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Structural Analysis of Rhetorical Moves in Research Article Abstracts: Philippine E-Journals

  • Christine Mae T. Juyad
  • Evangeline H. Alvarez
  • Roxan R. Remorosa
  • Shiryl T. Ytoc
  • 2770-2779
  • Jan 14, 2025
  • Education

Structural Analysis of Rhetorical Moves in Research Article Abstracts: Philippine E-Journals

Christine Mae T. Juyad, Evangeline H. Alvarez, Roxan R. Remorosa, Shiryl T. Ytoc

Agusan del Sur State College of Agriculture and Technology, Bunawan, Agusan del Sur 8506, Philippines

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2024.8120231

Received: 07 December 2024; Accepted: 11 December 2024; Published: 14 January 2025

ABSTRACT

The abstract is a crucial component of a Research Article (RA). Authors must capture readers’ attention from the very first sentence of their abstracts to encourage them to continue reading both the abstract and the full article. Consequently, it is essential for an abstract to be well-crafted. This study aimed to investigate the rhetorical moves and linguistic features found in a research article abstract (henceforth RAA) published in Philippine E-Journals. A corpus of 20 published RAs from Philippine E-Journals, 10 for qualitative and 10 for quantitative, have been analyzed following J.M. Swales (1990 and 2004) move analysis. The results showed that the RAAs consist of five moves (Moves 1 to 5). Authors showed a clear preference for Moves 2 (Present/Research/Purpose), 3 (Methods/Materials/Subjects/Procedures), and 4 (Results/Findings), which were consistently used across all analyzed abstracts from Philippine E-Journals and considered obligatory. The analysis of linguistic features revealed that authors predominantly used the Simple Past Tense in Moves 2, 3, and 4, while Moves 1 and 5 primarily employed the Simple Present Tense. Additionally, the findings demonstrated a preference for active voice, with many authors expressing their moves more naturally in this form, particularly in Moves 1, 2, 4, and 5. In conclusion, this study highlights the importance of well-structured rhetorical moves and the effective use of linguistic features in research article abstracts published in Philippine E-Journals, demonstrating a clear preference for essential components that engage readers and enhance the clarity of the research presented.

Keywords— Abstract, Research articles, Philippine E-Journals, rhetorical moves, linguistic features

INTRODUCTION

The massive production of published articles often leads to confusion among readers about which one to read first. In any research article, the abstract plays a crucial role as a gateway, summarizing the core elements of the research and helping readers decide whether to delve into the full text, either by scanning or skimming.  is the first section that readers encounter before engaging with the entire article (Hyland, 2004 cited in Wijaya & Ardi 2022). Therefore, it must be clear, concise, coherent, and simple, with content that is engaging enough to capture the reader’s interest. The abstract has become an essential and indispensable component of research articles. In recent times, abstracts have gained significant importance in the academic community, as readers often base their decision to read a paper on its abstract (Moisander et al., 2006 cited in Aziz et al., 2021).

Despite the essential role that abstracts serve in academic communication, many researchers find it difficult to effectively present their findings, especially in research articles (Fada et al., 2024). While abstracts are crucial components of research articles, writing them can be quite challenging for students, novice researchers, and new writers. Crafting an abstract often poses significant difficulties for many researchers engaged in writing research articles (Can et al., 2016). This issue is particularly evident within the Philippine academic context, where the growing number of e-journals calls for a more thorough analysis of how abstracts are structured and understood.

Moves analysis serves as a framework for understanding the structure of abstracts. Swales (1981) pioneered genre analysis through the use of rhetorical moves to elucidate the rhetorical intentions of research journals. Furthermore, Swales and Feak (2009) and Swales (1990) characterized genre as a category of discourse with specific communicative objectives. Knowledge of genre pertains to how various types of discourse are organized and linguistically realized to fulfill their communicative functions. Abstracts are classified as a genre because they are intended for a particular audience (Aziz et al., 2021). The communicative functions and purposes of abstracts are reflected in their rhetorical moves and steps, which represent the units of communicative stages and serve as the focal points of analysis in this study. Move analysis has proven to be an effective method for analyzing genre, especially given the complexities inherent in research articles (Pratiwi & Kurniawan, 2021), including their abstracts (Nurcik, 2022).

