Journal of Research in Applied Linguistics

Journal of Research in Applied Linguistics

Value Arguments in the Introduction Sections of Medical Science Research Articles

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Article

Authors
Fatemeh Esmaili 1
Esmaeel Abdollahzadeh 2
Assef Khalili 1
Simin Sattarpour 1
Nasser Khodayari Shoti 1
1 Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
2 School of Education, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
10.22055/rals.2026.51375.3743
Abstract
This study explored how writers in medical sciences strategically employed value arguments in the introduction section of research articles. A total of 180 research articles, including 60 from each of the medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy disciplines, comprised the corpus for this study. The functional analysis mapped out the forms and functions of value arguments in the introduction section. We developed an extended version of Carter’s (2016) original framework of value arguments including an extension of semi-explicit value forms. Overall, the findings revealed that medical scientists actively employed a larger proportion of implicit value arguments. Most of these arguments appeared in functions which aim to establish the context of the study and highlight existing gaps in the literature. Furthermore, establishing a value-oriented context for the research and amplifying the previous value statement were primarily realized through semi-explicit value arguments, whereas intensifying the significance of the study gap function was predominantly realized through implicit value arguments. The results also indicated sub-disciplinary differences between medicine and pharmacy writers in their orientation toward 3xsemi-explicit value arguments. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the significance of value arguments and the intricate nature of sub-disciplinary practices and convention.
Keywords
Value Arguments
Introduction Section
Medical Sciences
Research Articles
Journal of Research in Applied Linguistics

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 14 August 2026