Rhetorical strategies in PhD conclusions of computer science: From the review of the study to consolidation of research space

[ES] Este artículo analiza los patrones de movimientos que predominan en los capítulos finales de conclusión de 48 tesis doctorales de informática en una universidad británica. Se centra en la naturaleza y frecuencia de las conexiones entre pasos del Movimiento 1 sobre la revisión del trabajo de investigación y los pasos del Movimiento 2, de consolidación del espacio investigador. Las combinaciones más comunes relacionan (1) el resumen del trabajo de la tesis con el producto y su evaluación, (2) el propósito y la hipótesis inicial con los resultados, (3) las preguntas de investigación con la metodología, el producto y la reivindicación, (4) un problema o necesidad con una metodología específica, un nuevo producto y/o una reivindicación, y (5) un resumen del trabajo realizado en cada capítulo con los resultados y reivindicaciones. Algunos de los resultados obtenidos son específicos del área de la informática. Del estudio se desprenden implicaciones pedagógicas para cursos de inglés para fines específicos (IFA).[EN] This study investigates the predominant moves and move patterns used in the separate final conclusion chapters of 48 PhD theses of computer science at a UK university. The focus is on the most salient connections of steps in the review of the study (Move 1) with steps for the consolidation of research space (Move 2). The most common combinations relate (1) a summary of the thesis work to the product and the evaluation of the product, (2) the purpose, thesis statement or hypothesis to the findings or results, (3) the research questions to the methodology, product or claim, (4) a problem or need to a specific methodology, a new product and/or a claim, and (5) a summary of the work done in each thesis chapter to the findings and claims. Some findings are specific of the field of computer science. The study has pedagogical implications for courses of English for Academic Purposes (EAP).Soler Monreal, C. (2019). Rhetorical strategies in PhD conclusions of computer science: From the review of the study to consolidation of research space. Revista Española de Lingüística Aplicada/Spanish Journal of Applied Linguistics. 32(1):356-384. https://doi.org/10.1075/resla.16034.solS356384321Badley, G. (2009). Academic writing as shaping and re-shaping. Teaching in Higher Education, 14(2), 209-219. doi:10.1080/13562510902757294Basturkmen, H. (2009). Commenting on results in published research articles and masters dissertations in Language Teaching. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 8(4), 241-251. doi:10.1016/j.jeap.2009.07.001Basturkmen, H. (2012). A genre-based investigation of discussion sections of research articles in Dentistry and disciplinary variation. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 11(2), 134-144. doi:10.1016/j.jeap.2011.10.004Bitchener, J., & Basturkmen, H. (2006). Perceptions of the difficulties of postgraduate L2 thesis students writing the discussion section. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 5(1), 4-18. doi:10.1016/j.jeap.2005.10.002Bunton, D. (2005). The structure of PhD conclusion chapters. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 4(3), 207-224. doi:10.1016/j.jeap.2005.03.004Cotos, E. (2014). Genre-Based Automated Writing Evaluation for L2 Research Writing. doi:10.1057/9781137333377Cumming, A., Lai, C., & Cho, H. (2016). Students’ writing from sources for academic purposes: A synthesis of recent research. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 23, 47-58. doi:10.1016/j.jeap.2016.06.002Geng, Y., & Wharton, S. (2016). Evaluative language in discussion sections of doctoral theses: Similarities and differences between L1 Chinese and L1 English writers. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 22, 80-91. doi:10.1016/j.jeap.2016.01.001Holmes, R. (1997). Genre analysis, and the social sciences: An investigation of the structure of research article discussion sections in three disciplines. English for Specific Purposes, 16(4), 321-337. doi:10.1016/s0889-4906(96)00038-5Holmes, R. (2001). Variation and Text Structure. ITL - International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 131-132, 107-137. doi:10.1075/itl.131-132.06holJohns, A. M., & Swales, J. M. (2002). Literacy and disciplinary practices: opening and closing perspectives. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 1(1), 13-28. doi:10.1016/s1475-1585(02)00003-6Kuteeva, M., & Negretti, R. (2016). Graduate students’ genre knowledge and perceived disciplinary practices: Creating a research space across disciplines. English for Specific Purposes, 41, 36-49. doi:10.1016/j.esp.2015.08.004Kwan, B. S. C. (2006). The schematic structure of literature reviews in doctoral theses of applied linguistics. English for Specific Purposes, 25(1), 30-55. doi:10.1016/j.esp.2005.06.001Lim, J. M.-H. (2014). Formulating research questions in experimental doctoral dissertations on Applied Linguistics. English for Specific Purposes, 35, 66-88. doi:10.1016/j.esp.2014.02.003Lim, J. M.-H., Loi, C.-K., Hashim, A., & Liu, M. S.-M. (2015). Purpose statements in experimental doctoral dissertations submitted to U.S. universities: An inquiry into doctoral students’ communicative resources in language education. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 20, 69-89. doi:10.1016/j.jeap.2015.06.002Paltridge, B. (2002). Thesis and dissertation writing: an examination of published advice and actual practice. English for Specific Purposes, 21(2), 125-143. doi:10.1016/s0889-4906(00)00025-9Paltridge, B., Starfield, S., Ravelli, L. J., & Tuckwell, K. (2012). Change and stability: Examining the macrostructures of doctoral theses in the visual and performing arts. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 11(4), 332-344. doi:10.1016/j.jeap.2012.08.003Parkinson, J. (2011). The Discussion section as argument: The language used to prove knowledge claims. English for Specific Purposes, 30(3), 164-175. doi:10.1016/j.esp.2011.03.001Peacock, M. (2002). Communicative moves in the discussion section of research articles. System, 30(4), 479-497. doi:10.1016/s0346-251x(02)00050-7Posteguillo, S. (1999). The Schematic Structure of Computer Science Research Articles. English for Specific Purposes, 18(2), 139-160. doi:10.1016/s0889-4906(98)00001-5Samraj, B. (2008). A discourse analysis of master’s theses across disciplines with a focus on introductions. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 7(1), 55-67. doi:10.1016/j.jeap.2008.02.005Soler-Monreal, C. (2015). Announcing one’s work in PhD theses in computer science: A comparison of Move 3 in literature reviews written in English L1, English L2 and Spanish L1. English for Specific Purposes, 40, 27-41. doi:10.1016/j.esp.2015.07.004Soler-Monreal, C., Carbonell-Olivares, M., & Gil-Salom, L. (2011). A contrastive study of the rhetorical organisation of English and Spanish PhD thesis introductions. English for Specific Purposes, 30(1), 4-17. doi:10.1016/j.esp.2010.04.005Swales, J. M. (2004). Research Genres. doi:10.1017/cbo9781139524827Swales, J., & Feak, C. (2000). English in Today’s Research World. doi:10.3998/mpub.9059Ruiying, Y., & Allison, D. (2003). Research articles in applied linguistics: moving from results to conclusions. English for Specific Purposes, 22(4), 365-385. doi:10.1016/s0889-4906(02)00026-1Yayli, D. (2011). From genre awareness to cross-genre awareness: A study in an EFL context. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 10(3), 121-129. doi:10.1016/j.jeap.2011.02.00

