How do thesis writers evaluate their own and others’ findings? An appraisal analysis and a pedagogical intervention

Abstract

Abstract Interpreting research findings in doctoral thesis discussions is a demanding rhetorical task for writers, as it requires them to both make propositions of their own findings and engage with previous scholarship by evaluating others findings in a way that their academic discourse community finds acceptable. Although many studies have examined thesis writers use of evaluative language, they have often focused on a quantitative analysis of its frequency and type within clause boundaries. Our study, in contrast, is based on a qualitative analysis of the co-articulation of different evaluative items across clause boundaries. We find three main patterns of discussing the author s own results combined with critical engagement with previous literature and we present typical examples to illustrate the construction of interpersonal positioning as the text unfolds. We then discuss some workshops in which we used these findings to help Master s student writers become aware of different strategies for effectively interpreting research findings in writing discussion sections.