EXPLORING THE USAGE OF METADISCOURSE IN A RESEARCH PROPOSALWRITTEN BY HONOURS STUDENTS FROM A SELECTED UNIVERSITY

Abstract

Academic writing is not only about presenting information and research findings but also about guiding readers through arguments and engaging them in the text. One important linguistic resource that helps writers achieve this is Metadiscourse. Hence, this paper explored the usage of Metadiscourse in research proposals by university students.  Both qualitative and quantitative design methods were used. The students’ proposals served as a data-collection instrument. The participants were 10 university students. The results show that the students used both interactive and interactional Metadiscourse in their research proposals to guide readers through their arguments and enhance overall clarity. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of Metadiscourse in academic writing, particularly in research proposals, as a means to facilitate understanding and foster connections between the writer and the reader.