A move-step analysis of the concluding chapters in computer science phd theses

[EN] This paper describes how computer science doctoral writers construct the closing chapters of their PhD theses. The data are drawn from the chapters playing a concluding role of 48 PhD theses defended at the University of Glasgow from 2008 to 2014. The analysis applied a qualitative-quantitative approach. The titles of the concluding chapters of the theses were first examined and also their divisions into sections and sub-sections. Then the chapters were subjected to a move-step analysis: Move 1 (M1) “Revisiting the study”; Move 2 (M2) “Consolidating research space”; Move 3 (M3) “Proposing practical applications and implications”, Move 4 (M4) “Recommending future work” and Move 5 (M5) “Recapitulating the study”. The results revealed that most of the computer science PhD theses have one final concluding chapter with three main moves: M1, M2 and M4. The most frequent steps are “reviewing the work carried out” and “summarizing the specific work reported in every thesis chapter” in M1, “presenting results and contributions”, “answering the initial research questions or hypotheses”, and “making claims” in M2, and “acknowledging limitations” and “suggesting further research” in M4. Movestep patterns appear in recurrent cycles throughout the concluding chapters. Several suggestions for pedagogical purposes are provided.[ES] Este artículo describe cómo los autores de tesis doctorales en el área de la informática elaboran los capítulos de conclusión. Los datos proceden de los capítulos finales de 48 tesis doctorales defendidas en la Universidad de Glasgow entre 2008 y 2014. Para el análisis se siguió un enfoque cualitativo y cuantitativo. En una primera etapa, se examinaron los títulos de los capítulos de conclusión de las tesis así como sus divisiones en secciones y subsecciones. Posteriormente, se analizaron los capítulos atendiendo a unidades informativas organizadas en movimientos y pasos: Movimiento 1 (M1) “Revisión del estudio”; Movimiento 2 (M2) “Consolidación del espacio de investigación”; Movimiento 3 (M3) “Propuesta de aplicaciones prácticas e implicaciones”, Movimiento 4 (M4) “Recomendaciones para futuras investigaciones” y Movimiento 5 (M5) “Recapitulación del estudio”. Los resultados indican que la mayoría de las tesis de este corpus de informática tiene un único capítulo final de conclusiones con tres movimientos principales: M1, M2 y M4. Los pasos más frecuentes consisten en “revisar el trabajo llevado a cabo” y “resumir el trabajo específico desarrollado en cada capítulo de la tesis” en M1, “enunciar los resultados y las contribuciones en respuesta a las hipótesis y preguntas iniciales” y “reivindicar su aportación” en M2, y “reconocer limitaciones de la investigación” y “sugerir investigaciones futuras” en M4. La práctica habitual consiste en utilizar patrones de movimientos y pasos en ciclos recurrentes a lo largo de la conclusión. Se aportan sugerencias con fines pedagógicos.Soler Monreal, C. (2016). A move-step analysis of the concluding chapters in computer science phd theses. Ibérica. (32):105-132. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/80709S1051323

