A Conceptual Framework for Enhancing Academic Research Writing: Integrating Context-Specific Guidance and Swale’s CARs Model

Jafar Paramboor, Ahmad Kamal Effendi Kamaruddin, Shafeeq Hussain Vazhathodi Al-Hudawi

Abstract


Academic research writing (ARW) is a complex, epistemic, and disciplinary practice fundamental to postgraduate scholarship. Despite its centrality in higher education, novice researchers (NRs) often face persistent challenges, including limited epistemological awareness, difficulties with disciplinary conventions, and inadequate pedagogical support. This study addresses these gaps by proposing a conceptual framework that integrates Swales’ Create a Research Space (CARS) model with context-specific guidance to enhance ARW instruction. A narrative review methodology was employed to synthesize research on four core domains: content, context, language and structure, and cognitive ability. These constituent characteristics were mapped against common difficulties experienced by NRs and aligned with pedagogical strategies for scaffolding academic writing. The findings underscore the need for inclusive and responsive writing instruction that supports epistemic development and academic identity formation. The framework offers practical implications for writing curriculum design, mentoring, and instructional interventions. It also lays the groundwork for future empirical research to test its efficacy across varied educational contexts.

Keywords


Academic Research Writing (ARW); epistemic conception; constituent characteristics; challenges; context-specific guidance; CARS Model; academic discourse community

Full Text:

FULL PDF

References


Akhtar, R., Hassan, H., Saidalvi, A., & Hussain, S. (2019). A systematic review of the challenges and solutions of ESL students’ academic writing. International Journal of Engineering and Advanced Technology, 8(5), 1169-1171.

Akhtar, R., Hassan, H., & Saidalvi, A. (2020). The effects of ESL student's attitude on academic writing apprehensions and academic writing challenges. International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation, 24(5), 5404-5412.

Archibald, A. (2014). Promoting academic literacy and language development. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 15, 14-23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2014.05.002

Badley, G. F. (2019). Post-academic writing: Human writing for human readers. Qualitative Inquiry, 25, 180-191. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800417736334

Badley, G. F. (2021). We must write dangerously. Qualitative Inquiry, 27(6), 716-722. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800420933306

Baptista, A., Frick, L., Holley, K., Remmik, M., Tesch, J., & Âkerlind, G. (2015). The Doctorate as an Original Contribution to Knowledge: Considering Relationships between Originality, Creativity, and Innovation. Frontline Learning Research, 3(3), 55-67.

Bartholomae, D. (2019). Writing on the margins: Essays on composition and teaching. Macmillan.

Bazerman, C. (2016). How genres evolve: The history of the experimental article in science. MIT Press.

Bazerman, C., & Prior, P. (2004). What writing does and how it does it: An introduction to analyzing texts and textual practices. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Bean, J. C. (2011). Engaging ideas: The professor's guide to integrating writing, critical thinking, and active learning in the classroom. Jossey-Bass.

Beaufort, A. (2017). College writing and beyond: A new framework for university writing instruction. Utah State University Press.

Benfield, J. R. (2007). Making a good impression in academic writing: An empirical study. Journal of Academic Language & Learning, 1(1), 12-20.

Benfield, J. R., & Feak, C. B. (2006). How authors can cope with the burden of English as an international language. Chest, 129(6), 1728-1730. https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.129.6.1728

Benfield, J. R., & Howard, K. (2000). The language of science: English vs. non-English. American Scientist, 88(2), 16.

Benvenuti, S. (2017). Pedagogy of peers: Cultivating writing retreats as communities of academic writing practice. South African Journal of Higher Education, 31(2), 89-107.

Bereiter, C., & Scardamalia, M. (1987). The psychology of written composition. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Bitchener, J. (2010). Writing an applied linguistics thesis or dissertation: A guide to presenting empirical research. Palgrave Macmillan.

Björk, L., & Räisänen, C. (1997). Academic writing: A university writing course. Lund: Studentlitteratur.

Boice, R. (1993). Procrastination and blocking: A novel, practical approach. Praeger.

Bolaji, M. H. (2018). The Emerging Erosion of Originality and Academic Writing Skills in Higher Education in Africa: The Boomerang Effects of Information Explosion. Godwin Murunga, (2), 34.

