زهرا حنیفی

Research article abstracts are crucial for disseminating knowledge, yet variations in their structure across disciplines and publishing contexts may pose challenges for researchers. This study investigates the generic structure of abstracts in applied linguistics, accounting, and financial management in both local and international journals over the past decade to identify key similarities and differences. A corpus of ۶۰۰ abstracts (۳۰۰ local, ۳۰۰ international) was analyzed using frequency counts, standard residuals, and Chi-square tests to determine the prevalence and statistical significance of different structural elements. The findings reveal significant differences in abstract structure across disciplines and between local and international contexts. Local applied linguistics abstracts favor an I-P-M-R-C structure, while local accounting emphasizes P-M-R-C. International abstracts exhibit distinct patterns, with I-P-M-R-C, I-P-M-R, and I-P-M-C being more frequent in applied linguistics, while P-R-C, P-M-R, R, and P-R are more frequent in financial management. Abstract writing conventions vary significantly by discipline and publishing context. Researchers should tailor their abstracts to the specific expectations of their target journals to enhance publication success. This study provides practical insights for researchers and informs academic writing instruction.