The researchers became interested in exploring the specific rhetorical moves employed by the authors, noting that the organization of these moves varies according to standard. Analyzing this rhetorical structure can enhance the quality of academic discourse and increase the accessibility of scholarly work. Such an analysis not only helps researchers improve their writing skills but also offers valuable insights to educators and journal editors to facilitate effective scholarly communication. Ultimately, this study aims to contribute to the broader objective of promoting quality education and ensuring that research findings effectively inform policy, practice, and further investigation within the Philippine context.

Many studies have analyzed the rhetorical moves used in the construction of abstracts in RAAs. Magday et. al (2022) have previously conducted a Comparative Genre Analysis of Research Abstracts between Philippine and International Colloquia. Additionally, in the comparative study of RAAs in applied linguistics, Wijaya & Ardi (2023) used Swales and Feak’s (2009) five-move model to examine rhetorical move distinctions of English research article (RA) abstracts published in an Indonesian national journal, namely LLT Journal: A Journal on Language and Language Teaching and an international journal, namely System Journal. Similarly, Paydari and Paramasivam (2019) identified the move structures of English RAAs in the field of political science in Iranian journal.

There has been limited research on the rhetorical moves employed in English research article abstracts (RAAs) through the lens of the five-move model developed by Swales and Feak (2009) as the basis for analysis. especially in the Philippine setting. As a result, the researchers have been encouraged to conduct a rhetorical structural analysis. In addition, we are eager to investigate how Swales and Feak’s (2009) five-model is applied in RAAs.

The present study aims to investigate the specific rhetorical moves used by authors, following Swales’ move analysis framework, to identify patterns and preferences in abstract writing, ultimately contributing to improved writing practices and clearer scholarly discourse in the Philippine academic landscape.

Research Questions

To gather the required information and fulfill its objectives, this study is fundamentally guided by the following research questions:

  1. What are the rhetorical moves found in the abstract section of research articles published in Philippine E-Journals.?
  2. What are the linguistic features employed in each move found in the abstract section of research articles published in Philippine E-Journals?

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

In this study, the researcher utilized the model developed by Swales and Feak (2009) as the analytical framework. A “move,” which can range from a phrase to a paragraph, is defined as “a stretch of text that performs a specific function”. The model comprises five moves, each associated with implied questions that assist authors in crafting their abstracts: (1) Move 1: Background/Introduction/Situation, with the implied questions “What do we know about the topic? Why is this topic important?”; (2) Move 2: Present Research/Purpose, with the implied question “What is this study about?”; (3) Move 3: Methods/Materials/Subjects/Procedures, with the implied question “How was it done?”; (4) Move 4: Results/Findings, with the implied question “What was discovered?”; and (5) Move 5: Discussion/Conclusion/Implications/Recommendations, with the implied question “What do the findings mean?”. Moves within abstracts can be categorized into obligatory and non-obligatory moves. For example, moves that present the research, describe methodology, and summarize findings are deemed obligatory. A move is classified as obligatory if it appears in at least 80% of the abstracts (Swales & Feak, 2009).

Swales and Feak’s (2009) five-move model was developed through a comprehensive process that involved analyzing numerous cross-disciplinary research articles as specialized corpora. This model includes specific tasks designed to enhance awareness and understanding of how to construct abstracts effectively. In essence, Swales and Feak’s five-move model is a reliable framework for guiding the writing of English research article abstracts (RAAs).

METHODOLOGY

This research employed a qualitative approach, specifically a descriptive qualitative design, to identify and classify the rhetorical moves and linguistic features. The findings from the analysis will be presented in tables. In addition to these visual representations, pertinent excerpts and further explanations will be included to aid in comprehension.

