Citation practices in graduate theses and dissertations: The case of English L1 and L2 writers

Abstract This study explored forms and functions of in-text citations in 40 graduate theses (20 MA and 20 Ph.D.) by English L1 and L2 writers of applied linguistics. The analyses revolved around examining the forms and functions of citations in the introduction, literature review, method, results, discussion, and conclusion (IMRDC) subgenres of the theses. The functional analysis led to the development of a citation framework reflecting various rhetorical purposes graduate writers pursued. It was typical of graduate texts to incorporate novel ways of academic referencing, such as citations with dual roles. Also, despite considerable similarities between MA theses by L1 and L2 groups, there existed significant differences in the frequency of citation forms and functions between MA and Ph.D. theses by English L1 and L2 writers. Pair-wise comparisons indicated heavier uses of integral citations in MA than in Ph.D. theses. The results can give insights into thesis writers’ source use practices and help thesis supervisors, academic writing instructors, and materials developers effectively translate their educational policies into disciplinary actions. Keywords: Applied Linguistics; Citation; Dissertations, Graduate Writers, Theses