Detailed Summary of Move Analysis

Discourse on the Move: Using Corpus Analysis to Describe Discourse Structure

Introduction to Move Analysis

This chapter introduces move analysis, a top-down approach to corpus-based discourse analysis. It details what move analysis is, its applications, and how to conduct it, emphasizing the advantages of a corpus-based approach. While various top-down methods exist (like appeals analysis), move analysis is most prevalent in corpus-based studies.

The goal is to demonstrate how corpus-based descriptions of discourse organizational patterns can be achieved using a top-down approach.

Background

Move analysis, developed by Swales (1981), aims to describe the rhetorical organization of texts by categorizing discourse units based on their communicative purposes. A move is thus a text section with a specific communicative function that contributes to the overall communicative purpose of the genre. These purposes constitute the rationale for the genre, shaping its structure, content, and style. Texts within a genre exhibit similarities in structure, style, content, and intended audience (Swales, 1990, p. 58).

Genre analysis, emerging in the 1970s and 1980s, shifted focus from lexico-grammatical features to discourse organization and its communicative functions. Expert members of a discourse community recognize genre purposes, which shape conventions. Conventions are dynamic but influential, as seen in scholarly research papers where novice writers are taught genre conventions.

However, some genres, like fundraising letters, are not strictly shaped by discourse communities. While writers and readers identify them, deviations from conventions can be refreshing due to readers not typically writing them.

In move analysis, texts are described as a series of functional units (moves) that fulfill the genre's overall communicative purpose (Connor, Davis, & De Rycker, 1995). Moves vary in length but contain at least one proposition (Connor & Mauranen, 1999). Conventional moves occur frequently, while optional moves are less frequent. Moves contain elements called 'steps' (Swales, 1990) or 'strategies' (Bhatia, 1993a) to achieve the move's purpose.

Moves are semantic and functional units with specific communicative purposes and distinct linguistic boundaries that can be objectively analyzed.

Swales’ Move Analysis of Research Articles

Swales (1981) developed move analysis within English for Specific Purposes (ESP) to aid non-native English speakers (NNSs) in reading and writing research articles. His analysis of 48 research article introductions across disciplines led to a move structure defining their rhetorical organization.

The CARS Model

Swales’ three-move schema, known as the Create a Research Space (CARS) model, dictates the preferred sequences of move types and steps in research article introductions.

Table 2.1: CARS model for research article introductions, adapted from Swales (1990, p. 141)

• Move 1: Establishing a territory

  • Step 1: Claiming centrality and/or

  • Step 2: Making topic generalization(s) and/or

  • Step 3: Reviewing items of previous research

• Move 2: Establishing a niche

  • Step 1A: Counter-claiming or

  • Step 1B: Indicating a gap or

  • Step 1C: Question raising or

  • Step 1D: Continuing a tradition

• Move 3: Occupying the niche

  • Step 1A: Outlining purposes or

  • Step 1B: Announcing present research

  • Step 2: Announcing principal findings

  • Step 3: Indicating RA structure

The model includes three basic move types:

• Move 1 (Establishing a territory) introduces the general research topic.

• Move 2 (Establishing a niche) identifies specific areas needing further investigation.

• Move 3 (Occupying a niche) introduces the current research within the context of Moves 1 and 2.

Move 1 has up to three steps. Step 1 (Claiming centrality) involves asserting the topic's importance. Examples include:

• “The study of…has become an important aspect of…”

• “A central issue in…is the validity of…” (Swales, 1990, p. 144)

Step 2 (Making topic generalizations) presents neutral statements about knowledge, practice, or phenomena, often emphasizing frequency and complexity. Examples include:

• “The aetiology and pathology …is well known.”

• “A standard procedure for assessing has been …”

• “There are many situations where…” (Swales, 1990, p. 146)

Step 3 (Reviewing previous literature) specifies important findings and situates the current research. Examples include:

• “X Was found by Sang et al. (1972) to be impaired.”