The corpus data for this study comprised 20 research article abstracts (RAAs) taken from Philippine E-journals published between 2014 and 2024 within the field of Education. The dataset includes 20 RA abstracts from journals such as Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal, Asia Pacific Journal of Education, Arts and Sciences, AIDE Interdisciplinary Research Journal, International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research, and Asia Pacific Education Researcher. Additionally, this study employed a purposive sampling technique, also known as judgment sampling. The research instrument consisted of a checklist that included five moves along with another checklist for linguistic features.

During the analysis process, the researchers examined the abstracts and broke them down into individual sentences to determine which rhetorical move each sentence represented, following the framework established by Swales and Feak (2009). The abstracts were then analyzed manually based on the lexical expressions found in each move. Each vocabulary item coded to Move 1, Move 2, Move 3, Move 4, and Move 5. To identify the linguistic features, each sentence was labeled according to the tense used and whether it employed active or passive voice. Only research article abstracts that met specific criteria—namely a) unstructured text, b) a single-paragraph condensed summary, and c) linguistic indicators that highlight the moves—were selected as sample data for the analysis.

RESULTS

This chapter presents the results and findings of this study based on analyzing the abstract section of research articles from Philippine E-Journals

Rhetorical Moves of Abstracts

The main aim of this study was to identify the rhetorical moves used in RAs, specifically in the abstract section, retrieved from Philippine E-journals. The analysis was done with the use of Swales and Feak’s (2009) model respectively.

Table 4.1. Distribution of Rhetorical Moves (Swales and Feak’s (2009) Model)

Move Description Frequency Percentage (%)
Move 1 Background/introduction/situation 10 50%
Movie 2 Present research/purpose 20 100%
Move 3 Methods/materials/subjects/procedures 20 100%
Move 4 Results/findings 20 100%
Move 5 Discussion/Conclusion/Implication/Recommendation 18 90%

Table 4.1 shows that not all of the abstract used Move 1 (Background/Introduction/Situation); only 10, or 50%, of the 20 abstracts included this move. In contrast, all 20 abstracts, representing 100%, employed Move 2 (Present Research/Purpose), demonstrating that authors consistently include the purpose of their research in their abstracts. Additionally, every abstract (100%) utilized Move 3 (Methods/Materials/Subjects/Procedures). The same pattern was observed for Move 4 (Results/Findings), with all 20 abstracts incorporating this move as well. Lastly, Move 5 (Conclusion/Suggestion) was used in 18 abstracts, accounting for 66.7%. Based on the result, the author consistently included Move 2, Move 3 and Move 4 in writing the research abstract. The example of abstract with moves is as follow:

Move 1: Introduction

Excerpt 1:

College readiness is one of the concerns of both students and universities nowadays, and when it comes to readiness, we speak about aptitude. On the other hand, Academic achievement plays an important role in determining students’ aptitude ability. It is a manifestation whether a student maximizes his aptitude ability in order for him to have an excellent academic achievement. (Abstract 1)

The example provided is categorized as Move 1 because it defined the situation/background/ introduction of the research. This move establishes the foundation for the study by highlighting the current significance of college readiness, particularly in relation to aptitude and academic achievement, thereby providing the context and justification for the research.

Move 2: Purpose

Excerpt 2:

This study primarily aimed to investigate the level of satisfaction on different instructional materials offered to maritime students of LIMA in relation to content, equity and accessibility, assessment, organization and presentation, and instructional design and support. (Abstract 5)

The example provided shows that this sentence is classified as Move 2, which pertains to the Present research/Purposes of the study. The lexicon ‘aimed’ in the abstract indicates a completed intention of the study, signifying that the researchers have established a specific goal.

Move 3: Methods

Excerpt 3:

A quantitative research design was employed in this study. Employing frequency counting and percent, weighted mean, standard deviation, Mann-Whitney U test. Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman rank- order correlation data were obtained from 287 public school teachers of Gutalac I District – Schools Division of Zamboanga del Norte. (Abstract 9)

In this example 2, the sentence is classified as Move 3. The lexicon ‘A quantitative research design…’, ‘data were obtained…’ explicitly states that the study explained the method and specifying the sample size and population.

