The cognitive and rhetorical role of term variation and its contribution to knowledge construction in research articles

Terminology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabela Fernández-Silva

This study explored the behaviour and functions of term variation in research articles in order to better understand the process of knowledge construction within texts. A semantic analysis of term variation in 19 Spanish-language psychology research articles was carried out. Variants were classified according to the semantic distance from the base term. Analysis revealed that term variation provides information about the concept’s content and its relationships with other concepts within the conceptual structure. Furthermore, an examination of the distribution of term variants across text sections revealed three rhetorical functions of term variation: a naming function, present in the title, abstract and keyword sections; an explanatory function, in the introduction and discussion sections; and a particularizing function, in the method and results sections. This analysis confirmed that intratextual term variation plays a cognitive and rhetorical function in research articles, helping to construct and transfer knowledge within the text and to realize the communicative purposes of the genre.

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 624-645
Author(s):  
Sabela Fernández-Silva

Abstract This article reports a study about the behavior and functions of term variation in research articles (RAs) in Geology and Psychology. The aim of the study was twofold: first, to investigate the role of intra-textual term variation as a device for the representation and transfer of specialized knowledge; second, to explore whether there are disciplinary differences and whether these differences can be chalked up to different perceptions of this phenomenon among subject field experts. Two methods of data collection were combined: corpus-based analysis of 38 RAs in Spanish; and semi-structured interviews with six experts. Results show that the incidence of term variation is higher in Psychology, although both groups manifested a positive attitude toward variation. Corpus analysis and interviews confirm that term variation is used as a cognitive device, to provide information about the concept’s characteristics and relationships with other concepts; and as a communicative device to avoid repetition, to accommodate to the audience and to generalize. In sum, term variation proves to be an important device for constructing and communicating specialized knowledge for both disciplines.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 1396-1399
Author(s):  
Disha Bhatero ◽  
Punam Sawarkar ◽  
Gaurav Sawarkar

Covid-19 is an infectious disease caused by novel Coronavirus. The overall prevalence rate of Covid-19 in Worldwide ( 9.94M )& it is (529 K) & (153 K) in India and Maharashtra. This situation can be considered under JanapadodhwansaVyadhi in Ayurveda. The primary purpose of Ayurveda  is the prevention of the disease in healthy individuals and eradication of disease, which are curable. Immunity comes under the Vyadhikshamatva. Further, Covid-19 infection is correlated with Vataj-Kaphaj Jwara. In Ayurveda Rasayana therapy to boost up immunity (Bala  & Vyadhikshamatva). The present study aimed to explore the concept of infectious disease and its prevention through different lifestyles described in Ayurveda. The above need-based information is collected from various Ayurvedicliterature (Laghutrayee, Bruhatryayi) along with numerous research articles from databases, such as PubMed, Google Scholar. All collected data were depicted in narrative form and tabular manner under different heads. Considering the above aspect in the prevention of Covid-19, the role of Ayurveda intervention may be proved more beneficial in Covid-19. Further, adoption of code of conduct may efficiently overcome the current pandemic situation by maintaining good immunity & implementation of Ahar, Vihar Vidhis, Dincharya, and Rutucharya& Sadvritta  for improving disease resistance.


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 449-456
Author(s):  
James R Rogers ◽  
Hollis Mills ◽  
Lisa V Grossman ◽  
Andrew Goldstein ◽  
Chunhua Weng

Abstract Scientific commentaries are expected to play an important role in evidence appraisal, but it is unknown whether this expectation has been fulfilled. This study aims to better understand the role of scientific commentary in evidence appraisal. We queried PubMed for all clinical research articles with accompanying comments and extracted corresponding metadata. Five percent of clinical research studies (N = 130 629) received postpublication comments (N = 171 556), resulting in 178 882 comment–article pairings, with 90% published in the same journal. We obtained 5197 full-text comments for topic modeling and exploratory sentiment analysis. Topics were generally disease specific with only a few topics relevant to the appraisal of studies, which were highly prevalent in letters. Of a random sample of 518 full-text comments, 67% had a supportive tone. Based on our results, published commentary, with the exception of letters, most often highlight or endorse previous publications rather than serve as a prominent mechanism for critical appraisal.


