Move analysis of abstracts from a diachronic perspective

Since Swales definition of genres as social actions characterized by rhetorical purposes, move analysis has been widely considered part of genre analysis. Most famous are Swales CARS-model of introductions of research articles (Swales 1990, revised in Swales 2004) and Bhatia’s move analysis of sales letters (Bhatia 1998), based upon the AIDA-model advocated by the practitioners in the discourse community of sales communication. Skulstad (1996), Gillaerts (1996, 2003), among others, have followed Bhatia in applying move analysis to business genres, like the chairman’s statement in annual reports and letters of application. Recently, De Groot (2008; see also Nickerson/De Groot 2005 for CEO’s letters) has incorporated move analysis in a wider genre analysis of annual reports, more specifically of management statements, corporate profiles and operational reviews.