Move 4: Results

Excerpt 4:

Results revealed that both lecture and SRL methods increased students’ achievement in Biological Science. However, students in the traditional method obtained higher mean pretest, posttest, and mean gain scores than students exposed to SRL method. (Abstract 3)

This example is classified as Move 4, which is the Results/Finding, because it presents the findings of the research, clearly indicating the outcomes of the study by using the lexicon like ‘Results revealed…’.

Move 5: Conclusion

Excerpt 5:

In conclusion, the study found that the teachers’ profile and perception of using the reward strategy, higher educational attainment, length of service, and grade level were significantly related. The school should encourage teachers to improve the mechanism reward system in their classes. Further study should be made in integrating a reward system or a combination of external strategies on a particular subject and performance competencies. (Abstract 10)

In the example provided, sentence classified as Move 5 because it synthesizes the implications of the research findings and suggests practical applications and future research directions, using lexicon such as ‘In conclusion…’, ‘the study found…’, ‘the school should encourage…’ and ‘further study should be made…’ which indicate a focus on the broader significance and recommendations derived from the results.

Linguistic features

Grammatical Tenses

The analysis of grammatical tenses indicates different frequencies and patterns across each Move in the RA abstracts published in the Philippine E-journals. These findings are presented in Table 4.2.1 as follows:

Table 4.2.1 Distribution of Tenses in RA Abstracts

Move Description Simple Future Simple Present Simple Past Simple Present Perfect
Move 1 Background/introduction/situation 0 9 1 0
Movie 2 Present research/purpose 0 8 12 0
Move 3 Methods/materials/subjects/procedures 0 3 17 0
Move 4 Results/findings 0 9 11 0
Move 5 Discussion/Conclusion/Implication/Recommendation 0 15 5 0

The data presented in Table 4.2.1 illustrates the distribution of tenses across different moves within an abstract, emphasizing how the purpose of each move affects tense selection. In Move 1 (Background/Introduction/Situation), only 10 out of 20 abstracts employed this move, indicating that it is used less frequently by authors. Among these ten abstracts, nine utilized the Simple Present Tense, while one used the Simple Past Tense.

For Move 2 (Present Research/Purpose), 8 abstracts used the Simple Present Tense and 12 used the Simple Past Tense. In Move 3 (Methods/Materials/Subjects/Procedures), there was a preference for the Simple Past Tense, with 17 abstracts using it compared to 3 that opted for the Simple Present Tense.

Table 3 further reveals that in Move 4 (Results/Findings), authors predominantly used the Simple Past Tense; out of 20 abstracts employing this move, 11 used the Simple Past Tense and 9 used the Simple Present Tense. Finally, in Move 5 (Discussion/Conclusion/Implication/Recommendation), among the 20 abstracts that included this move, 5 used the Simple Past Tense and 15 used the Simple Present Tense.The following excerpts are the example of the realization of each tense found in sentences.

Move 1: Introduction

Excerpt 6:

College readiness is one of the concerns of both students and universities nowadays, and when it comes to readiness, we speak about aptitude. (Abstract 15)

Move 2: Purpose

Excerpt 7:

This study primarily aimed to investigate the level of satisfaction on different instructional materials offered to maritime students of LIMA in relation to content, equity and accessibility, assessment, organization and presentation, and instructional design and support. (Abstract 6)

Move 3: Methodology

Excerpt 8:

The study used a quasi-experimental method using non-equivalent group pretest-posttest design. Two intact classes were used with 39 students in each class. A total of 78 first year students were included in the study. The two groups were randomly assigned to the two teaching methods. One group was taught through lecture while the other group through self-regulated learning (SRL) method. Comparability of the students was based on their pretest scores in Biological Science. The study was conducted with an observer Teacher-made achievement test, course teaching manual, and course reader were used in the study. (Abstract 18)

