(Re)voicing in academic writing: A study of reporting verbs in writing theses in hard sciences

Reporting verbs (Rverbs) play a crucial role in academic writing, and they are used quite differently across disciplines. This study aimed to showcase how engineering graduate students use Rverbs to establish an authorial voice in writing their PhD theses. Data were collected from 122 doctoral candidates in six engineering fields at PSG College of Technology. This cohort participated in a workshop on voicing and revoicing process in academic writing during which a survey was distributed to the attendants. The survey data was supplemented by a follow-up interview (n=12) for a better understanding of using Rverbs in engineering disciplinary writing. Findings revealed linguistic challenges related to syntactical and semantic structures. The participants stated that they use a limited set of Rverbs in writing their theses. Some of these verbs were overused while others were underutilised without awareness of the rhetorical functions of such verbs. The study indicates that Rverbs in the engineering genre are primarily employed to present information, reflecting a strong emphasis on objectivity, unlike soft sciences, which typically allow greater flexibility for authors to argue and engage critically with sources. Although this study focuses on engineering writing, it acknowledges a growing trend toward integrating hard and soft sciences through interdisciplinary approaches, which calls for reconciling Rverb practices across these fields.