4.4.2 Results and Discussion
All functions and content mentioned by thesis writers in their metatexts were also identified in the main texts using a move analysis.Move 2 Providing rationales and Move 4 Presenting the study appeared in all texts(30/30)and thus can be considered to be obligatory moves in the New Zealand Applied Linguistics community.Move 1 Familiarising readers with the field and Move 3 Establishing a theoretical framework were identified in 29 out of 30 texts and are thus close to being obligatory moves.
Table 5 shows a comparison between the findings of metatext analysis and the move analysis.All moves used in the main part of thesis opening chapters were captured in the metatext analysis,though new steps were identified in the realisation of the four moves.
Table 5 A comparison between the findings of metatext analysis and move analysis
4.4.2.1 Move 1 Familiarising Readers with the Field
This move appears in 29 out of 30 thesis opening sections,though the function was only clearly articulated by four writers in metatexts.By analysing the texts,the researcher found that thesis writers use“background”to refer to a number of things,such as the development of a field,theories,seminal studies,and the context of research.Thus background is associated with several steps in Move 1 and to cover the full range of meanings I add a new step:Development of the field.Apart from the content mentioned in metatexts,thesis writers also claimed centrality or/and importance of the field and described related personal experience to familiarise readers with the field.The following are examples of each step from the corpus.
The first move of the present study resembles the move of Establishing a Territory in the CARS model(Swales,1990;2004),which was incorporated into the models developed by Bunton(2002)and Kwan(2006).
4.4.2.2 Move 2 Providing Rationales
Two types of rationales were identified in the corpus,namely practical and empirical.Move 2a Preparing practical rationales
Practical rationales are established by claiming that the research can be used to solve real-world problems.To fulfil this function,writers refer to relevant research revealing particular problems,provide evidence showing that the research topic is useful in addressing those issues and thus make a claim about the significance of their research.In the following extracts,the writer introduced the problem of early attrition of foreign language(i.e.Japanese)learners in New Zealand and the possible contribution of the research.
Existing move models contain steps referring to similar content.For example,Nwogu(1997)includes a step of Reference to main research problems as part of the background information move,and Bunton’s model(2002)has Indicating a problem or need as a step used to realise the function of Establishing a niche.
Move 2b Preparing empirical rationales
Move analysis reveals the same strategies mentioned by thesis writers in metatexts to justify their study.That is,identifying gaps in previous empirical studies to provide rationales for the present research as shown in the following extracts.
Preparing empirical rationales typically contains two steps,namely reviewing relevant studies and pointing out gaps.This departs from some existing models,in which reviewing relevant studies serves the function of establishing a territory and pointing out gaps performs the function of establishing a niche(Bunton,2002;Kwan,2006;Swales,1981;1990;2004).The two steps are combined into one move in my model because the researcher take the position that organising previous studies in particular ways is an integral part of the process of making space for the present study.Metaphorically speaking,studies are like pieces of mosaic of different shapes,which may leave space when organised in a particular pattern.In this sense,pointing out gaps is only a descriptive step.The essence of making space is actually done by introducing previous research in a systematic and organised manner.
4.4.2.3 Move 3 Establishing a Theoretical Framework
The aim of scientific inquiry is to make knowledge discoveries,which can be“things,events,processes,causes,and properties as well as theories and hypotheses”(Schickore,2014).Whereas the scientific discoveries of things,processes and properties are often made in hard sciences such as Chemistry,Physics and Engineering,the knowledge contribution in the field of Applied Linguistics is often in the form of theories and hypotheses,which typically describe relationships between constructs of language learning.Thus theoretical frameworks underlie the design,implementation and knowledge claim of a study in Applied Linguistics.Previous move models of opening sections typically do not include moves related to theoretical frameworks.An exception is Kwan’s model(2006)in which the strategy of Abstracting or synthesizing knowledge claims to establish a theoretical position or a theoretical framework as a strategy used to realise the function of creating a niche and introducing theoretical positions/frameworks as a strategy of occupying the niche.
In this analysis,the term“theoretical framework”and“theoretical foundation”are frequently mentioned by thesis writers in their metatexts.The researcher infers that this function is perceived to be an important part of their opening section.Since the present study examines the schematic structure from the perspective of thesis writers,it treats Establishing a theoretical framework as an independent move,which is realised by defining key constructs,reviewing theories or previous research delineating relationships between constructs and variables and presenting the authors’own theoretical framework.In the extract below,the writer reviewed definitions on two major constructs in his/her research.
continued
4.4.2.4 Move 4 Presenting the Study
Compared with the findings from metatext analysis,new steps were identified during the move analysis,including limitations of the study,research design and research journey(in which writers describe their initial design of the study and any subsequent changes).
The final move in all Introduction models looks more or less the same.As mentioned above,the move is labelled as Presenting the study rather than Occupying the niche because steps serving functions other than filling gaps were identified,such as discussing the role of the author in the research and telling stories about the author’s research journey.Swales(1990;2004)and Bunton(2002)all include thesis structure in the final move.The description of thesis structure is treated as metatext in the present study.In addition,the steps of research method(Swales,2004),research procedure(Nwogu,1997),materials or subjects(Bunton,2002)and processes(Kwan,2006)are all coded as research design in the present study.
4.4.2.5 Differences Between Introductions and Literature Reviews
While all four moves were found in both Introductions and Literature Reviews,some moves tend to appear more often in one chapter than the other.As shown in the Table 6,the move that introduces the research field(Move 1)occurs more often in the Introduction(27/30)than in the Literature Review(19/30),as does Move 2a Preparing practical rationales.Move 3 Establishing a theoretical framework only appears in one Introduction but in nearly all Literature Reviews(28/30).Move 2b Preparing empirical rationales are more frequently presented in Literature Reviews(29/30).All moves were identified in both sections,suggesting that the two part-genres overlap in terms of communicative functions.Overall,the moves similar with those in CARS model(i.e.Move 1,2 &4)are commonly used in the Introduction chapters.Move 3 Establishing a theoretical framework occurs mainly in the Literature Review chapters.Therefore,the focus of thesis Introductions is on presenting and justifying a research topic,whereas the concern of Literature Reviews is on developing the topic by building the theoretical framework and contextualising the research within other empirical studies in the field.
Table 6 The range of each move in Introductions and Literature Reviews
