Journal of Business and Technical Communication Apr 2023

Genre and Metagenre in Biomedical Research Writing

Chad Wickman Auburn University

Abstract

The use of reporting guidelines is an established yet still-evolving practice in the field of biomedicine. These documents are often linked to common methodologies (e.g., randomized clinical trials); they include multiple textual artifacts (e.g., checklists, flow diagrams) and have a history that is coextensive with the emergence and ongoing development of evidence-based medicine (e.g., as an epistemological orientation to research and decision making). Drawing on the concept of metagenre, this article examines how practitioners use reporting guidelines to define and regulate the boundaries of biomedical research and writing activity. The analysis, focusing on one prominent set of guidelines, shows how practitioners use the genre–metagenre dynamic to promote strategic intervention while upholding traditional principles and standards for evidence-based research and communication.

Journal
Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Published
2023-04-01
DOI
10.1177/10506519221143113
CompPile
Open Access
Closed
Topics
Export
BibTeX RIS

Citation context

Cited by in this index (5)

  1. Pérez-Llantada et al. (2025)
    Women Scientists’ Digitally Mediated Activity, Genres and Digital Tools: A Cros…
    Written Communication
  2. Wickman (2025)
    Emerging Perspectives in Medical Case Report Writing: How Guidelines Support In…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  3. Falconer (2024)
    The Discursive Boundary Work of Recontextualizing Science for Policy: Opening t…
    Written Communication
  4. Doody (2024)
    Navigating Genres in Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Doctoral Programs
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  5. Sabaj et al. (2023)
    “The Basis of Aaaalll of Our Program!” The Start-Up Chile Playbook as Metagenre
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication

