Citation machines: The use of evidentials in the academic writing of Japanese university students

Abstract

The digital medium has transformed communication and the way that knowledge is presented. This influences many spheres of life including academia where digital literacy skills are of major importance in the composing of academic texts. Technology is allowing for an ease of access to information and this is affecting the use of citation as writers begin to more frequently use sources which are available electronically (Perez-Llantada, 2016). In recent decades, the citation practices of academic writers have been widely-researched (e.g. Hyland,1999; Pecorari, 2006; Petric, 2007) but, while many of these studies have focused on expert writers at the postgraduate and professional level, there has been less written about novice student writers writing in an EFL environment. Therefore, this study analyses a corpus of research papers written by Japanese university students writing in English. The corpus was examined for the use of evidentials and their form and function assessed. By understanding more about how student writers use this important metadiscoursal feature we can assist learners in developing the resources and strategies necessary to successfully integrate sources in their writing.