Data Commentary in Research Publications: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Introduction: The modality of scholarly written communication offers verbal and visual modes that are supposedly to be interrelated. The verbal component is thoroughly studied whereas the visual, including tables, charts, graphs and others are mainly described from a technical perspective. The editorial review aims to synthesize research on data commentary as a comparatively new rhetorical genre. Method: The review adhered to the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews, and the PPC framework. The eligibility criteria include problem, concept, context, language, types of sources, databases (Scopus, SpringerLink). The time range of the search was subject to availability of indexed publications. Results: The searches and consequent screening by titles, abstracts, keywords and full texts identified 19 relevant publications. The books on academic writing focused on the three themes: general guidelines on data commentary, functions, and rhetorical structure of such commentaries, figure legends and notes to tables. The functional analysis of the publications singled out a prevailing framework, including rhetorical, ontological, epistemological, and argumentative functions. The rhetorical steps in data commentaries follow patterns suitable for the type of a visual. The review outlines generic steps described and proved by the research publications included in the review. Conclusion: Though the research field is scattered, and no definite trends were specified, the potential of the field is rising as the implications of such studies are significant. A constant trend towards more visualization of the new knowledge requires more research on the interrelations between the verbal and the visual, with a special accent on data commentary.