Browaeys, M. (2004). The role of epistemology in academic writing. Journal of Epistemological Studies, 7(2), 134-148.

Bruce, I. (2008). Academic Writing and Genre: A Systematic Analysis. London: Continuum.

Butler, J. (2006). Academic preparation in English. Journal of Education Policy, 21(3), 289-302.

Butler, J. (2009). Structural dynamics of academic paper writing. Journal of Academic Composition, 12(3), 204-219.

Canagarajah, A. S. (2013). Translingual practice: Global Englishes and cosmopolitan relations. Routledge.

Cantoral, E. M., & Suárez, S. M. E. (2019, December). Use of technologies for the production of texts with academic originality. In CEUR Workshop Proceedings (Vol. 2555).

Carter, M. (2019). Transformative learning in academic writing: A collaborative approach. Taylor & Francis.

Castillo-Martínez, I. M., & Ramírez-Montoya, M. S. (2021). Research competencies to develop academic reading and writing: A systematic literature review. In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 5, p. 576961). Frontiers Media SA.

Chahal, D. (2014). Enhancing the clarity of journal abstracts in psychology: The case for structure. Journal of Academic Writing, 34(3), 52-60.

Chang, K. S. (1998). Writing as a recursive and messy process and some implications for EFL writing classes. English Language & Literature Teaching, (4), 1-14.

Chauhan, P. (2022). Fundamentals of Academic Writing: A Literature Review. Journal of NELTA, 27(1-2), 161-180.

Cherkashin, E., Jaroongkhongdach, W., & Haas, C. (2009). Linguistic challenges in academic writing: A study of international students. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 5(2), 29-45.

Chute, R. (2009). The decline of academic writing in the digital age. Journal of Educational Technology, 22(3), 122-133.

Coates, R., Sturgeon, B., Bohannan, J., & Pasini, E. (2002). Language discrepancies and rejection rates in academic publishing. Language and Literature, 11(3), 31-44.

Coffin, C., Curry, M. J., Goodman, S., Hewings, A., Lillis, T. M., & Swann, J. (2003). Teaching academic writing: A toolkit for higher education. London: Routledge.

Donnelly, R. (2014). Academic writing practices: A diagnostic approach. Bloomsbury Academic.

Dwivedi, Y. K., Hughes, L., Cheung, C. M., Conboy, K., Duan, Y., Dubey, R., ... & Viglia, G. (2022). How to develop a quality research article and avoid a journal desk rejection. International Journal of Information Management, 62, 102426.

Engle, M. (2018). Transformative writing in the disciplines: Emerging perspectives on theory and practice. Journal of Writing Research, 10(1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.17239/jowr-2018.10.01.01

Evans, K. (2013). Pathways through writing blocks in the academic environment. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.

Ferguson, G. (2007). The global spread of English, scientific communication and ESP: Questions of equity, access and domain loss. AILA Review, 20, 5-20.

Flowerdew, J. (1999). Problems in writing for scholarly publication in English: The case of Hong Kong. Journal of Second Language Writing, 8(3), 243-264. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1060-3743(99)80116-7

Flowerdew, J. (2013). Discourse in English language education. Routledge.

Flowerdew, J., & Miller, L. (2018). Handbook of research on academic writing in the social sciences. Palgrave Macmillan.

Galbraith, D. (1999). Writing as a knowledge-constituting process. In D. Galbraith & M. Torrance (Eds.), Knowing what to write: Conceptual processes in text production (pp. 139-160). Amsterdam University Press.

Graff, G., & Birkenstein, C. (2010). They say / I say: The moves that matter in academic writing. W. W. Norton & Company.

Halpern, D. F., Hakel, M. D., & Halpern, D. F. (1998). Psychology at the turn of the millennium, Vol. 2: Social, developmental, and clinical perspectives. Psychology Press.

Hanim, N., Aripin, N., & Lin, N. M. (2020). Exploring the connection between critical thinking skills and academic writing. International Journal of Asian Social Science, 10(2), 118-128.