Combinaciones Léxicas en el Inglés de la Tecnología.

A part of corpus-based research has centered on the exploration of lexical phrases (Sinclair 1991; Gledhill 2000a, 2000b; Stubbs 2002) and has presented language as a series of choices determined by the context in which it is employed. Native speakers use recurrent lexico-grammatical patterns when communicating in particular registers. This is especially relevant in scientific academic discourse, where the conventions of genres are interwoven with their linguistic realisations. Following Sinclair (1991: 170), a collocation is defined as “the occurrence of two or more words within a spot of space of each other in a text”. The restrictive character of collocations is basically determined by their repetitive use, which makes word combinations more arbitrary than predictable. This is particularly evident when we try to translate these combinations into other languages. Benson et al. (1986) suggest that collocations are halfway between fixed expressions and free combinations of words. They are co-occurrent groups of words that present a certain degree of stability, although they are not completely lexicalised. Collocations can be situated along a scale or continuum limited by free combinations of words at one end and fixed expressions at the other. The study of collocational patterns has direct pedagogical applications. Learners are not usually taught collocations explicitly. However, we believe that the acquisition of phraseological competence is necessary for effective and precise communication. In the area of English language teaching, the works of Howarth (1993, 1996), Oakey (2002) and Tribble (1990, 2002) point out the importance of collocations in academic writing. Other studies propose the teaching of grammar prioritising the behaviour of individual lexical units (or pattern grammar), i.e. taking account of the lexical patterns of a given register (cf. Hunston 1995, 2002). The aim of this paper is to explore the collocational patterns of three semitechnical and specialised words used in a corpus of 54 engineering research articles in the fields of computing, robotics and nanotechnology: robot, performance and lattice. The analysis shows that, although these words can be found in general English, their collocates contribute to restrict and precise their meaning in a specialised corpus. Making learners aware of these patterns should arouse their consciousness of the use of language in specialized contexts and help them to improve their academic writing as regards accuracy and fluency

Del trabajo cooperativo al trabajo colaborativo: el rol del líder

[EN] The main objective of the activity presented in this paper is to practise the competence called effective communication. The learning results were analysed considering written and oral skills. This experimental approach made us consider the way in which students collaborate in teamworks and this is why in this paper we focus on the competences of teamwork and leadership. The activity that we describe has been carried out during the academic year 2015-16 in two faculties at Universitat Politècnica de València: Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Informática and Facultad de Administración y Dirección de Empresas, with the subjects: “Inglés intermedio-alto para la informática”, an optional subject that lasts 90 hours and is scheduled in the fourth year of the degree, and “Inglés para finanzas”, taught at Máster en Dirección Financiera y Fiscal. The activity presented has focused on preparing an oral presentation in English about a specific topic using the tools PoliformaT and Google Docs.[ES] El objetivo principal con el que esta actividad fue diseñada fue trabajar la competencia transversal que se denomina comunicación efectiva. Los resultados de aprendizaje se analizaron tanto a nivel escrito como oral. Esta experiencia nos ha llevado a reflexionar sobre la manera en que los alumnos trabajan en equipo, por lo que en este artículo nos centraremos en las competencias de trabajo en equipo y liderazgo. La actividad que presentamos se ha desarrollado durante el curso 2015-16 en dos centros de la Universitat Politècnica de València: la Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Informática y la Facultad de Administración y Dirección de Empresas, en las asignaturas “Inglés intermedio-alto para la informática”, una asignatura optativa de grado con una duración de 90 horas para alumnos de 4º curso, e “Inglés para finanzas”, impartida en el Máster en Dirección Financiera y Fiscal. La actividad ha consistido en preparar una presentación/exposición formal en inglés sobre un tema de especialidad utilizando Tareas y Chat de PoliformaT y Google Docs.Carrió Pastor, ML.; Skorczynska Sznajder, HT.; Soler Monreal, C. (2016). Del trabajo cooperativo al trabajo colaborativo: el rol del líder. En In-Red 2016. II Congreso nacional de innovación educativa y docencia en red. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/INRED2016.2016.4297OC

