Mapping Thematic And Paradigmatic Trends In Algerian Metadiscourse Research: A Scoping Review
Keywords:
metadiscourse, corpus-analysis, scoping review, Algeria, methodologyAbstract
The global conversation on metadiscourse continues to expand, yet Algerian contributions to this discussion remain conspicuously absent. The present scoping review aims to map current patterns, highlight methodological practices, and contribute to setting future research priorities for Algerian metadiscourse research. To this end, the study analysed 30 studies, published between 2014 and 2024 and retrieved from ten local and international databases. The main findings indicated a surge in the literature since 2020, with restricted linguistic and disciplinary orientations. Markedly, the investigations centered on the analysis of English language within the field of applied linguistics. Academic written genres, especially specific sections of student-authored works, formed the main corpus of analysis. The review also highlighted the active involvement of early-career authors and the relative representation of gender-based studies. Of central concern, the majority of studies were found to be published within non-indexed, unclassified journals, contributing to limited international exposure. Methodologically, the mixed-methods approach was commonly employed with considerable variations in corpus size. As expected, Hyland’s model (2005) served as the principal analytical taxonomy. These results collectively point to several issues that will be discussed, along with proposing possible avenues for future metadiscourse scholarship in Algeria.
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