Haas, C. (2011). Challenges facing ESL students in academic writing. Studies in English Language Teaching, 4(1), 22-34.

Hayes, J. R., & Flower, L. S. (1986). Writing research and the writer. American psychologist, 41(10), 1106.

Hewings, A. (2006). A review of literature on English for Academic Purposes. Language Teaching Research, 10(2), 195-215.

Hyland, K. (2009). Academic Discourse: English in a Global Context. Continuum.

Hyland, K. (2012). Disciplinary Identities: Individuality and community in academic discourse. Cambridge University Press.

Hyland, K. (2015). Academic Publishing: Issues and challenges in the construction of knowledge. Oxford University Press.

Hyland, K. (2016). Methods and methodologies in second language writing research. System, 59, 116-125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2016.05.002

Inesta, E. (2012). Challenges in the academic writing process. Journal of Academic Writing, 12(1), 45-58.

Inesta, E. (2012). Discourse synthesis and academic argumentation: Challenges in the management of discourse markers. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 11(4), 254-267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2012.05.002

Jeyaraj, J. J. (2018). It’s a jungle out there: Challenges in postgraduate research writing. GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 18(1), 22–37. https://doi.org/10.17576/gema-2018-1801-02

Jaroongkhongdach, W., Todd, R., Keyuravong, S., & Hall, D. (2012). Challenges in the knowledge transformation process: The case of Thai studies. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 11(2), 112-124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2011.12.005

Kamler, B. (2008). Rethinking doctoral publication practices: Writing from and beyond the thesis. Studies in Higher Education, 33(3), 283-294. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075070802049236

Kanoksilapatham, B. (2007). Rhetorical moves in biochemistry research articles. Discourse Studies, 9(6), 723-751. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461445607082582

King, P. M., & Kitchener, K. S. (2004). Reflective judgment: Theory and research on the development of epistemic assumptions through adulthood. Educational Psychologist, 39(1), 5-18. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep3901_2

Klingner, J. K., Vaughn, S., & Schumm, J. S. (2005). Case studies in research methodology. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Kuszyk-Bytniewska, M. (2020). Neutrality and engagement in science. ACADEMIA. The magazine of the Polish Academy of Sciences, 10-13.

Lassig, C. J., & Lincoln, M. E. (2009). Strategies for academic writing: A guide for college students. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge University Press.

Lee, A. (2014). Customized learning: Tailoring pedagogical strategies to the needs of individual students. Journal of Higher Education, 85(5), 701-723. https://doi.org/10.1353/jhe.2014.0021

Lee, A., & Boud, D. (2010). Framing doctoral education as practice: Challenges and prospects. Studies in Higher Education, 35(4), 469-484. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075070903062876

Leki, I. (2011). Academic writing: Exploring processes and strategies. Cambridge University Press.

Lewin, T. (2008). Language as a barrier to academic success. Education Quarterly, 15(4), 289-304.

Lillis, T., & Curry, M. J. (2010). Academic writing in a global context: The politics and practices of publishing in English. Routledge.

Lim, W. M., & Koay, K. Y. (2024). So you want to publish in a premier journal? An illustrative guide on how to develop and write a quantitative research paper for premier journals. Global Business and Organizational Excellence.

Lonka, K. (2003). Helping doctoral students to finish their theses. Teaching in Higher Education, 8(3), 317-333. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562510309399

Lonka, K., Pyhältö, K., & Stubb, J. (2014). Engaging learning environments for the study of research on learning. Educational Psychology, 34(5), 597-610. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2013.785045

Lonka, K., Pyhältö, K., & Stubb, J. (2014). Understanding academic engagement: Towards a more comprehensive approach. Studies in Higher Education, 39(6), 1015-1031. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2012.683167

Mauranen, A. (1999). Cultural differences in academic rhetoric. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.

McMillan, K., & Weyers, J. D. (2012). How to improve your academic writing. Pearson Education.

Menary, R. (2007). Writing as thinking. Language Sciences, 29(5), 621-632. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langsci.2007.01.005

Milovanović, P., Stolić, D., & Pekmezović, T. (2023). Writing PhD thesis in English: importance, challenges, and thesis originality. Medicinska istraživanja, 56(2), 43-48.

