Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics ISSN: 2707-756X DOI: 10.32996/jeltal Journal Homepage: www.al-kindipublisher.com/index.php/jeltal JELTAL AL-KINDI CENTER FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Copyright: © 2022 the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Published by Al-Kindi Centre for Research and Development, London, United Kingdom. Page | 11 | RESEARCH ARTICLE Functions of Citation in the Literature Review Section of MPhil Theses RITA AKELE TWUMASI 1 ✉ and JOSEPH BENJAMIN ARCHIBALD AFFUL 2 1 Department of Communication Studies, Faculty of Art University of Cape Coast, Ghana 2 Department of English, Faculty of Arts University of Cape Coast, Ghana Corresponding Author: RITA AKELE TWUMASI, E-mail: rakeletwumasi@ucc.edu.gh | ABSTRACT Citations constitute a necessary requirement in academic writing since a text is always in dialogue with other texts. The present study aims to examine the rhetorical functions of citation in the literature review section of thirty (30) MPhil theses purposely selected from the disciplines of English and Curriculum Studies at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. Interview data obtained from six lecturers and four graduate students from the two disciplines served as supplementary data to the textual data. The study adopted a combined analytical framework of Petric (2005) and Thompson and Tribble’s (2001) classification of citation functions. In terms of the functions of citation, a key finding of the study was that English theses favoured exemplification, establishing links, evaluation, and application. However, Curriculum Studies used attribution, origin, and double attribution. Other functions revealed in the interview included showing awareness of what is going on in the field of research and giving stature to a person’s work. These findings contribute to the growing literature on citation practices, learners’ academic writing, and disciplinary variation. Pedagogically, the study expresses the need for lecturers of Research Methods and theses supervisors to socialize learners into the best citation practices of their disciplinary communities. | KEYWORDS Academic writing, citation practices, citation functions, literature review, MPhil thesis | ARTICLE DOI: 10.32996/jeltal.2022.4.2.2 1. Introduction Academic discourse refers to the ways of thinking and using language which exist in the academy (Hyland, 2009). In other words, academic discourse centres on the use of language in academia and how members of that community process their thoughts. Hyland (1999) asserts that academic discourse does not only function as a tool to convey one’s thoughts but also to influence one’s formation of social identity, values, and world knowledge. Duff (2010) adds that academic discourse is usually connected with specific disciplines or professional areas and is embodied both in texts and in other modes of interaction and representation. Besides, it is normally found within academic communities such as school or university programs and classrooms. Thus, academic discourse is a complex representation of knowledge, authority, and identity that comprises language(s), ideologies, and other semiotic or symbolic resources, often displayed in texts, but one that has strong social, cultural, institutional, and historical foundations and functions (Leki, 2007). Indeed, Hyland (2006, p. 38) opines, “knowledge produced by the academy is cast largely in written language, spoken genres such as lectures, seminars, peer discussions and conference presentations across disciplines”. Academic discourse is grouped into spoken and written genres. Duff (2010) posits that oral academic discourse is normally much more spontaneous and public than written discourse, the latter often produced in relative isolation by a writer (student, professor) —although with a great deal of social, academic experience leading up to the writing - and then submitted to someone else for private assessment or comment. With regard to written academic discourse, Connor (1991) argues that writing is interaction within a discipline-specific discourse community that involves more than the generation, translation, and organization of ideas. Writing in an academic community is influenced by the beliefs, values, and norms of various disciplines. Ideas have to meet the demands and standards of the academic