Moves in the Sections "Conclusion" and "Conclusions" in Applied Linguistics Research Articles

Abstract

Interest in ‘unconventional’ sections of research articles has lately increased, as it is necessary to reveal more information about their generic structure. These studies are especially vital for non-native novice researchers. The present paper continues the investigation of move-step distribution in the Conclusion section (e.g. Yang and Allison, 2003; Moritz, Meurer and Kuerten Dellagnelo, 2008). This time thirty-six research articles were chosen from two journals in applied linguistics. The two-level analysis demonstrates that there is only a slight difference between move-step distribution in the sections labelled with different headings – Conclusion and Conclusions. It was confirmed that applied linguists employ a variety of move-step sequences in the Conclusion(s) sections, and therefore it is necessary to devote more attention to acceptable varieties in ‘unconventional’ sections in academic writing classes at the tertiary level.