Writer's positioning in literature reviews in English and Spanish computing doctoral theses

Making appropriate reference to other texts is an essential feature of successful academic writing (Hyland, 2000; Myers, 1990). Writers are expected to integrate others' ideas into their arguments to indicate what is already known about the area of study of the discipline, or to point out weaknesses, aligning themselves with a particular disciplinary framework (Thompson & Tribble, 2001). Literature reviews (LRs) of PhD theses provide support for the writer's position and show the novelty of her/his work. This study analysed the resources of evaluation at both rhetorical and linguistic levels used by the writers of 20 PhD LRs in computing in English and Spanish. The data reveal that the Spanish and the English PhD LRs have a similar rhetorical structure. However, the English writers use more strategies for the development of each move than the Spanish writers. Attitude markers are the most usual devices doctoral writers use to express opinion in both sets. Epistemic modality and a variety of discourse-based markers are typically found in the English LRs while the Spanish LRs seem to rely mainly on adversatives and certainty markers. Differences respond partly to individual writing styles, but also reflect rhetorical variation in the relationship with the audience. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reservedGil Salom, ML.; Soler Monreal, C. (2014). Writer's positioning in literature reviews in English and Spanish computing doctoral theses. Journal of English for Academic Purposes. 16:23-39. doi:10.1016/j.jeap.2014.08.002S23391

A contrastive study of the rhetorical organisation of English and Spanish PhD thesis introductions

This paper presents an analysis of the introductory sections of a corpus of 20 doctoral theses on computing written in Spanish and in English. Our aim was to ascertain whether the theses, produced within the same scientific-technological area but by authors from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds, employed the same rhetorical strategies to introduce the work presented. The analysis follows the Swalesian approach and is based on a move/step/sub-step model proposed for PhD introductions in Spanish (Carbonell-Olivares, Gil-Salom, & Soler-Monreal, 2009). The Spanish academic conventions appear to be that move 1 (M1- Establishing the Territory) and move 3 (M3- Occupying the Niche) are obligatory moves in PhD thesis introductions in Spanish, while move 2 (M2- Establishing the Niche) is optional. The structure of English thesis introductions reveals that they conform more closely to the M1-M2-M3 arrangement. Moreover, combinations of moves and patterns, cyclicity and embedding make their organisation more complex. The step analysis suggests that introductions in both languages rely mainly on the presentation of background information and the work carried out. However, the English introductions tend to stress the writer's own work, its originality and its contribution to the field of study. They also present more embedding and overlapping of steps and sub-steps than the Spanish texts. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.Soler Monreal, C.; Carbonell Olivares, MS.; Gil Salom, ML. (2011). A contrastive study of the rhetorical organisation of English and Spanish PhD thesis introductions. English for Specific Purposes. 30(1):4-17. doi:10.1016/j.esp.2010.04.005S41730

Discourse Analysis and Terminology in Languages for Specific Purposes

Aquest importantíssim recull conté estudis i reflexions sobre temes rellevants en la recerca sobre LSP: anglès mèdic, el llenguatge de la publicitat i periodístic, telecomunicacions i terminologia informàtica, llenguatge comercial i jurídic... Malgrat que gran part dels treballs aplegats es refereixen a l'anglès, també hi ha que tracten l'alemany, francès i altres llengües. Conté textos en anglès, francés, portuguès i castellà

