Written Communication Jan 1993

Arguing for Experimental “Facts” in Science: A Study of Research Article Results Sections in Biochemistry

DOROTHEA K. THOMPSON Pennsylvania State University

Abstract

Rhetorical studies on experimental research articles in science have focused predominantly on introductions and discussions. The contextual nature of Results sections—the empirical heart of a scientific article—remains largely unexplored, however. What is known about the content of these sections comes from prescriptive style guides, which define Results as purely expository, leaving the argumentation to other sections of the article. This study examines one eminent biochemist's publications over time and a sampling of current articles authored by other biochemists. Six rhetorical moves were identified: (a) justifications for methodological selections, (b) interpretations of experimental results, (c) evaluative comments on experimental data, (d) statements citing agreement with preestablished studies, (e) statements disclosing experimental discrepancies, and (f) statements admitting interpretive perplexities. This investigation demonstrates that biochemists explicitly argue for the validity of their experimental data by employing certain rhetorical moves. Moreover, the findings challenge the traditional lore that Results sections engage in only simple, factual reporting.

Journal
Written Communication
Published
1993-01-01
DOI
10.1177/0741088393010001004
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Open Access
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Topics
rhetorical criticism argument editorial matter
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (6)

  1. Zerbe et al. (2025)
    The Rhetoric of Science in (Times of) Crisis
    Rhetoric Society Quarterly
  2. Moran et al. (2012)
    A Bibliography of Works Published in the History of Professional Communication …
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  3. WINSOR (1998)
    Rhetorical Practices in Technical Work
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  4. HYLAND (1996)
    Talking to the Academy: Forms of Hedging in Science Research Articles
    Written Communication
  5. THACKER et al. (1995)
    Transmuting Common Substances: The Cold Fusion Controversy and the Rhetoric of …
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Show all 6 →
  1. Markel (1993)
    Induction, Social Constructionism, and the Form of the Science Paper
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

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CrossRef global citation count: 69 View in citation network → Build reading path →

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