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THE FUNCTIONS OF CLEARLY IN ACADEMIC DISCOURSE: FROM AN ADVERB OF MANNER TO A DISCOURSE MARKER

Publication date: 22.03.2018

Studia Linguistica Universitatis Iagellonicae Cracoviensis, 2018, Volume 135, Issue 1, pp. 47 - 57

https://doi.org/10.4467/20834624SL.18.004.8164

Authors

Agata Rozumko
University of Bialystok ul. M. Skłodowskiej-Curie 14 15-097 Białystok, Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7718-3253 Orcid
All publications →

Titles

THE FUNCTIONS OF CLEARLY IN ACADEMIC DISCOURSE: FROM AN ADVERB OF MANNER TO A DISCOURSE MARKER

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to identify and systematize the functions of clearly in academic discourse. The adverb shows a continuum of manner and modal meanings, and signals the existence of reliable evidence for claims, which makes it a useful rhetorical device in research articles. The study is based on a corpus of 80 research articles (ca. 580,000 words) representing three disciplines and three branches of science: linguistics (the humanities), sociology (social sciences) and physics (natural sciences). It shows that clearly is used to involve the reader in the process of data analysis (both manner and modal uses), to summarize the findings, make conclusions (modal uses), and to appeal to shared knowledge (discourse marker). Appeals to shared knowledge are only attested in the subcorpora of linguistics and sociology, which tend to adopt a more interactional style of writing than the natural sciences, while the other functions are found in the research articles of all three disciplines. Using White’s (2003) notion of heteroglossic (dis)engagement, clearly can be said to have dialogically contractive functions. Its presence in the text indicates the author’s wish to encourage the reader to adopt his/her perspective.

References

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Appendix

The list of journals used to compile the corpus

LING [= Linguistics]: Australian Journal of Linguistics, Journal of Language and Social Psychology, Journal of Pragmatics, Language and CommunicationLanguage and Gender, Language Sciences, Lingua, Linguistics, Text, Topoi.

PHYS [= Physics]: 19th Particles and Nuclei International Conference, AIP Conference Proceed­ings, Application of Accelerators in Research and Industry, Astroparticle Physics, High Energy Density Physics, Journal of Applied Physics, Journal of Electron Spectroscopy and Related Phenomena, Nuclear Physics, Non-Neutral Plasma Physics VIII, Nuclear Instru­ments and Methods in Physics Research APhysica A, Physica B, Physics Essays, Physics Letters, Physics of FluidsPhysics of Plasmas, Powders and Grains, The 8th International Workshop on the Physics of Excited Nucleons, AIP Conference Proceedings, The Journal of Chemical Physics, Unification and Neutrino Physics, Workshop on Dark Matter.

SOCIO [= Sociology]: A Journal of Clinical and Applied Sociology, Canadian Journal of SociologyCanadian Review of Sociology, Health Sociology Review, Journal of Social Distress and the Homeless, Journal of Sociology, Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences, The ForumSocial Forces, Social Indicators Research, Social Science ResearchSociety, Sociological Forum, Sociological Practice, Sociology of Religion, Studies in East European Thought.

Information

Information: Studia Linguistica Universitatis Iagellonicae Cracoviensis, 2018, Volume 135, Issue 1, pp. 47 - 57

Article type: Original article

Titles:

Polish:

THE FUNCTIONS OF CLEARLY IN ACADEMIC DISCOURSE: FROM AN ADVERB OF MANNER TO A DISCOURSE MARKER

English:

THE FUNCTIONS OF CLEARLY IN ACADEMIC DISCOURSE: FROM AN ADVERB OF MANNER TO A DISCOURSE MARKER

Authors

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7718-3253

Agata Rozumko
University of Bialystok ul. M. Skłodowskiej-Curie 14 15-097 Białystok, Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7718-3253 Orcid
All publications →

University of Bialystok ul. M. Skłodowskiej-Curie 14 15-097 Białystok, Poland

Published at: 22.03.2018

Article status: Open

Licence: CC BY-NC-ND  licence icon

Percentage share of authors:

Agata Rozumko (Author) - 100%

Article corrections:

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Publication languages:

English