"This study has limitations as all studies do": Structuring the Limitations Section in ELT Master's Dissertations

Abstract

How research limitations are acknowledged can influence the perceived value of a study. However, limitation statements have received limited attention in EAP writing, especially in master’s dissertations, where student writers must navigate both genre conventions and the specific constraints they encountered during the research process. To fill this gap, this study aims to explore the discourse practices underlying the construction of the Limitations section in master’s dissertations. Based on a corpus containing 85 Limitations sections from exemplar dissertations recognized by the ELT Master’s Dissertation Award, this study examines the rhetorical structure, evaluative focus, and linguistic realization of this part-genre within the move analysis framework. The findings show that the Limitations section follows a five-move rhetorical structure that allows for variation, serving both reflective and persuasive purposes. Among the four evaluative focuses identified, limitations involving the evaluation of research design and analysis are the most frequently acknowledged, and this type of limitation is typically addressed using the most complex rhetorical strategies, allowing writers to justify, mitigate, or reframe their research constraints. The study also finds that transitions from limitation statements to other communicative functions are often marked by overt linguistic signals. These findings have pedagogical implications for EAP instruction, particularly in raising students’ genre awareness and offer suggestions for genre-based pedagogy.

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