Reporting Verbs in Academic Writing: A Case Study of MPhil Theses at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi Ghana

Abstract

This study analyzes the types of reporting verbs employed in the literature review chapters of Master of Philosophy theses from the Agriculture, English and Mathematics departments at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana. The mixed method technique was employed for data collection. Using both purposive and simple random sampling, forty-five (45) Master of Philosophy (MPhil) theses constituted the study’s dataset. Employing a descriptive, content, and inductive analysis, the study found that discourse act verbs, research act verbs, and cognitive acts verbs were all used in the literature review chapters of MPhil theses in Mathematics, English and Agriculture. Overall, it was observed that the verbs were employed in varying degrees and that reporting verb usage is a discourse-defined attribute, influenced by the idiosyncrasies of the discipline in question. The contribution of this study lies in the light it throws on the usefulness of reporting verbs in research works and how reporting verbs ought to be selected carefully. The study also contributes to the body of knowledge on academic discourse in general, and particularly on citation and reporting verbs in Africa. Finally, the study also has pedagogic implications since it highlights the need for more emphasis on the nuances of reporting verbs in teaching Research Methods to (post-graduate) students.

Keywords

• reporting verbs
• academic writing
• thesis
• genre