Metadiscourse in the introductions of PhD theses and research articles

Previous studies have indicated that the introductions of PhD theses and research articles are similar in their rhetorical features. In contrast, it has been suggested that metadiscourse as a rhetorical device is constructed in a different manner in these texts. However, very few studies have sought to empirically validate this assumption. This paper investigates how research writers construct metadiscourse in the introductions of their PhD theses and subsequently published research articles. The analysis shows that the majority of the writers make greater use of metadiscourse in their article introductions. The most significant changes include greater use of phrases referring to previous research, less reference to other parts of the text, and still less use of phrases signalling authorial presence. Close examination reveals that these variations derive from genre-specific features, including that writers of PhD thesis introductions present previews of the subsequent chapters. This paper closes by arguing that the variations can also be ascribed to the nature of the PhD thesis as an educational genre and that of research articles as a professional genre in which writers need to survive severe competition to get their manuscripts published.