Swales' CARS Model

Step 2

Swales' CARS Model of Research Introductions

Downs, Doug and Elizabeth Wardle eds. Writing about Writing: a College Reader. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2011. Print.

How can you use this process for the Chapter 1 Essay?

creating a research space

Move 2: Establishing a Niche

The author establishes that there is a need for this research, a "niche".

• Counter-claiming
• Indicating a Gap
• Question-raising
• Continuing a tradition (Downs 7-8)

Move 3: Occupying a Niche

Author establishes the "research space" - how he/she will go about counter claiming, questioning, etc.

Move 1: Establishing Territory

• Set the context
• Provide background

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

• Outline purposes
• Announce present research

(Downs 8)

• Announce key findings
• State how the article is organized

(Downs 8)

Author references

• research on the topic
• who is credited for the information (Downs 7)

Step 1

Author asks the discourse community to accept information as

• important
• interesting
• part of the discipline (Downs 6)

Author makes statements about

• current knowledge
• practices
• phenomena in the field (Downs 6)

Image by Tom Mooring