A Genre Analysis of Computer Reviews in PCMag.com

Abstract

The main objectives of the present study are 1) to investigate moves and steps in computer reviews in PCMag.com, 2) to explore the rhetorical pattern in computer reviews in PCMag.com and 3) to explore the lexical features in computer reviews with a particular focus on neologisms in PCMag.com.

Thirty computer reviews recently written and uploaded in PCMag.com are selected and analyzed based on genre analysis frameworks (Bhatia, 1993: Pollach 2006). Moreover, neologisms in computer reviews in PCMag.com are explored by using ‘Compleat Lexical Tutor (Vocabprofiler)’ developed in 2006 by Mr.Tom Cobb from Université du Québec à Montréal along with Dictionary of Computer and Internet Terms (Downing, 2009).

The results from genre analysis shows that there are seven moves found in the reviews namely distinguishing prominent points of the computer, presenting physical appearances information, providing technical specifications information, offering performance test information, presenting background information, describing installed program and providing warranty information. But only move 1, 2, 3 and 4 are obligatory moves that can be found in every review (100%); however, their orders are interchangeable. If we consider only the pattern of organization of the obligatory moves, it can be claimed the move 1  move 2  move 3  move 2  move 3  move 4  pattern is the most typically rhetorical pattern found which is 46.6%.

In terms of lexical features analysis, the typically found word formation processes that create neologisms in computer field are initialisms and compounding respectively. They are related to each other as compounding causes a long word, initialisms helps shortening long-compound-word to be easier for recognition.