Exploring Introduction Sections in Pharmacology: A Corpus-Based Comparison of Research Articles and Textbooks

Ghorban Taleshian, Maedeh; Zahmatkesh, Heydar; Nasrollahi Mouziraji, Atefeh; Nasrollahi_Mouziraji, Alieh

doi:10.22034/jespp.2024.217586

Exploring Introduction Sections in Pharmacology: A Corpus-Based Comparison of Research Articles and Textbooks

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Maedeh Ghorban Taleshian ¹

Heydar Zahmatkesh ²

Atefeh Nasrollahi Mouziraji ³

Alieh Nasrollahi_Mouziraji ⁴

¹ Department of English, Faculty of Letters and Humanities, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Tabriz, Iran

² Department of English Teaching and Translation, Faculty of Persian and Foreign Languages, Islamic Azad University, South Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran

³ Department of English Language Teaching, Faculty of Humanties, Ayatollah Amoli Bramch, Islamic Azad University, Amol, Iran

⁴ Department of English Language Teaching, Faculty of Humanties, Babol, Bramch, Islamic Azad University, Babol, Iran

10.22034/jespp.2024.217586

Abstract

Genre analysis is a systematic approach to studying the structure and language of specific text types. This study investigates the genre characteristics of introduction sections in research articles (RAs) and textbooks in the field of pharmacology. A corpus of RAs and textbooks written by native and non-native authors were compiled and analyzed using corpus linguistic methods. The analysis focused on collocation, technical vocabulary, lexical density, and rhetorical features. The analysis revealed significant differences between RAs and textbooks in terms of technical vocabulary, lexical density, and rhetorical structure. Textbooks contained a higher proportion of technical words (50/3%) and jargon (54.9) than RAs, while RAs exhibited a higher degree of lexical density and a more structured rhetorical organization. The findings suggest that ESP teachers and researchers should pay attention to the genre-specific language features of introduction sections in pharmacology. This knowledge can be used to develop pedagogical materials and strategies that help students to produce effective academic writing in this discipline.

Keywords

corpus linguistics

genre analysis

collocation technical vocabulary

lexical density

rhetorical structure