Reconciling efforts to understand engineering intellect: Research articles from linguistic perspective

Abstract

Biomedical engineering is a relatively new sub-discipline of engineering. However, this sub-discipline is particularly vital, focusing on improving human healthcare and treatment. Meanwhile, English research articles are increasingly used in advanced education as a means to disseminate and ratify knowledge. Therefore, the understanding of how biomedical engineering research articles are constructed will be beneficial for both students and practitioners in this sub-discipline. This study analyzes a set of the Methods section of biomedical engineering research articles written in English with the objective of elucidating what constitutes appropriate academic style of writing in this discipline and genre. The dataset representing the high quality journals in the field is analyzed, using Swales’ genre analysis (2004). The structural organization underlying the Methods section of biomedical engineering research articles is identified, consisting of a set of information elements organized in a particular pattern. The textual organization displays the unique and distintive nature of academic communication in this sub-discipline. In addition, the findings are pedagogically applicable, providing biomedical engineering graduates with the skills required in disseminating their knowledge and expertise in the academia, and alerting them to the existence of intellectual diversity. The study also demonstrates the role of linguistics to provide an intellectual and holistic understanding of biomedical engineering enterprise.