Talking to the academy forms of hedging in science research articles

Abstract

Hedging refers to linguistic strategies that qualify categorical commitment to express possibility rather than certainly. In scientific writing, hedging is central to effective argument: Hedging is arhetoricalmeansofgainingreaderacceptanceofclaims,allowing writers to convey their attitude to the truthof their statements and to anticipate possible objections. Because hedges allow writers to express claims with precision, caution, and modesty, they are a significant resource for academics. However, little is known about the way hedging is typically expressed in particular domains or the particular functions it serves in different genres. This article identifies the major forms, functions, and distribution of hedges in a corpus of 26 molecular biology research articles and describes the importance of hedging in this genre. © 1996 Sage Publications, Inc.