Comparison of seven prognostic tools to identify low-risk pulmonary embolism in patients aged <50 years

publishersversionPeer reviewe

Association Between Preexisting Versus Newly Identified Atrial Fibrillation and Outcomes of Patients With Acute Pulmonary Embolism

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) may exist before or occur early in the course of pulmonary embolism (PE). We determined the PE outcomes based on the presence and timing of AF. Methods and Results Using the data from a multicenter PE registry, we identified 3 groups: (1) those with preexisting AF, (2) patients with new AF within 2 days from acute PE (incident AF), and (3) patients without AF. We assessed the 90-day and 1-year risk of mortality and stroke in patients with AF, compared with those without AF (reference group). Among 16 497 patients with PE, 792 had preexisting AF. These patients had increased odds of 90-day all-cause (odds ratio [OR], 2.81; 95% CI, 2.33-3.38) and PE-related mortality (OR, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.37-4.14) and increased 1-year hazard for ischemic stroke (hazard ratio, 5.48; 95% CI, 3.10-9.69) compared with those without AF. After multivariable adjustment, preexisting AF was associated with significantly increased odds of all-cause mortality (OR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.57-2.32) but not PE-related mortality (OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 0.85-2.66). Among 16 497 patients with PE, 445 developed new incident AF within 2 days of acute PE. Incident AF was associated with increased odds of 90-day all-cause (OR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.75-2.97) and PE-related (OR, 3.64; 95% CI, 2.01-6.59) mortality but not stroke. Findings were similar in multivariable analyses. Conclusions In patients with acute symptomatic PE, both preexisting AF and incident AF predict adverse clinical outcomes. The type of adverse outcomes may differ depending on the timing of AF onset.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A move-step analysis of the concluding chapters in computer science PhD theses

This paper describes how computer science doctoral writers construct the closing chapters of their PhD theses. The data are drawn from the chapters playing a concluding role of 48 PhD theses defended at the University of Glasgow from 2008 to 2014. The analysis applied a qualitative-quantitative approach. The titles of the concluding chapters of the theses were first examined and also their divisions into sections and sub-sections. Then the chapters were subjected to a move-step analysis: Move 1 (M1) “Revisiting the study”; Move 2 (M2) “Consolidating research space”; Move 3 (M3) “Proposing practical applications and implications”, Move 4 (M4) “Recommending future work” and Move 5 (M5) “Recapitulating the study”. The results revealed that most of the computer science PhD theses have one final concluding chapter with three main moves: M1, M2 and M4. The most frequent steps are “reviewing the work carried out” and “summarizing the specific work reported in every thesis chapter” in M1, “presenting results and contributions”, “answering the initial research questions or hypotheses”, and “making claims” in M2, and “acknowledging limitations” and “suggesting further research” in M4. Movestep patterns appear in recurrent cycles throughout the concluding chapters. Several suggestions for pedagogical purposes are providedEste artículo describe cómo los autores de tesis doctorales en el área de la informática elaboran los capítulos de conclusión. Los datos proceden de los capítulos finales de 48 tesis doctorales defendidas en la Universidad de Glasgow entre 2008 y 2014. Para el análisis se siguió un enfoque cualitativo y cuantitativo. En una primera etapa, se examinaron los títulos de los capítulos de conclusión de las tesis así como sus divisiones en secciones y subsecciones. Posteriormente, se analizaron los capítulos atendiendo a unidades informativas organizadas en movimientos y pasos: Movimiento 1 (M1) “Revisión del estudio”; Movimiento 2 (M2) “Consolidación del espacio de investigación”; Movimiento 3 (M3) “Propuesta de aplicaciones prácticas e implicaciones”, Movimiento 4 (M4) “Recomendaciones para futuras investigaciones” y Movimiento 5 (M5) “Recapitulación del estudio”. Los resultados indican que la mayoría de las tesis de este corpus de informática tiene un único capítulo final de conclusiones con tres movimientos principales: M1, M2 y M4. Los pasos más frecuentes consisten en “revisar el trabajo llevado a cabo” y “resumir el trabajo específico desarrollado en cada capítulo de la tesis” en M1, “enunciar los resultados y las contribuciones en respuesta a las hipótesis y preguntas iniciales” y “reivindicar su aportación” en M2, y “reconocer limitaciones de la investigación” y “sugerir investigaciones futuras” en M4. La práctica habitual consiste en utilizar patrones de movimientos y pasos en ciclos recurrentes a lo largo de la conclusión. Se aportan sugerencias con fines pedagógico