Quantitative Analysis of Hedges Distribution across Scientific Article Sections (by the Material of the English Language)
The article considers the phenomenon of hedging as a means of scientific communication which allows the researcher to express his attitude to submitted information. The paper aims to reveal the principles of hedges distribution across scientific article sections. Scientific originality of the study lies in the fact that hedging in academic writing is still poorly investigated. Relying on the conducted quantitative analysis the author concludes that hedges are unequally distributed across scientific article sections, their frequency depends on section purpose. The maximum concentration of hedges is observed in “Discussion” section, because this section is most vulnerable to criticism. As a result, it is proved that hedging allows the researcher to reduce his responsibility for submitted information.