New Digital Genres to Summarize Medical Research: Implications for ESP Teaching
摘要
The number of digital genres used by researchers to communicate their findings has increased considerably in recent decades (Luzón & Pérez-Llantada, 2022). Medical journals, in particular, have incorporated a wide variety of summary genres designed to summarize published research, attract attention, and enhance accessibility for diverse audiences. Some of these genres employ various semiotic resources (e.g., visual abstracts, video abstracts), while others rely primarily on language (e.g., lay summaries, impact statements). Yet all differ in some way from traditional abstracts, whether in their use of semiotic resources, communicative purpose, content focus, or target audience. The purpose of this study is to map the repertoire of summary genres in online medical journals. To achieve this, the websites of four medical journals (The Lancet, NEJM, JAMA, and The BMJ) were analyzed. Additionally, journal documents related to these genres (e.g., author guidelines) were collected and analyzed using content analysis to gather information on key aspects of each genre, including its purpose, intended audience, producers, and discourse features. The findings of this analysis have implications for teaching ESP to medical students.