Evaluating Titles of MA Theses and PhD Dissertations in Applied Linguistics in Kurdistan Universities
Dara Karim Mahmood, Department of English Language, University of Sulaimani
Prof. Dr. Fatimah Rashid Hasan Al Bajalani
English Language Department, Salahaddin University-Erbil
Published: February 22, 2023
ABSTRACT
The aim of this paper is to identify the sub-fields focused on in the title selection of MA theses and PhD dissertations in applied linguistics (AL) at the universities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) from 2006 to 2021. The subfields will be listed and the titles will be categorized according to these subfields. Then, these titles will be evaluated based on some criteria, and suggestions will be made for further studies in the subfields of AL that have not been explored yet.
To achieve the aims, this paper, first, highlights the history of AL in which its changes and developments are discussed throughout the years along with the research and study of key scholars and pioneers in the field. Since AL has been defined differently according to various linguists and across time, therefore, it is worth providing those definitions in order to conclusively showcase the field. Additionally, a number of well-formed and well-researched categorizations of the sub-fields of AL are presented in order to have grounds to classify MA theses and PhD dissertations that have been conducted at the universities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
This study will be significant for new research in the field of AL in the region since it will provide encyclopedic information and/or basic grounds.
Keywords: Evaluation, Applied Linguistics, Title Accuracy
DOI: 10.23918/vesal2023v16