Positive Discourse Analysis of the Introduction of Economics Papers from the Perspective of Appraisal Theory

Economic academic discourse refers to the language used in economics research papers, academic conferences, and related literature to discuss and analyze economic theories, economic phenomena, and relevant economic policies. In recent years, research on economic academic discourse has become increasingly rich and diversified. Economic discourse in academic papers holds significant research value as it reflects economists’ attitudes and stances toward specific economic events or theories. Therefore, this study selected the introduction sections of twenty academic papers published in 2024 in internationally recognized core economics journals as the research corpus. Using tools such as UAM Corpus Tool, AntConc, and SPSS, the study aims to explore the attitudes and stances expressed in foreign economics papers regarding economic viewpoints. The results show that modal resources account for the highest proportion, while affective resources are used less frequently, reflecting the objectivity of scholars’ argumentation. Among engagement resources, dialogic contraction occurs more frequently, indicating the importance of consensus building in economic discourse. In terms of graduation resources, focus resources are more prevalent than force resources, revealing a tendency to express viewpoints using specific concepts. In addition, economists often enhance interaction and construct positive discourse by citing classical theories and employing inclusive language, highlighting the important role of economics introductions in promoting public understanding of economic theories and policies.