Rhetorical Structure of L1 and L2 Research Article Introductions

This study analyzed the rhetorical structure of sixty research article introductions written by Korean and native English-speaking authors using a revised Create a Research Space (CARS) model. The results show that the Korean authors employed the same rhetorical style as the native speakers of the language did, with the former actually following the model more closely than the latter. The two groups` strategies were, in fact, identical in so far as their use of each move; after establishing a research territory through generalization and background exposition, both sets of authors identified weaknesses in previous research or opportunities for further study and offered their present research to fill the gap. This study may assist novice writers in producing English-medium research articles more acceptable to international journals. The potential also exists for this study to contribute toward the creation of a new guideline for genre conventions in academic writing.