Promoting Through Negation: A Cross-Cultural and Cross-Disciplinary Analysis of Abstracts in Academic Writing

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Tabriz Islamic Art University

2 University of Tabriz

Abstract

The abstract of a research article has an advertising function, enticing the reader to read the full text. Traditionally, negative statements have been considered minimal in this context, but more recent studies emphasize negation as a rhetorical device for promotion in abstracts. This study examines the prevalence of negative forms as promotional strategies in 600 English RA abstracts by English L1 and Iranian authors from six disciplines, including both soft sciences (applied linguistics, archeology, sociology) and hard sciences (biology, chemistry, physics). The articles were selected from top journals based on the impact factor 2022 and published between 2014 and 2022 to minimize diachronic bias. In contrast to the literature suggesting clear disciplinary differences in academic writing, no significant differences were found between the hard and soft sciences in this study. However, significant cultural differences were observed, with English L1 writers using more negations than their Iranian counterparts, especially in the hard sciences.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Linguistic Studies: Theory and Practice

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 18 February 2025

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History

  • Receive Date: 02 December 2024
  • Revise Date: 15 January 2025
  • Accept Date: 18 February 2025

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