• “Chomskyan grammarians have recently…” (Swales, 1990, p. 150)

Move 2 (Establishing a niche) connects Move 1 to Move 3 by articulating the need for the presented research. It can be realized through:

• Step 1A: Counter claiming

• Step 1B: Indicating a gap

• Step 1C: Question raising

• Step 1D: Continuing a tradition

Examples:

• Step 1A, Counter Claiming

  • Emphasis has been on…, with scant attention given to…

• Step 1B, Indicating a Gap

  • The first group…cannot treat and is limited to…

• Step 1C, Question Raising

  • Both suffer from the dependency on…

• Step 1D, Continuing a Tradition

  • A question remains whether… (Swales, 1990, p. 154)

Move 3 (Occupying the niche) differs from Moves 1 and 2 as authors take a more active role. Authors express their accomplishments in Move 3. It introduces new research by stating purpose (Step 1A) or describing main features (Step 1B), then announcing principal findings (Step 2), and finally indicating the RA structure (Step 3). Examples include:

• Step 1A, Outlining Purpose

  • The aim of the present paper is to give…

• Step 1B, Announcing Present Research

  • This study was designed to evaluate…

• Step 2, Announcing Principal Findings

  • The paper utilizes the notion of…

• Step 3, Indicating Research Article Structure

  • This paper is structured as follows… (Swales, 1990, p. 160)

Revisions to the CARS Model

Swales’ CARS model has been widely studied and validated, showing recursive nature with moves or steps occurring more than once with varied realizations. Bunton (2002) found that Ph.D. theses introductions include a ‘Defining terms’ step in Move 1, unlike research article introductions.

Research on introductions in other disciplines reveals how disciplines adapt the research article genre to meet their communication needs. Swales (2004) revised his model to reflect variability, broadening the descriptions for Move 1 and Move 2, and reflecting variation and cyclical patterns in Move 3.

Table 2.2: Swales’ revised model for research article Introductions (2004, pp. 230, 232)

• Move 1: Establishing a territory (citations required)

  • via Topic generalizations of increasing specificity

• Move 2: Establishing a niche (citations possible)

  • via:

    • Step 1A: Indicating a gap, or

    • Step 1B: Adding to what is known

  • Step 2: Presenting positive justification (optional)

• Move 3: Presenting the present work

  • via:

    • Step 1: Announcing present research descriptively and/or purposively (obligatory)

    • Step 2: Presenting research questions or hypotheses* (optional)

    • Step 3: Definitional clarifications* (optional)

    • Step 4: Summarizing methods* (optional)

    • Step 5: Announcing principal outcomes (optional)**

    • Step 6: Stating the value of the present research (optional)**

    • Step 7: Outlining the structure of the paper (optional)**

Key point is that related genres share common move types, but each has unique structural characteristics reflecting specific communicative functions.

Move Analysis Applied Across Genres

While move analysis was developed for research articles, Swales’ framework has been extended to English for Business and Technology (Bhatia, 1993a, 1997a) and English for Professional Communication (Flowerdew, 1993). Research has applied it to biochemistry, biology, computer science, medicine, university lectures, dissertations, and textbooks.

Within research articles, studies have focused on specific sections: Introductions (Crookes, 1986), Methods (Wood, 1982), Results (Thompson, 1993; Williams, 1999), and Discussion (Peng, 1987). Posteguillo (1999) and Nwogu (1997) explored moves across multiple sections, and Kanoksilapatham (2005) investigated complete biochemistry research articles. Chapter 4 in this book provides a detailed description of Kanoksilapatham's work.

Professional discourse, including legal discourse (Bhatia, 1993b), philanthropic discourse (Upton, 2002; Upton & Connor, 2001; Connor, 2000; Connor & Mauranen, 1999; Connor & Upton, 2004a), and movie reviews (Pang, 2002), has also been examined through move analysis.

Example: Job Application Letters

A move analysis of job application letters (Connor, Precht, & Upton, 2002) from the Indianapolis Business Learner Corpus (IBLC) illustrates genre differences:

• Move 1: Identify the source of information.

  • “I recently received word from Blockbuster Recruiting about a management position available at your company.”

• Move 2: Apply for the position.

  • “I am very interested in a temporary job working as a European business student intern in the U.S.A.”

• Move 3: Provide arguments for the job application.

  • Step 1: Implicit arguments based on neutral evidence or information about background and experience.

