Potential problematic rhetorical style transfer from first language to foreign language: a case of Indonesian authors writing research article introductions in English

Rhetorical style transfer from first language to a foreign language can be serious problems in academic writing, such as research articles (RAs). This study is aimed at analyzing the rhetorical style of Indonesian RA introductions in multiple disciplines written by Indonesian authors and published in Indonesian research journals especially on the ways authors justify their research topic and research activity and suggesting potential problems if this style is used when writing RAs in English. Four hundred RAs written in Indonesian by Indonesian speakers were selected for this study from mostly university-based research journals. The analyses were conducted using a genre-based analysis method following a problem justifying project model by Safnil [2001. Rhetorical structure analyses of Indonesian research articles. An unpublished PhD diss., the Australian National University, Canberra Australia]. The results show that: (1) unlike English authors, Indonesian authors consider establishing shared background knowledge important in their RA introductions but not justifying their research project; (2) Indonesian authors justify their research topic by personal reasons and reviewing the current knowledge and practices and (3) while some use subjective and practical reasons to justify their research projects, many do not justify it at all. If Indonesian authors use this rhetorical style when writing RAs in English, this can cause the article to be rejected by international journals.