Move 4: Results

Excerpt 9:

The study revealed that school heads and teachers have different beliefs concerning individual research skills and are described as sometimes and often respectively. However, the study found out that only two teachers and none of the school heads engaged in crafting basic and action research. (Abstract 11)

Move 5: Conclusion

Excerpt 10:

Finally, there is no significant difference in the perceived teacher’s role in promoting values and moral education of task-based language teaching when classified as to sex and age. (Abstract 3)

Voice Forms in the RA Abstracts

Results of voice forms shows varied frequencies in every move of the 20 RA abstracts in Philippine E-journals. Table 4.2.2 revealed the findings as it is seen as follows:

Table 4.2.2 The Distribution of Voice Forms in the RA Abstracts

Move Description Active Voice Passive Voice
Move 1 Background/introduction/situation 15 5
Movie 2 Present research/purpose 16 4
Move 3 Methods/materials/subjects/procedures 9 11
Move 4 Results/findings 17 3
Move 5 Discussion/Conclusion/Implication/Recommendation 14 6

The data presented in Table 4.2.2 reveals the distribution of active and passive voice across various moves within research article abstracts. The results indicate that active voice predominated in each move of the abstracts, significantly outnumbering the use of passive voice. The majority of the rhetorical moves in the abstracts were expressed by the authors in active forms. The following excerpts illustrate sentences that utilize both active and passive voice.

Excerpt 11:

Active voice

Mann-Whitney Test shows that there is a significant difference between the school heads and teachers’ research skills. (Abstract 20)

Excerpt 12:

Passive Voice

The researcher’s modified survey questionnaires were administered utilizing Google Forms. Descriptive statistical tools such as mean, frequency counts, and percentage were applied as statistical treatments. (Abstract 14)

DISCUSSION

The primary objective of this study is to identify the rhetorical moves found in the abstract section of  research articles published in Philippine E-Journals. The findings reveal that, among the twenty RA abstracts analyzed, Moves 2, 3, and 4 are utilized more frequently than Move 1. Notably, Move 5 appears with a frequency close to that of Moves 2, 3, and 4. This is evident as all abstracts in the study’s corpus employed Move 2 (Present Research/Purpose), Move 3 (Methods/Materials/Subjects/Procedures), and Move 4 (Results/Findings). Only a few authors included Move 1 (Introduction), while Move 5 (Conclusion/Suggestion) is almost. In summary, the highest frequency of those three moves indicates that they are essential in writing an abstract in any RAAs in both research paradigms.

 This result of this study aligns with Belcher (2009) assertion that an abstract should contain three essential components—purpose, method, and results—regardless of their order. These elements are crucial for providing convincing information to readers (Astria et al., (2023). Similarly, a study conducted by Nur et al. (2021), which revealed that RA abstracts in the field of applied linguistics, found that three moves (Purpose, Method, Finding) were used heavily by  Indonesian  writers.

 However, the lower frequencies of Move 1 is also noteworthy. Studies have shown that this move is often considered optional. This confirms Weissberg & Buker’s (1999) view, in which the Introduction unit is optional. According to Kanoksilapatham (2005) cited in Wijaya & Ardi (2022), a move is considered obligatory if it occurs in every RA abstract (100%), conventional if it occurs in 60% to 99%, and optional if it occurs lower than 60%. Additionally, Amnuai et al. (2023) argued that while Move 1 might not be strictly necessary if other moves sufficiently convey significance, it still plays a role in justifying the research topic. Moreover, Maporn et al. (2023) found similar patterns where Move 1 was less frequently utilized compared to Moves 2, 3, and 4 and considered as optional. Meanwhile, Move 5 is regarded as conventional which aligns with the findings of Nabu (2023), which also classify Move 5 as conventional in student abstracts.

