An Investigation into the Perceptions and Rhetorical Patterns of Abstracts Written by Saudi Instructors at King Abdul-Aziz University

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the rhetorical structures in Saudi Arabian instructors’ academic writing, especially abstracts, and explore their preferred patterns, if any, when they write their abstracts. A qualitative approach (i.e. textual analysis and interviews) were used for data collection purposes and involved eight Saudi female instructors. The Creating a Research Space (CARS) model by Swales (1990a) and the five-move structure by Hyland (2000) were used as two analytical frameworks in the textual analysis. The results have shown that Saudi academic instructors do not apply the CARS model and the participants’ perceptions showed a negative attitude towards applying a particular rhetorical structure when writing their abstracts. The study concludes that Saudi instructors need to increase their awareness concerning the rhetorical structure used in their discourse community and the different types of abstracts.