Uniformity and diversity in research article introductions: Subdisciplinary variations in Applied Linguistics

While extensive research has explored the rhetorical structure of Applied Linguistics research article introductions (RAIs), little attention has been given to the uniformity and diversity of these introductions across its subdisciplines. To address this gap, by adopting an integrated qualitative-quantitative design this study analyzes the rhetorical features of 807 RAIs from six subdisciplines of Applied Linguistics: Psycholinguistics, English for Specific Purposes, English Language Teaching, Sociolinguistics, Language Assessment, and Language Educational Technology. The findings indicate that a shared framework of moves— Field Framing, Backgrounding, Research Problem, and Present Work—provides a general foundation for academic writing; however, the execution of the steps within these moves reveal significant field-specific adaptations. These findings illustrate how authors strategically align with the epistemological and discursive norms of their disciplinary communities. The findings have implications for understanding how knowledge is constructed and communicated in the subdisciplines of Applied Linguistics.