References (81) · 16 in this index

  1. 10.1136/bmj.330.7499.1056
     ↗
  2. 10.7326/0003-4819-134-8-200104170-00012
     ↗
  3. 10.1177/0141076815625599
     ↗
  4. Author Submission Guidelines. (n.d.) PLoS . https://journals.plos…
  5. 10.2307/378935
     ↗
Show all 81 →
  1. Bazerman C. (1988)
    Shaping written knowledge: The genre and activity of the experimental article in science
  2. 10.1001/jama.1996.03540080059030
     ↗
  3. BERKENKOTTER (2001)
    Genre Systems at Work: DSM-IV and Rhetorical Recontextualization in Psychothera…
    Written Communication
  4. Berkenkotter C. (2008)
    Advances in discourse studies
  5. Berkenkotter C. (1995)
    Genre knowledge in disciplinary communication: Cognition/Culture/Power
  6. 10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.12.007
     ↗
  7. 10.1177/0306312709334640
     ↗
  8. Carter (2007)
    Ways of Knowing, Doing, and Writing in the Disciplines
    College Composition and Communication
  9. 10.1177/0011000006287390
     ↗
  10. 10.1080/02691720802559412
     ↗
  11. 10.7208/chicago/9780226345987.001.0001
     ↗
  12. Devitt A. J. (2020)
    Genre in the climate debate
  13. 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31592-6
     ↗
  14. 10.37514/INT-B.2021.1343.2.06
     ↗
  15. Ezpeleta Piorno P. (2012)
    Panace@
  16. Fernandez A. (2015)
    Health Research Policy and Systems
  17. 10.1056/NEJMra1614394
     ↗
  18. Frith (2020)
    Technical Standards and a Theory of Writing as Infrastructure
    Written Communication
  19. GEISLER (2001)
    Textual Objects: Accounting for the Role of Texts in the Everyday Life of Compl…
    Written Communication
  20. Giltrow J. (1998). Meta-genre [Paper presentation]. 2nd Internati…
  21. Giltrow J. (2002)
    The rhetoric and ideology of genre: Strategies for stability and change
  22. 10.26818/9780814214534
     ↗
  23. 10.1353/pbm.2005.0092
     ↗
  24. 10.1001/jama.1992.03490170092032
     ↗
  25. Guyatt G. H. (1991)
    American College of Physicians Journal Club
  26. History . (n.d.) https://www.consort-statement.org/about-consort/history
  27. Hopewell S. (2008)
    Trials
  28. 10.1007/978-3-319-52677-5_188-1
     ↗
  29. 10.1136/bmj.n1793
     ↗
  30. Impact of CONSORT . (n.d.) https://www.consort-statement.org/about-consort/impact-of-consort
  31. Information for Authors. (2022, August). The Lancet . https://www…
  32. Instructions for Authors. (n.d.). JAMA . https://jamanetwork.com/…
  33. 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60742-5
     ↗
  34. Lauer (1984)
    Composition studies: Dappled discipline
    Rhetoric Review
  35. Lindenman H. (2015)
    Composition Forum
  36. 10.1075/pbns.308
     ↗
  37. MacNealy (1997)
    Toward better case study research
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  38. Malički M. (2021)
    Nature Communications
  39. 10.1075/pbns.188.05mau
     ↗
  40. 10.1001/jama.2020.4689
     ↗
  41. McNely (2017)
    Moments and Metagenres: Coordinating Complex, Multigenre Narratives
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  42. Mehlenbacher (2019)
    Registered Reports: Genre Evolution and the Research Article
    Written Communication
  43. Mehlenbacher A.
    Science communication online: Engaging experts and publics on the Internet
  44. 10.1016/S0889-8588(05)70309-9
     ↗
  45. 10.2307/375964
     ↗
  46. 10.1080/00335638409383686
     ↗
  47. 10.1016/j.ijsu.2011.10.001
     ↗
  48. 10.1016/S0140-6736(00)04337-3
     ↗
  49. Moher D. (2010)
    PLoS
  50. Moriarty et al. (2019)
    Durable Research, Portable Findings: Rhetorical Methods in Case Study Research
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  51. 10.1001/jama.2021.9941
     ↗
  52. Page M. J. (2021)
    BMJ
  53. Pantelides K. (2015). Metagenre on the WPA-L: Transitional threads as nexus for micro/macro-level discourse o…
  54. 10.1017/9781108870528
     ↗
  55. Read (2019)
    The Infrastructural Function: A Relational Theory of Infrastructure for Writing…
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  56. 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112488
     ↗
  57. RUSSELL (1997)
    Rethinking Genre in School and Society: An Activity Theory Analysis
    Written Communication
  58. 10.1016/S0146-0005(97)80013-4
     ↗
  59. 10.1136/bmj.312.7023.71
     ↗
  60. SCHRYER (1993)
    Records as Genre
    Written Communication
  61. Schryer et al. (2005)
    Genre Theory, Health-Care Discourse, and Professional Identity Formation
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  62. Schulz K. F. (2010)
    BMJ
  63. 10.1145/1026533.1026560
     ↗
  64. 10.1001/jama.1994.03520240054041
     ↗
  65. Starke-Meyerring D. (2014)
    Journal of Academic Language & Learning
  66. 10.2214/ajr.183.6.01831539
     ↗
  67. Teston (2009)
    A Grounded Investigation of Genred Guidelines in Cancer Care Deliberations
    Written Communication
  68. 10.7208/chicago/9780226450834.001.0001
     ↗
  69. Timmermans S. (2003)
    The gold standard: The challenge of evidence-based medicine and standardization in health care
  70. 10.1146/annurev.soc.012809.102629
     ↗
  71. Toulmin S. (1972)
    Human understanding
  72. Weedon et al. (2021)
    Embodied Genres, Typified Performances, and the Engineering Design Process
    Written Communication
  73. 10.1111/j.1468-0009.2007.00505.x
     ↗
  74. Wickman C. (2022)
    The Routledge handbook of scientific communication
  75. WINSOR (1999)
    Genre and Activity Systems: The Role of Documentation in Maintaining and Changi…
    Written Communication
  76. 10.7326/0003-4819-121-11-199412010-00015
     ↗
CrossRef global citation count: 9 View in citation network → Build reading path →

Related articles

  1. Prompt: A Journal of Academic Writing Assignments Aug 2026
    Employing Different Writing Tasks to Support Genre Awareness in a Nursing Writing Emphasis Course ↗
    Lateefah A. Collingwood; Aimee C. Mapes
    genre theory writing pedagogy empirical research multimodality
  2. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication Jun 2026
    Strategic CSR Communication: A Comparative Study of Legitimation in Chinese and American Energy Companies ↗
    Changhong Li; Yingqiu Wang
    rhetorical criticism genre theory discourse analysis empirical research
  3. Rhetoric & Public Affairs Jun 2024
    Rhetorical Leadership ↗
    Catherine L. Langford
    rhetorical criticism genre theory discourse analysis feminist rhetorics cultural rhetorics decolonial rhetorics graduate education argument empirical research qualitative research race and writing gender and writing disability studies public rhetoric affect and writing body and rhetoric editorial matter
  4. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly Mar 2024
    Comparative Analysis of Rhetorical Moves in Student and Professional Project Proposal Abstracts ↗
    Tatiana Permyakova; Dmitriy Tulyakov; Ekaterina Balezina
    rhetorical criticism genre theory writing pedagogy professional writing empirical research
  5. Writing Center Journal 2023
    How Genre-Trained Tutors Affect Student Writing and Perceptions of the Writing Center ↗
    Lucy Bryan Malenke, Laura K. Miller, Paul E. Mabrey III,; Jared Featherstone
    genre theory discourse analysis writing pedagogy writing centers peer tutoring empirical research affect and writing