Ms. Aisha Sultana, Research Scholar at the Centre for English Language Studies (CELS), University of Hyderabad, presented a research paper at the ALEA National Conference 2026, organised by the Australian Literacy Educators’ Association (ALEA) and held in Fremantle, Western Australia (9-12 July 2026)
Her paper, titled “Engagement in Research Article Conclusions: Exploring Dialogic Space Across Disciplines,” examined how conclusion sections in research articles from the Science and Technology and Social Science disciplines employ engagement resources within Martin and White’s (2005) Appraisal Framework. Through a mixed–method analysis of the conclusion sections of published research articles, the study explored how writers negotiate dialogic contraction and expansion while constructing knowledge claims and authorial stance.
The findings indicated that Science and Technology research articles tended to employ more contractive engagement resources, whereas Social Science articles demonstrated comparatively greater dialogic expansiveness. Rather than viewing these patterns as fixed disciplinary characteristics, the study considered how they may reflect disciplinary writing conventions that shape rhetorical positioning in research article conclusions.
The paper highlighted the pedagogical significance of making engagement resources explicit to novice academic writers and contributes to ongoing discussions on disciplinary literacy and Systemic Functional Linguistics-informed pedagogy by promoting greater awareness of disciplinary expectations and authorial voice in academic writing.
The conference provided an opportunity to engage with literacy educators, researchers, and teacher educators, receive scholarly feedback on the research, and participate in discussions on current developments in literacy and language education. The presentation also facilitated academic networking and the exchange of research ideas with participants from Australia and other countries.
Ms. Sultana’s participation at the ALEA National Conference reflects CEL’s continued commitment to promoting research excellence and encouraging scholarly engagement at academic forums beyond India.