Structure, content and functions of calls for conference abstracts
-
Sara Gesuato
Abstract
This paper examines the pragmatic functions and structural organisation of 100 Calls for Conference Abstracts (CfCAs) in Biology, Computing, History and Linguistics. These goal-oriented communicative acts focus on the representation-dissemination of disciplinary values and goals. They comprise the communicative core, the invitation – textually marginalised – and various auxiliary, textually prominent moves: informative, regulatory and persuasive-argumentative (announcements, offers, orders and requests). These qualify the CfCAs as representative, directive and commissive texts. The CfCAs are structurally similar – they share moves appearing in typical sequences – but do not instantiate an identical text type or structure potential, as no functional component is common to them all. The individual CfCAs thus exemplify the genre to different degrees of prototypicality, which paves the way for generic innovation.
Abstract
This paper examines the pragmatic functions and structural organisation of 100 Calls for Conference Abstracts (CfCAs) in Biology, Computing, History and Linguistics. These goal-oriented communicative acts focus on the representation-dissemination of disciplinary values and goals. They comprise the communicative core, the invitation – textually marginalised – and various auxiliary, textually prominent moves: informative, regulatory and persuasive-argumentative (announcements, offers, orders and requests). These qualify the CfCAs as representative, directive and commissive texts. The CfCAs are structurally similar – they share moves appearing in typical sequences – but do not instantiate an identical text type or structure potential, as no functional component is common to them all. The individual CfCAs thus exemplify the genre to different degrees of prototypicality, which paves the way for generic innovation.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- Specialized languages 1
-
Section one. Research based on corpora
- The historical shift of scientific academic prose in English towards less explicit styles of expression 11
- Heteroglossic (dis)engagement and the construal of the ideal readership 25
- Structure, content and functions of calls for conference abstracts 47
- Summarizing findings 71
- The use of adverbial hedges in EAP students’ oral performance 95
- Integrating approaches to visual data commentary 115
-
Section two. Research based on meta-analysis and applications in LSP
- Some dichotomies in genre analysis for Languages for Specific Purposes 139
- English for legal purposes and domain-specific cultural awareness 155
- The Talking Cure 175
- UrgentiAS, a lexical database for medical students in clinical placements 191
- Using natural language patterns for the development of ontologies 211
- Notes on contributors 231
- Index 237
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- Specialized languages 1
-
Section one. Research based on corpora
- The historical shift of scientific academic prose in English towards less explicit styles of expression 11
- Heteroglossic (dis)engagement and the construal of the ideal readership 25
- Structure, content and functions of calls for conference abstracts 47
- Summarizing findings 71
- The use of adverbial hedges in EAP students’ oral performance 95
- Integrating approaches to visual data commentary 115
-
Section two. Research based on meta-analysis and applications in LSP
- Some dichotomies in genre analysis for Languages for Specific Purposes 139
- English for legal purposes and domain-specific cultural awareness 155
- The Talking Cure 175
- UrgentiAS, a lexical database for medical students in clinical placements 191
- Using natural language patterns for the development of ontologies 211
- Notes on contributors 231
- Index 237
