Thematic organisation in academic article abstracts.
Mohsen Ghadessy · Hispana · 1999
Academic article abstracts (AAA) are examples of a recognised genrelregister that has been anatysed in terms of specific gramínatical, lexical, and discoursal features.Huwever, there are no publisited studies dealing with tite titematic organisation of AAA.By using the 'Pheme/Rheme system of analysis pruposed by Halliday (1985,1994), tite present paper explores tite titematic urganisatiun uf 150 AAA cuming frum 30 different academic disciplines.The results show titat despite gramínatical and lexicu-semantic differences in the Titemes uf the clauses of the abstracts, a common 'metitod uf develupment' or 'puint of departure' can be establisited by Titeme selections.Currelations between features of the Titemes in the saíne discipline ant> acruss disciplines are then used tu situw ¡bat it is possible tu furtiter sub-classify tite abstracts of tite 30 disciplines.It is concluded that thematic analysis is a puwerful ant> down-to-earth metitod of text analysis titat can contribute towards building a more complete pi-otile of the AAA as well as otiter registers that have not yet been analysed in this way. IN'PRODIJC'PJON'Pite significance attacited tu tite role of language in academic situations itas increased in tite last few decades as a result uf an increasing demand un ¡be pail uf die learners of ¡bis langtxage tu master its grammar, vocabulary, ant> discuurse urganisation in urder tu tacicle te masiy academic tasics required for ¡beir educatiun in colleges ancA universities alí uver te world.Rere are nuw many bouics ant> series available fui-tite teaciting of various EAP (Englisit fui-1.41