ERPP practices in the Arab world

Abstract

Abstract Limited empirical research addresses how Arabic-speaking English as an Additional Language (EAL) scholars approach research writing and its associated challenges despite that many Arabic-Speaking EAL scholars are engaging in global knowledge production outside and inside the Arab World. This is even more the case now than in the past as some Arab universities are prompting proactive research agendas that encourage publishing in high-impact English language journals. This paper examines 20 empirical studies that investigated the research writing and publishing practices of Arabic-speaking EAL scholars, and analyzes the content of those studies according to the scholars’ research drivers and the accompanying challenges they faced when publishing their research in English. This paper also highlights how these challenges are experienced in different universities and countries, emphasizing the complexity of English for Research Publishing Purposes (ERPP) practices even within the same linguistic group. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the growing ERPP scholarship by serving as a starting point for more systematic research on Arabic-speaking EAL scholars.