838069-11
Connor, U. (1996). Contrastive rhetoric: Cross-cultural aspects of second-language writing. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139524593 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139524599
Connor, U. (2004). Intercultural rhetoric research: Beyond texts. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 3(4), 291–304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2004.07.003 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2004.07.003
Connor, U. (2011). Intercultural rhetoric in the writing classroom. University of Michigan Press. https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.3410393 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.3488851
Dong, Y. R. (1998). Non-native graduate students' thesis/dissertation writing in science: Self-reports by students and their advisors from two U.S. institutions. English for Specific Purposes, 17(4), 369–390. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0889-4906(97)00054-9 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0889-4906(97)00054-9
Hamdi, S. (2021). A genre analysis of master dissertation abstracts in linguistics: The case of Tunisian EFL learners. ELT Forum: Journal of English Language Teaching, 10(3), 243–253. https://doi.org/10.15294/elt.v10i3.48621 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15294/elt.v10i3.48331
Hyland, K. (2000). Disciplinary discourses: Social interactions in academic writing. University of Michigan Press. https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.11599
Hyland, K. (2004). Genre and second language writing. University of Michigan Press. https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.23927 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.23927
Hyland, K., & Tse, P. (2004). Metadiscourse in academic writing: A reappraisal. Applied Linguistics, 25(2), 156–177. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/25.2.156 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/25.2.156
Kaplan, R. B. (1966). Cultural thought patterns in inter-cultural education. Language Learning, 16(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.1966.tb00804.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.1966.tb00804.x
Miller, C. R. (1984). Genre as social action. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 70(2), 151–167. https://doi.org/10.1080/00335638409383686 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00335638409383686
Palys, T. (2008). Purposive sampling. In L. M. Given (Ed.), The SAGE encyclopedia of qualitative research methods (Vol. 2, pp. 697–698). SAGE Publications.
Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research & evaluation methods: Integrating theory and practice (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Samraj, B. (2005). An exploration of a genre set: Research article abstracts and introductions in two disciplines. English for Specific Purposes, 24(2), 141–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2002.10.001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2002.10.001
Santos, M. B. D. (1996). The textual organization of research paper abstracts in applied linguistics. Text & Talk, 16(4), 481–499. https://doi.org/10.1515/text.1.1996.16.4.481 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/text.1.1996.16.4.481
Swales, J. M. (1990). Genre analysis: English in academic and research settings. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139524869
Swales, J. M. (2004). Research genres: Explorations and applications. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139524821 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139524827
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 عبد الحميد علي التليسي
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
All articles published from January 2025 onward are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits use, sharing, adaptation, and redistribution for any purpose, including commercial ones, provided that proper credit is given to the original author and source, a link to the license is provided, and any changes made are indicated.