    • “I received my Associates Degree in General Studies in May 1993. Previously I have received a degree in Office Management from Indiana Business College and I have obtained the Certified Professional Secretary (CPS) certification.”

  • Step 2: Arguments based on what would be good for the hiring company.

    • “My intercultural training will be an asset to your international negotiations team.”

  • Step 3: Arguments based on what would be good for the applicant.

    • “The opportunity to study abroad the globalised business environment would help me gain the knowledge and experience to grow in the changing business world of today.”

• Move 4: Indicate desire for an interview or a desire for further contact.

  • “I hope I got you interested so that I will be selected for an interview.”

  • “I’m always prepared to participate in an interview.”

• Move 5: Express pleasantries or appreciation at the end of the letter.

  • “Thank you in advance for your consideration.”

  • “Thank you for your time in reviewing this material.”

• Move 6: Offer to provide more information.

  • “I will be happy to provide you with any additional information that you may need.”

• Move 7: Reference attached resume.

  • “I have enclosed my resume…”

  • “A resume is enclosed.”

Research article introductions have three major move types, while job application letters have seven. Additionally, moves can vary greatly in length. Some genres have simple move structures, while others are complex. And while some moves are realized through multiple steps, others are expressed in a single functional-semantic way.

Some move types are more common (obligatory), while others are optional. Bhatia prefers the term ‘strategy’ over ‘step’ to reflect variability. Kwan (2006) shows that Move 3 is optional in Ph.D. theses literature reviews. Moves can also recur cyclically (Swales, 2004) or be interrupted by other move types (Upton, 2002), mainly in less constrained genres.

Summary of Previous Research on move analysis

Move analysis posits that genres comprise predictable functional components (moves). Bhatia (1993a) argues that the move structure is inherent to the genre, controlled by its communicative purpose. Moves can be the basis for teaching writing (Dudley-Evans, 1995).

Overview of Methods for Move Analysis

Kwan (2006) introduces functional-semantic methods for identifying discourse moves. A functional approach uses cognitive judgment to identify the intention and boundaries of a text (Bhatia, 1993a; Paltridge, 1994), aligning with the move definition of local and overall rhetorical purpose.

While no strict rules exist, common procedures include:

1. Understanding the genre's overall rhetorical purpose.

2. Evaluating the local purpose of each text segment.

3. Identifying common functional/semantic themes in adjacent segments.

Swales’ Move 1 (Establishing a Territory) provides context through centrality claims, topic generalizations, and literature reviews.

Coding begins with a pilot phase, ideally with two coders. Analyses are discussed and refined until there is agreement, resulting in a protocol of move and step features. This protocol is then applied to the full text set.

Inter-rater reliability should be checked. Discrepancies are resolved through discussion and re-coding. Additional steps or move types may be discovered during analysis.

Some genres, like fundraising discourse, have obligatory, typical, and optional moves, which may not have a fixed order. Still, a move structure can be identified following the general process.

Table 2.3: General steps often used to conduct a corpus-based move analysis

• Step 1: Determine rhetorical purposes of the genre

• Step 2: Determine rhetorical function of each text segment in its local context; identify the possible move types of the genre

• Step 3: Group functional and/or semantic themes that are either in relative proximity to each other or often occur in similar locations in representative texts. These reflect the specific steps that can be used to realize a broader move.

• Step 4: Conduct pilot-coding to test and fine-tune definitions of move purposes.

• Step 5: Develop coding protocol with clear definitions and examples of move types and steps.

• Step 6: Code full set of texts, with inter-rater reliability check to confirm that there is clear understanding of move definitions and how moves/steps are realized in texts.

• Step 7: Add any additional steps and/or moves that are revealed in the full analysis.

• Step 8: Revise coding protocol to resolve any discrepancies revealed by the inter-rater reliability check or by newly ‘discovered’ moves/steps, and re-code problematic areas.

• Step 9: Conduct linguistic analysis of move features and/or other corpus-facilitated analyses.

• Step 10: Describe corpus of texts in terms of typical and alternate move structures and linguistic characteristics

These steps align with general top-down analysis steps. In the end, the move structure should represent the