The Scientist and the Construction of Scientific Knowledge: Aspects of Evidentiality in Negotiating Knowledge Claims in Scientific Research Articles

Abstract

Contrary to traditional beliefs of scientific writing as a simple presentation of cold hard facts, recent research by sociologists of science and linguists have shown that scientific writing takes place within specific social contexts and is determined by the social systems which shape the scientists themselves and their perceptions of the world. Looking at the scientific research article (SRA) as a genuine representation of the ideology of science, the present paper argues that through the research article, the scientist-writer makes public the results of a scientific investigation to fellow scientists, who can either accept or reject the validity of this new information. Since new research findings are potentially face threatening to other researchers, the scientist-writer presents them through knowledge claims, which are carefully worded for the purpose of mitigating such face threatening acts. Using discussion sections of SRAs, the present paper examines how in the SRA, knowledge claims are negotiated by examining the semantic/pragmatic concept of evidentiality (especially categories of certainty or doubt) in the presentation of these knowledge claims. The study finds evidence of four main markers of evidentiality personal forms, reporting verbs, modification of certainty, and apology markers. Since evidentiality is an interpersonal function of language, its presence in the SRA indicates that far from being a mere presentation of cold hard facts, scientific writing is highly interactive, and it is this interaction that makes it a highly persuasive genre.


Review of Southern African Studies Volume 3 No. 2 December 1999, pp. 103-125