What surprises, interests and confuses researchers? A frame-based analysis of knowledge emotion markers in research articles

Abstract

While academic writing is traditionally expected to be objective, linguistically expressed surprise, interest, and confusion indexing authors’ affective attitudes toward their propositions are not uncommon in research articles. These emotions, collectively known as knowledge emotions, are inherently cognitive and can contribute to the construction of scientific knowledge. Taking a cognitive semantic approach, this study examines linguistic expressions of knowledge emotions found in a corpus of 640 research articles sampled from four disciplines (i.e., Applied Linguistics, Biology, History, and Mechanical Engineering). To understand how these expressions partake in knowledge construction, a knowledge emotion frame is proposed that comprises five frame elements (i.e., Trigger, Degree, Explanation, Resolution, and Experiencer) and their various subcategories. The study demonstrates that this frame is well capable of capturing the shared/distinctive semantic and cognitive properties of knowledge emotion markers deployed for scientific communication. Accordingly, it provides a useful conceptual tool for furthering our understanding of deep-seated knowledge-making practices and the heuristic role that knowledge emotions play in these epistemic practices.