Connecting the Functions of Lexical Bundles and Moves in Published Research Articles: The Case of Developmental and Educational Psychology

Abstract

The Introduction-Methods-Results-Discussion (IMRD) pattern is frequently used in research articles (RAs) in many disciplines. Following the IMRD format enables writers to organize research content more easily, and thoroughly understanding IMRD sections and their functions will facilitate the writing of IMRD-structured RAs (Mack 2018). Studying lexical bundles, especially their functions, can help understand how research writing is organized. Combining top-down move analysis of RAs with bottom-up frequency-based identification of bundle functions can provide evidence for the occurrence of bundle functions in a particular position of an RA. However, previous studies integrating these two approaches tend to focus on RA Introductions, lacking a systematic investigation of the other three sections. To fill this gap, the present study connects bundle functions and moves in all the sections of RAs in the field of developmental and educational psychology. The results reveal that there are differences between RA sections in terms of the functional distribution of lexical bundles, which are related to the respective roles of the four sections in RAs. The results also show that lexical bundles of certain functions stand out in the moves of each RA section. For novice writers, awareness of such salient combinations of bundle functions and specific moves in the IMRD sections may improve the clarity of argumentation and make their writing more persuasive.