The Role of Modal Verbs in Research Papers in the Field of Logistics

Research papers, an essential vehicle for disseminating new knowledge and findings, have long been valued for their linguistic objectivity and impersonality. However, more recent approaches to research paper writing suggest that authors should also take an “argumentative position” (White, 2003) by projecting their stance and encouraging the readers to actively engage in the process of reading and evaluating the text (Hyland, 2005; Scollon, 1994). An important linguistic feature, frequently employed for both objective and subjective presentation of claims, is modality and within it modal verbs, which through their modal meanings express different communicative functions. In recognition of genre- and discipline-specific norms, the present paper will focus on quantitative and qualitative analysis of modal verbs and their meanings and functions in logistics research papers, whereby the ultimate goal is to show what practical implications the study’s results may have for the teaching of English to students of logistics.