The second result of this study is the linguistic features employed in each move  in the abstract section of  research articles in Philippine E-Journals. The findings regarding grammatical tense reveal diverse frequencies and patterns across each Move in the RA abstracts published in Philippine E-Journals. In Moves 1 and 5, authors primarily utilize the Simple Present Tense. However, Moves 2, 3, and 4 dominantly use the Simple Past Tense. The tenses identified in this study indicate a strong preference for the Simple Past Tense over other tenses, such as Simple Future Tense, Simple Present Tense, and Simple Present Perfect Tense, across nearly all rhetorical moves. The results of this study align with the findings of Astria et al. (2023) revealed that the simple present tense is commonly used in Move 1 and Move 5. In addition, the finding is in line with Swales and Feak (2004) who noted that while opening statements and conclusions are typically written in the present tense, there is significant variation in tense among disciplines and individuals when it comes to sentences discussing results. Meanwhile, the simple past tense is frequently employed in Move 2, Move 3, and Move 4 within a corpus of 20 research articles gathered from five esteemed journals in the discipline of education. Soy et al. (2023) noted that Move 3 (Purpose) often employed the simple past tense to effectively communicate how authors conducted their research activities.

In voice forms, the findings indicate that authors prefer to use active voice in their abstracts. Many authors express their moves more naturally in active voice. Data reveals that authors are particularly comfortable employing active voice in Moves 1, 2, 4, and 5 which supports the study of Ramadhini et al. (2020). One possible reason for the dominance of active sentences is that authors may prefer to emphasize the subject of the sentence rather than the action itself, which is often highlighted in passive constructions. The findings of this research align with Gani et al.’s (2020) study. In the said study, Gani similarly found that active voice is dominantly employed in the sentence construction of abstracts. This conclusion is further supported by Hakim et al. (2020), who noted that while active voice generally prevails in all rhetorical moves, there is some disagreement regarding Move 3 (Purpose) in their analysis of sixty research abstracts taken from two international journals: the Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics (IJAL) and the TEFLIN journal.

CONCLUSION

The study titled “Rhetorical Moves Analysis of Research Article Abstracts: Philippine E-Journal” offers a comprehensive examination of the rhetorical structures utilized in the abstracts of research articles published in Philippine E-Journals. The results revealed that Swales & Feak’s (2009) five moves such as Move 1) Background/Introduction/ Situation, Move 2) Present research / Purposes, Move 3), Methods/ Materials/ Subject/ Procedures, Move 4), Results/ Finding and Move 5), Discussion/ Conclusion/ Implication/ Recommendation were used by the authors in the abstracts. Findings reveal that authors have a clear preference for Moves 2 (Present Research/Purpose), 3 (Methods/Materials/Subjects/Procedures), and 4 (Results/Findings), which were consistently employed across all analyzed abstracts in research articles from Philippine E-Journals. This finding underscores the significance of these moves in effectively communicating the essence of research to readers. The results revealed that half of the abstracts consisted of Introduction. It implies that Move 1 (Introduction) is often viewed as optional. Meanwhile, Move 5 is regarded as conventional as it typically appears in the analyzed abstracts.

 Moreover, the analysis of linguistic features revealed a dominant used of the Simple Past Tense by authors in Moves 2, 3, and 4, while Moves 1 and 5 primarily utilized the Simple Present Tense. This preference for tense reflects the authors’ intent to convey completed actions in their research methodologies and findings while establishing ongoing relevance in their conclusions. The inclination towards active voice further highlights authors’ preferences for clarity and directness in their abstracts, reinforcing the notion that active constructions enhance reader engagement.

Although the study analyzed a relatively small number of abstracts, it aims to offer valuable insights into how these two groups of authors construct their research article abstracts. However, making precise generalizations about both the rhetorical structures and linguistic features may necessitate a larger sample size and more advanced analytical methods or tools.