Min, L. H., Teh, K. S. M., & Kor, L. K. (n.d.). Structural problems in academic writing: A study of Malaysian postgraduate students. Journal of English for Academic Purposes.

Min, L. H., & Mohamed, A. R. (2015). Exploring the Research Culture in an Educational Faculty in Malaysia. Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities, 23(4).

Murray, R. (2013). Writing for academic journals. Open University Press.

Mutimani, M. M. (2016). Academic writing in English: Challenges experienced by Bachelor of Education primary level students at the University of Namibia, Katima Mulilo campus (Doctoral dissertation, University of Namibia).

Olsson, E. M., Gelot, L., Karlsson Schaffer, J., & Litsegård, A. (2024). Teaching academic literacies in international relations: Towards a pedagogy of practice. Teaching in Higher Education, 29(2), 471-488.

Overholser, J. C. (2010). Elements of effective academic writing. American Psychologist, 65(2), 128-138. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0016717

Overholser, J. C. (2011). Bridging the gap between theory and practice in academic writing. Journal of Effective Teaching, 11(2), 47-60.

Paltridge, B. (2013). Discourse Analysis: An Introduction. Bloomsbury Academic.

Patriotta, G. (2017). Crafting papers for publication: Novelty and convention in academic writing. Journal of Management Studies, 54(5), 747-759.

Paré, A. (2010). Slow the presses: Concerns about premature publication. Canadian Journal of Communication, 35(2), 367-374.

Peacock, M. (2011). The structure of the methods section in research articles across eight disciplines. Asian ESP Journal, 7(2), 97-124.

Peng, Y., & Azmi, N. A. A. B. (2022). Noun Phrase Complexity in Academic Writing: A Comparison of Research Proposals Written by Chinese EFL and Malaysian ESL Postgraduates. English Language Teaching, 15(5), 77-83.

Perpignan, H., Rubin, B., & Katznelson, H. (2007). Understanding and overcoming the challenges of effective academic writing in higher education. Journal of Academic Writing, 17(3), 45-58.

Prilutskaya, M., & Knoph, R. (2020). Research on three L2 writing conditions: Students’ perceptions and use of background languages when writing in English. Cogent Education, 7(1), 1832179.

Rashid, M. H., Ye, T., Hui, W., Li, W., & Shunting, W. (2022). Analyse and challenges of teaching writing among the English teachers. Linguistics and Culture Review, 6(S2), 199-209.

Ruiying, Y., & Allison, D. (2003). Research articles in applied linguistics: Moving from results to conclusions. English for Specific Purposes, 22(4), 365-385. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0889-4906(02)00026-1

Russell, D. R., & Cortés, V. (2012). Understanding academic discourse. In K. Hyland & M. Sancho Guinda (Eds.), Stance and voice in written academic genres (pp. 19-31). Palgrave Macmillan.

Samraj, B. (2002). Introductions in research articles: Variations across disciplines. English for Specific Purposes, 21(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0889-4906(00)00023-5

Sargunan, R., & Nambiar, R. (2011). Enhancing the quality of academic writing: An overview of challenges and strategies. Journal of Academic Language and Learning, 5(2), A88-A94.

Schnotz, W., & Pass, F. (2009). Cognitive load in reading a foreign language text with multimedia aids and the influence of verbal and spatial abilities. Computers in Human Behavior, 25(3), 675-682. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2009.01.001

Shah, J., Shah, A., & Pietrobon, R. (2009). Scientific writing of novice researchers: What difficulties and encouragements do they encounter? Academic Medicine, 84(4), 511-516. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0b013e31819a8c3c

Shannon, T. (2011). Synthesizing research: A guide for literature reviews. SAGE Publications.

Shepard, C., & Rose, H. (2023). English medium higher education in Hong Kong: linguistic challenges of local and non-local students. Language and Education, 37(6), 788–805. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2023.2240571

Singh, M. K. M. (2019). International graduate students’ academic writing practices in Malaysia: Challenges and solutions. Journal of International Students, 5(1), 12-22.

