Functions of Citation in the Literature Review Section of MPhil Theses

Abstract

Citations constitute a necessary requirement in academic writing since a text is always in dialogue with other texts. The present study aims to examine the rhetorical functions of citation in the literature review section of thirty (30) MPhil theses purposely selected from the disciplines of English and Curriculum Studies at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. Interview data obtained from six lecturers and four graduate students from the two disciplines served as supplementary data to the textual data. The study adopted a combined analytical framework of Petric (2005) and Thompson and Tribble’s (2001) classification of citation functions. In terms of the functions of citation, a key finding of the study was that English theses favoured exemplification, establishing links, evaluation, and application. However, Curriculum Studies used attribution, origin, and double attribution. Other functions revealed in the interview included showing awareness of what is going on in the field of research and giving stature to a person’s work. These findings contribute to the growing literature on citation practices, learners’ academic writing, and disciplinary variation. Pedagogically, the study expresses the need for lecturers of Research Methods and theses supervisors to socialize learners into the best citation practices of their disciplinary communities.