In conclusion, the analysis of rhetorical moves can serve as a helpful guideline for authors to write their abstracts effectively. This study not only contributes to the understanding of rhetorical moves within the context of Philippine E-Journals but also aligns with established frameworks in academic writing that emphasize the importance of purpose, methodology, and results. The findings suggest that while certain moves may be deemed optional, their inclusion can enhance the overall effectiveness of research abstracts. Future research could explore the implications of these rhetorical choices on reader comprehension and engagement across different academic disciplines.

Implication for Practice

The research on the structural analysis of rhetorical moves in research article abstracts from Philippine E-Journals highlights the importance of understanding and adhering to established rhetorical conventions in academic writing. By identifying the prevalent move structures, this study provides valuable insights into how Filipino authors can effectively communicate their research to a global audience. The findings suggest that many Filipino abstracts tend to follow a linear structure, which emphasizes the necessity for writers to be aware of international standards while also considering local contextual factors. This awareness can enhance their ability to craft abstracts that not only meet academic expectations but also resonate with diverse readerships.

In practice, these insights can inform instructional strategies for teaching academic writing, particularly for novice writers and students in the Philippines. By integrating the identified rhetorical moves into writing curricula, educators can equip students with the skills needed to structure their abstracts effectively. This approach not only aids in improving students’ writing proficiency but also boosts their confidence when submitting work for publication. Furthermore, as the study indicates a tendency for longer abstracts among local writers, instructors might emphasize conciseness and clarity in abstract writing, aligning with global practices. Ultimately, fostering an understanding of these rhetorical patterns will help Filipino authors navigate the complexities of academic discourse and enhance their contributions to international research dialogues.

Implication for Further Research

Further research on the structural analysis of rhetorical moves in research article abstracts from Philippine E-Journals could explore the influence of disciplinary variations on abstract composition. While the current study identifies common rhetorical moves into specific discipline in education, it could reveal how contextual factors shape abstract structures and linguistic choices. Such studies may employ a comparative approach, analyzing abstracts from both local and international journals to highlight differences in move frequency and organization. This could also involve examining how the expectations of different academic audiences influence abstract writing, thereby contributing to a more nuanced understanding of genre conventions in the Philippine context.

Additionally, future research could investigate the impact of educational interventions aimed at improving abstract writing skills among Filipino researchers. By implementing targeted training programs that emphasize the effective use of rhetorical moves identified in this study, researchers can enhance their ability to produce compelling abstracts that align with international standards. Evaluating the outcomes of such interventions through pre- and post-assessments of abstract quality could provide valuable insights into best practices for academic writing instruction. This line of inquiry not only addresses gaps in existing literature but also contributes to the broader discourse on improving research communication within the Philippines and beyond.

Concluding Remarks     

Throughout my research journey on the structural analysis of rhetorical moves in research article abstracts from Philippine E-Journals, I have gained invaluable insights into the intricacies of academic writing within this context. Delving into the various rhetorical moves employed by authors has not only illuminated the common patterns that characterize Filipino abstracts but has also highlighted the unique challenges faced by local researchers in meeting international standards. This exploration has deepened my appreciation for the art of crafting clear and compelling abstracts, which serve as a crucial gateway for readers to engage with scholarly work. The process of analyzing these texts has reinforced my belief in the importance of understanding genre conventions and the role they play in effective communication.

As I reflect on this journey, I recognize the potential for further exploration and growth in this field. The findings of my research have opened up new avenues for inquiry, particularly regarding how disciplinary variations influence abstract structures and the impact of educational interventions on improving writing skills among Filipino scholars. I am excited about the prospect of contributing to academic writing instruction and supporting emerging researchers in navigating the complexities of abstract composition. This experience has not only enriched my understanding of rhetorical analysis but has also fueled my passion for enhancing research communication within the Philippines and fostering a more robust academic discourse on a global scale.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude and profound appreciation to my esteemed co-authors, Dr. Evangeline H. Alvarez, Dr. Roxan Remorosa, and Dr. Shiryl T. Ytoc, for their invaluable contributions to this research. Their expertise and insights were instrumental in shaping the direction of our work, and their dedication to the project significantly enhanced the quality of our findings.

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