How early-career researchers use citations to build arguments in their literature reviews?

This study investigates the role of citations in constructing academic arguments within the literature reviews of early-career graduate students in Canada. A qualitative content analysis of the literature reviews of the six published articles in the Canadian Journal for New Scholars in Education was conducted to explore citation practices and patterns. The findings of this study highlighted that citation moves are instrumental in constructing well-developed arguments in academic writing, early-career academic writers often struggle to incorporate counterarguments in their citation practices. While the inclusion of rebuttals significantly enhances the persuasiveness and quality of arguments, literature reviews can still be persuasive in the absence of rebuttals. By providing insights into how citations function within literature reviews, this study offers recommendations for improving citation practices and supporting graduate students in developing their academic writing skills.