USING CARS MODEL by Swales

The Creating a Research Space [C.A.R.S.] Model was developed by John

Swales based upon his analysis of journal articles representing a variety
of discipline-based writing practices. His model attempts to explain and
describe the organizational pattern of writing the introduction to
scholarly research studies. Following the C.A.R.S. Model can be useful
approach because it can help you to: 1) begin the writing process
[getting started is often the most difficult task]; 2) understand the way
in which an introduction sets the stage for the rest of your paper; and, 3)
assess how the introduction fits within the larger scope of your study.

The model assumes that writers follow a general organizational pattern

in response to two types of challenges [“competitions”] relating to
establishing a presence within a particular domain of research: 1) the
competition to create a rhetorical space and, 2) the competition to
attract readers into that space. The model proposes three actions
[Swales calls them “moves”], accompanied by specific steps, that reflect
the development of an effective introduction for a research paper. These
“moves” and steps can be used as a template for writing the introduction
to your own social sciences research papers.

The Model
Creating a Research Space

Move 1: Establishing a Territory [the situation]

This is generally accomplished in two ways: by demonstrating that a general area
of research is important, critical, interesting, problematic, relevant, or otherwise
worthy of investigation and by introducing and reviewing key sources of prior
research in that area to show where gaps exist or where prior research has been
inadequate in addressing the research problem.

The steps taken to achieve this would be:

 Step 1 -- Claiming importance of, and/or [writing action = describing the
research problem and providing evidence to support why the topic is
important to study]
 Step 2 -- Making topic generalizations, and/or [writing action = providing
statements about the current state of knowledge, consensus, practice or
description of phenomena]
  Step 3 -- Reviewing items of previous research [writing action =
synthesize prior research that further supports the need to study the
research problem; this is not a literature review but more a reflection of
key studies that have touched upon but perhaps not fully addressed the
topic]
Move 2: Establishing a Niche [the problem]
This action refers to making a clear and cogent argument that your particular piece
of research is important and possesses value. This can be done by indicating a
specific gap in previous research, by challenging a broadly accepted assumption,
by raising a question, a hypothesis, or need, or by extending previous knowledge in
some way.

The steps taken to achieve this would be:

 Step 1a -- Counter-claiming, or [writing action = introduce an opposing
viewpoint or perspective or identify a gap in prior research that you
believe has weakened or undermined the prevailing argument]
 Step 1b -- Indicating a gap, or [writing action = develop the research
problem around a gap or understudied area of the literature]
 Step 1c -- Question-raising, or [writing action = similar to gap
identification, this involves presenting key questions about the
consequences of gaps in prior research that will be addressed by your
study. For example, one could state, “Despite prior observations of voter
behavior in local elections in urban Detroit, it remains unclear why do
some single mothers choose to avoid....”]
 Step 1d -- Continuing a tradition [writing action = extend prior research to
expand upon or clarify a research problem. This is often signaled with
logical connecting terminology, such as, “hence,” “therefore,”
“consequently,” “thus” or language that indicates a need. For example,
one could state, “Consequently, these factors need to examined in more
detail....” or “Evidence suggests an interesting correlation, therefore, it is
desirable to survey different respondents....”]
Move 3: Occupying the Niche [the solution]
The final "move" is to announce the means by which your study will contribute new
knowledge or new understanding in contrast to prior research on the topic. This is
also where you describe the remaining organizational structure of the paper.

The steps taken to achieve this would be:

 Step 1a -- Outlining purposes, or [writing action = answering the “So
What?” question. Explain in clear language the objectives of your study]
 Step 1b -- Announcing present research [writing action = describe the
purpose of your study in terms of what the research is going to do or
accomplish. In the social sciences, the “So What?” question still needs to
addressed]
  Step 2 -- Announcing principle findings [writing action = present a brief,
general summary of key findings written, such as, “The findings indicate a
need for...,” or “The research suggests four approaches to....”]
 Step 3 -- Indicating article structure [writing action = state how the
remainder of your paper is organized]

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CaRS Model: Create a Research Space
CaRS Model: Create a Research Space

The CaRS Model can help you build an introduction, especially in STEM fields. The
model consists of three rhetorical moves that help identify the background, motivation,
and focus of the research. This framework can help give your reader a basic overview of
your larger project.

Move 1: Establish a Research Territory

The research territory, or broad topic, is the context required to both understand and
conduct the research being explored. Your goal is to explain the current state of
scholarship in the field and answer the question, “Why is this general research area
important?”

Language for Establishing a Research Territory

 __________ has been extensively studied...

 Interest in __________ has been growing...
 Recent studies have focused on...
 __________ has become a major issue...
Move 2: Establish a Niche

The niche is the reason or motivation for the research. You are preparing your audience
to understand how your research relates to the background you have given, highlighting
gaps/problems in current knowledge that justify or explain the need for further
investigation.

Methods for Establishing a Niche

 Make a counter-claim (something is wrong)

 Indicate a gap (something is missing)
 Raise a question or make an inference (something is unclear)
 Continue a tradition (adding something)
Language for Establishing a Niche

 Previous studies of __________ have not examined...

 Such studies are unsatisfactory because...
  One question that needs to be asked, however, is...
 Research on __________ has mostly been restricted to _________ so...
Move 3: Occupy the Niche

This step is an explanation of how you are responding to the need for further
investigation. Explain how your research addresses the need you identified in the
previous step and list your specific research objectives, questions, or methods.

Strategies for Occupying the Niche

 Outline purpose(s) of your research

 List research questions or hypotheses
 Announce principal research findings
 Indicate the structure of your research process
Language for Occupying the Niche

 The purpose of this literature review is to...

 This study aims to...
 The evidence collected from this study demonstrates...
 This review outlines/examines...
Adapted from: Swales, John and Christine Feak. Academic Writing for Graduate
Students. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2013. Print.
Example
Move 1. Stress is an ever-present factor in the lives of university students, many of
whom have difficulty regulating stress and functioning to their fullest potential. Many
individuals choose to relieve their stress by listening to music, and stress relief as a
result of music listening has been researched through both physiological and self-
perception studies. Music listening decreases physiological stress by indirectly
decreasing cortisol levels (a hormone linked to high stress levels) through a down-
regulation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis (Linnemann, Ditzen,
Strahler, Doerr, & Nater, 2015). Studies focused on self-perceived stress levels found
that listening to music with the goal of relaxation is significantly more effective than
listening to music for the purpose of distraction according to self-report measures
(Linnemann et al., 2015). Move 2. While the positive relationship between music
listening and stress relief has been supported within the general population, little
research has been done to examine music’s effect on the mental health and stress levels
of university students in particular. University students exhibit a higher rate of both
stress-induced depression and anxiety than the general population due to the pressures
of completing complex programs while often living away from home for the first time
(Hanser, 1985, p. 419; Regehr, Glancy, & Pitts, 2013). As a result, student stress relief is
a critical part of ensuring student wellbeing, especially with student mental health at the
forefront of many recent discussions among university faculty, staff, and
students. Move 3. This investigatory survey is the first step in a multi-stage study on
how undergraduate residents at Conrad Grebel University College use music in relation
to stressful situations, and how stress relief through music listening is perceived. We
hypothesize that students will report stress-relief as one of the primary reasons they
choose to listen to music, and that they will report choosing music they enjoy when they
need to relieve stress. Patterns observed in student responses will be used to determine
specific research questions for further investigation, and research on student stress
relief could help to inform university policy makers on ways to create healthier
campuses.