INTERACTIONAL META DISCOURSE IN ACADEMIC WRITING: A CORPUS-BASED STUDY OF DISCUSSION SECTIONS IN RESEARCH ARTICLES

Abstract

This study investigates the use of interactional meta discourse markers in the discussion sections of research articles from both health sciences and social sciences using a corpus-based approach grounded in Hyland’s (2005) framework. Drawing on 20 articles from four disciplines—Pharmacy, Human Nutrition and Dietetics, English Studies, and Media Studies—this research focuses on five interactional meta discourse categories: hedges, boosters, attitude markers, self-mentions, and engagement markers. The data, comprising approximately 22,000 words, was analyzed using Meta Pak software to identify and quantify marker usage across disciplines. The results reveal notable disciplinary differences in rhetorical strategies, with health sciences exhibiting a more cautious and evaluative stance, while social sciences favored self-mention and reader engagement. These findings offer valuable insights into how academic writers negotiate meaning and build credibility in discipline-specific ways.