When Methods and Results intertwine: An exploration from congruent and metaphorical construal

Abstract

Structural variation in research articles is a significant challenge in the pedagogy of academic writing. One crucial reason for this is our limited understanding of how changes in one section can lead to a series of adjustments in other sections. To address this issue, this paper investigates the rhetorical impact on Results when the Methods is placed at the end of the articles. It is found that to clarify the process of generating results and demonstrate rigor, Researchers’ action often intertwine with Finding presentation in 10 distinct patterns. Of these, six patterns (three congruent and three metaphorical) are responsible for construing consequential relation between the categories; four patterns (two congruent and two metaphorical) are responsible for construing proving relation between the categories. The congruent and incongruent patterns are different subtly: the logical relations in the congruent patterns tend to be simple and vague, whereas metaphorical patterns significantly enrich and clarify the relation by using material verbs, relational verbs, and prepositions. More importantly, the metaphorical patterns construe a more abstract scientific world than the congruent patterns do. The findings have implications for academic discourse research and pedagogical practice.