Singh, M. K. M. (2019). Academic reading and writing challenges among international EFL Master’s students in a Malaysian university: The voice of lecturers. Journal of International Students, 9(4), 972-992.

Smith, S., & Deane, M. (2014). Developing academic literacy in tertiary education: A longitudinal study. Assessing Writing, 22, 11-27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2014.05.002

Starfield, S. (2015). The Handbook of English for Specific Purposes. Wiley-Blackwell.

Steup, M. (2014). Epistemology. In E. N. Zalta (Ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2014 Edition). Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/epistemology/

Strobl, C., Ailhaud, E., Benetos, K., Devitt, A., Kruse, O., Proske, A., & Rapp, C. (2019). Digital support for academic writing: A review of technologies and pedagogies. Computers & education, 131, 33-48.

Șuteu, C. (2022). The assessment of originality in academic research. Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai-Musica, 67(1), 165-173.

Swales, J. M. (1990). Genre analysis: English in academic and research settings. Cambridge University Press.

Swales, J. M. (2004). Research genres: Explorations and applications. Cambridge University Press.

Swales, J. M. (2016). Reflections on the concept of discourse community. ASp, la revue du GERAS, 69, 7-19. https://doi.org/10.4000/asp.4834

Sweller, J. (2005). Implications of cognitive load theory for multimedia learning. In R. E. Mayer (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning (pp. 19-30). Cambridge University Press.

Tahıra, M., & Haıder, G. (2019). The role of critical thinking in academic writing: An investigation of EFL students’ perceptions and writing experiences. International Online Journal of Primary Education, 8(1), 1-30.

Thomson, P., & Kamler, B. (2007). The failure of dissertation advice books: Toward alternative pedagogies for doctoral writing. Educational Researcher, 36(8), 507-514. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X07327390

Trudy, M., Anderson, H., & Samson, P. (2011). The impact of informal language on academic writing. Journal of English Linguistics, 39(2), 110-130.

Vahed, A., Ross, A., Francis, S., Millar, B., Mtapuri, O., & Searle, R. (2018). Research as transformation and transformation as research. Spaces, journeys and new horizons for postgraduate supervision, 12, 317.

Van Merriënboer, J. J. G., & Sweller, J. (2005). Cognitive load theory and complex learning: Recent developments and future directions. Educational Psychology Review, 17(2), 147-177. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-005-3951-0

Vasconcelos, S. (2006). Researchers' writing competence: A bottleneck in the publication of Latin-American science? EMBO Reports, 7(6), 593-596. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.embor.7400710

Wang, J., & Bekken, J. T. (2003). Linguistic complexity and its relation to the structure of scientific knowledge. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 2(1), 37-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1475-1585(02)00037-9

Wilmot, K., & McKenna, S. (2018). Writing groups as transformative spaces. Higher Education Research & Development, 37(4), 868-882.

Wingate, U. (2012). 'Argument!' helping students understand what essay writing is about. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 11(2), 145-154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2011.11.001

Wingate, U. (2017). Academic literacy and student diversity: The case for inclusive practice. Multilingual Matters.

Zamel, V. (1982). Writing: The process of discovering meaning. TESOL quarterly, 16(2), 195-209.

Zhu, W. (2004). Faculty views on the importance of writing, the nature of academic writing, and teaching and responding to writing in the disciplines. Journal of second language Writing, 13(1), 29-48.

Zuckermann, T., Rubin, B., & Perpingan, H. (2011). The impact of language transition from high school to university on student academic performance. Journal of Language and Education, 7(1), 233-248.

Zubaidi, S. & Richards, C. (2010). Bridging the language gap: A study of Malaysian university students' tasks. Journal of Educational Research, 103(4), 285-298.

Zubaidi, S. (2012). Second language writing anxiety: Cause or effect? Malaysian Journal of ELT Research, 8(1), 59-82.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.33394/jollt.v13i2.13579

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2025 Jafar Paramboor, Ahmad Kamal Effendi Kamaruddin, Shafeeq Hussain Vazhathodi Al-Hudawi

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

JOLLT Journal of Languages and Language Teaching (p-issn: 2338-0810 | e-issn: 2621-1378) has been Indexed/Listed by

 Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.