LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 12 : 1 January 2012
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.

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Stating the Research Problem: A Genre-based Study of
English Language M.Phil. Theses in a Ghanaian Public University

Wincharles Coker, B.Ed. (Hons.), M.Phil.
Wilhelmina Coker, B.Ed (Hons.), M.Phil. Student

Abstract

Despite the numerous studies on such academic genres as the research abstract, introduction and literature review, the rhetorical section of the statement of the research problem has received little attention. To fill this gap, we examined the schematic structure and communicative purpose of the statement of the research problem section of Master of Philosophy in English Language theses at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. Data which were made up of twenty theses were collected randomly from the Department of English library. Based on Swales’s (1990) CARS model, the analysis of the data showed that the statement of the research problem section exhibited two core moves, and that students showed an appreciable knowledge of both the pedagogical and communicative importance of the rhetorical unit. These findings, thus, have implications for further research in genre studies and serves as useful material for instructors in teaching and in bringing to the notice of their students the generic importance of stating the research problem.

Key words: Genre analysis, statement of the problem, rhetorical moves, M.Phil. theses

Introduction

Originally popularised by Swales (1981, 1990), genre analysis in its traditional sense has over decades focused on the analysis of moves in such genres as the abstract, introduction and conclusion of reseach articles (Swales, 1990; Bunton, 2002; Afful, 2005). The goal of scholars in this sub-discipline of discourse analysis, despite their individual schools of thought, is to among other things, help apprentice students to know the generic features that typify specific genres. However, despite the exponential increase in the literature, little is known of the genre of the statement of the research problem (henceforth the SRP). Although Jalilifar, Firuzmand & Roshani (2011) have been recently forthcoming in this direction, their study is, nevertheless, outside of the context of Africa in genreal, and Ghana, in particular. Thus, in this study, we explore the overall communicative purpose and rhetorical moves found in the SRP as an academic discourse in twenty Master of Philosophy of English Language theses at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Wincharles Coker, B.Ed. (Hons.), M.Phil.
Deparmtent of Communication Studies
University of Cape Coast
Ghana
wincoker@gmail.com

Wilhelmina Coker, B.Ed (Hons.), M.Phil. Student
Department of English
University of Cape Coast
Ghana
Sleek06@yahoo.com
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