Author(s):  
Craig Allen

The first completely researched history of U.S. Spanish-language television traces the rise of two foremost, if widely unrecognized, modern American enterprises—the Spanish-language networks Univision and Telemundo. It is a standard scholarly history constructed from archives, original interviews, reportage, and other public materials. Occasioned by the public’s wakening to a “Latinization” of the U.S., the book demonstrates that the emergence of Spanish-language television as a force in mass communication is essential to understanding the increasing role of Latinos and Latino affairs in modern American society. It argues that a combination of foreign and domestic entrepreneurs and innovators who overcame large odds resolves a significant and timely question: In an English-speaking country, how could a Spanish-speaking institution have emerged? Through exploration of significant and colorful pioneers, continuing conflicts and setbacks, landmark strides, and ongoing controversies—and with revelations that include regulatory indecision, behind-the-scenes tug-of-war, and the internationalization of U.S. mass media—the rise of a Spanish-language institution in the English-speaking U.S. is explained. Nine chapters that begin with Spanish-language television’s inception in 1961 and end 2012 chronologically narrate the endeavor’s first 50 years. Events, passages, and themes are thoroughly referenced.


2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Zanina

Although a plethora of papers have proved a seminal role of move-based genre analysis in cross-linguistic research of academic communication and EAP/ESP teaching and learning, there is a lack of respective linguistic or pedagogically motivated studies of research articles (RAs) and their parts aimed at comparing English and Russian. Using Hyland’s (2000) 5-move model, the current research seeks to determine the most obvious cross-linguistic differences in the move structure of abstracts of research articles on management for these languages. Based on a move analysis of the English- and Russian-language corpora each comprising 20 unstructured RA abstracts, the research revealed conformity of most English-language abstracts to Hyland’s model, while the Russian abstracts principally displayed a three-move structure containing ‘purpose’, ‘method’ and ‘product’, and included the ‘introduction’ and ‘conclusion’ moves only occasionally. Other significant discrepancies comprised the English-language authors’ tendency to provide precise or detailed indication of research methods and results, in contrast to their brief indication or over-generalized mentioning by Russian writers, as well as greater length of the English-language abstracts and their stricter concordance to standard move sequence than those of the Russian abstracts. Though the research was conducted on relatively small corpora and was descriptive in nature, its findings might be of interest to genre analysts as well as to L2 theorists and practitioners.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-197
Author(s):  
Ana Wuri Retnaningrum

This paper discusses the use of yari-morai phrase (jujuhyougen) found in a novel data source titled Shiro no Naka no Hito. The purpose of this study is to describe the use of expressions of acceptance using Natsuko Tsujimura's theory. The items analyzed in this study are the function, role, and social distance of each argument. From the data analysis, it is found that when analyzed in a syntactic way, each argument functions as a subject and is a direct object or an indirect object. In semantic analysis, from the use of his verb, every argument plays the role of agent and beneficiary. Whereas from the use of passive expressions, each argument acts as a source and a goal. If pragmatic analysis is used, the use of the expressions is influenced by the vertical distance. However, formal situations are more important than existing vertical distances. So that also affects the use of proper expressions.


2020 ◽  
pp. 119-133
Author(s):  
Beata Kuryłowicz ◽  

This article is an attempt to perform a semantic analysis of anatomical vocabulary collected by Michał Abraham Troc in Nowy dykcjonarz, published in Lipsk in 1764. The aim of individual analyses based on the lexical field theory is to demonstrate the meaning of lexemes, to determine their place within a field, as well as to disclose semantic relationships: synonymy, polysemy and hyponymy. The semantic analysis presented in this article clearly demonstrates abundance and differentiation of 18th century anatomical vocabulary, as well as prevalence of native over borrowed words. Among 250 names, only eleven units are borrowings from foreign languages: seven Latin and four German ones. This provides evidence there is a fundamental role of native lexis, especially colloquial vocabulary, in the formation of Polish anatomical terminology, and, more extensively, also medical terminology, in the first phase of its development which continued until the end of the 18th century. Of note is also the non-uniform arrangement of lexemes in individual fields and asymmetry in their number. Selected lexical fields are characterised by non-uniform size, different level of semantic stratification and differentiated degree of generality of words they contain. On the other hand, semantic relations observed in the analysed anatomical vocabulary, especially synonymy and polysemy, confirm there is a differentiation of anatomical lexis, on the other hand, they indicate lack of precision in expressing content by the discussed lexical units.


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