A Move Analysis of Research Discussion Section in English Articles Published in Thai and International Journals

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Publication Details

Author list: Sithlaothavorn, J.;Trakulkasemsuk, W.

Publication year: 2016

Journal: rEFLections (1513-5934)

Issue number: 21

Start page: 24

End page: 46

ISSN: 1513-5934

URL: http://sola.kmutt.ac.th/homesola/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/rEFLection-V.211.pdf

Abstract

Based on the influential study of Swales in 1990, academic research articles aresaid to consist of four main sections, namely introduction, methodology, resultsand discussion. Move analysis studies of academic articles in various disciplinesusually concentrate on the introduction, methodology or results section, yet seemto neglect the discussion section. This study, therefore, attempts to fill in themissing piece by analysing moves used in the discussion section of researcharticles (henceforth RA discussion). Twenty RA discussions from Thai andinternational journals were collected as data for this move analysis. The analyticalframework was adapted and developed based on Jalilifar et al. (2012) andAmnuai and Wannaruk (2013). Findings reveal that the presence of moves inRA discussions in Thai and international journals are not different. In addition,unlike other sections where move patterns could be outlined, this study finds thatthere is no manifested move pattern of the discussion section. The only disparityis that discussion sections in Thai journals mainly incorporate informativemoves, while evaluative moves occur more noticeably in international journals.Therefore, if one considers international journals to be of higher quality than Thaijournals, an integration of evaluative moves in the discussion section can be onecrucial factor.

Keywords

discussion section, move analysis, research articles, Thai and international journals