Self-mention and authorial identity construction in English and Chinese research articles

A contrastive study

Authors

  • Geqi Wu Hangzhou Normal University
  • Yongsheng Zhu Fudan University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/lhs.v10i2.28557

Keywords:

authorial identity, research article, self-mention

Abstract

Self-mention is a powerful rhetorical strategy for constructing authorial identity in research articles. This study proposes that researchers’ authorial identity can be considered in three aspects according to the self-mention devices they employ: the detached self, the individual self and the collective self. Based on a corpus comprising 90 research articles (45 in English and 45 in Chinese), the research explores the construction of authorial identity in English and Chinese research articles by examining the frequency of and roles performed by self-mention markers. Results show that both English and Chinese writers try to display their detached self by distancing themselves from the text and reader. But English writers are more ready to present the individual self by taking on the role of discourse constructor, arguer and evaluator, whereas Chinese writers are inclined to show their collective self and take on the role of researcher. The research results have implications for research article writing and the teaching of research article writing.

Author Biographies

  • Geqi Wu, Hangzhou Normal University

    Geqi Wu is Associate Professor in the School of Foreign Languages at Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China. Her research interests include discourse analysis and pragmatics.

  • Yongsheng Zhu, Fudan University

    Yongsheng Zhu is Professor in the School of Foreign Languages and Literature at Fudan University, Shanghai, China, and Guest Professor in the School of Foreign Languages at Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China. His research interests include systemic functional linguistics and discourse analysis.

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Published

2015-09-29

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Wu, G., & Zhu, Y. (2015). Self-mention and authorial identity construction in English and Chinese research articles: A contrastive study. Linguistics and the Human Sciences, 10(2), 133-158. https://doi.org/10.1558/lhs.v10i2.28557

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