Rhetorical Convention and Artful Persuasions in RAD: A Comparative Study between Applied Linguistics and Literature

Abstract

Academic struggles in employing rhetorical convention and persuasive strategies in RAD affect the quality of articles in international journals. However, non-native English literature authors might struggle to produce impactful findings and interpretations in their RAD. The study compares rhetorical conventions and persuasive strategies in RAD between international applied linguistics journals and Indonesian literature publications, analyzing 15 articles from each group (2022-2023). Beforehand, 20% of articles were co-coded, ensuring reliability using Cohen's Kappa coefficient. Results, adhering to Kanoksilapatham's standard (2005), follow Creswell's (2014) recommended systematic analysis steps. Drawing on qualitative content analysis, the findings showed that authors in applied linguistics demonstrate higher consistency in using obligatory conventions, while authors in literature display variations and prefer conventional conventions, potentially influenced by the professional knowledge and skills required for crafting standard RAD. Both authors in applied linguistics and literature journal tend to be minimal in using persuasive strategies. Academic difficulties in employing rhetorical conventions and persuasive strategies in RAD may impact international journal article quality, especially for non-native English literature authors. Recommending targeted training and support for these authors, alongside integrating literary aspects into curricula, can improve publication quality.