Uncovering global cohesion patterns in the introductory sections of Applied Linguistics researcharticles

Abstract This study aimed to investigate how expert writers achieve textuality in 740 research articles (RAs) in Applied Linguistics. The study first examined the writers’ currently-used links between ideas across paragraphs in the introductory sections of 240 research articles. Then, in the second phase, 500 RAs over three decades were compiled to trace the emergent trends of global cohesion in RA introductions. Content analysis explored patterns of cohesive devices and the extent to which professional RA authors create textuality. Results of the first phase demonstrated that cohesion across paragraphs was achieved through both single and multi-unit constructions, along with explicit and implicit ties. Subsequent to Repetition as the single dominant explicit device, over 30 percent of cohesion was established through the use of phrasal patterns. Moreover, the study revealed an increase in the use of implicit devices over the three decades. While adapting and refining Halliday and Hasan’s (1976) cohesion framework, this study offers pedagogical implications for early-career academic writers and writing instructors.