A Comparison of Rhetorical Move Structure of Research Article Abstracts of Thai Scopus Journals and Top-Ranked Scopus Journals in Applied Linguistics and English Language Teaching

The purpose of this current study is to explore the move structure presented in abstracts of the research articles from Thai Scopus Journals (TSJ) and Top-Ranked Scopus Journals (TRSJ) in Applied Linguistics and English Language Teaching. Ninety abstracts were analyzed and separated equally between those two journals. The five-move framework established by Hyland (2000) was used to analyze the move pattern, showing different dominant patterns: I-P-M-Pr-C in Thai Scopus Journals and P-M-Pr-C in Top-Ranked Scopus Journals respectively. In Thai Scopus Journal, the results indicated that the introduction is optional, the conclusion, purpose, and method are considered conventional, and the product is obligatory. Similarly, in Top-Ranked Scopus Journals, the product is obligatory, while the purpose, method, and conclusion are conventional. These findings could offer practical insights into abstract structures and hold importance for educational purposes, offering guidance for the effective writing of abstracts in research articles.