Exposing gaps in niche establishment research: A scoping review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22437/proca.v1i3.50612Keywords:
Academic Writing, Indicating A Gap, Niche Establishment, Scoping ReviewAbstract
Research on niche establishment continues to yield new insights into how authors construct the introduction section of research articles. However, previous studies on this topic vary widely in scope and focus, creating a fragmented understanding of how rhetorical styles in niche establishment are developed across different contexts. Consequently, the objective of this paper is to unveil critical gaps in the existing literature to direct the trajectory of future research. This study was designed as a qualitative scoping review utilizing the SPIDER framework (Sample, Phenomenon of Interest, Design, Evaluation, and Research Type). A systematic search of academic databases for articles published between 2016 and 2025 resulted in the selection of 14 articles for review. The analysis reveals a significant dominance of studies focusing on local EFL authors within the discipline of Language and Linguistics, predominantly utilizing Swales’ CARS model within a qualitative paradigm. Conversely, there is a notable scarcity of research examining international authors, hard science disciplines (STEM), or employing quantitative approaches. The study concludes that while Indicating a Gap is universally critical, future research must expand beyond the current disciplinary silo to investigate underrepresented fields and adopt more frameworks to fully capture the complexities of academic argumentation.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Ade Hidayat, Yosi Marita, Desti Ariani
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