Scientific (academic) style
Morphological features
Terminological word building and word-derivation: neologism formation by affixation and conversion.
Restricted use of finite verb forms.
Use of 'the author's we' instead of I.
Frequent use of impersonal constructions.
Syntactical features
Complete and standard syntactical mode of expression.
Syntactical precision to ensure the logical sequence of thought and argumentation.
Direct word order.
Use of lengthy sentences with subordinate clauses.
Extensive use of participial, gerundial and infinitive complexes.
Extensive use of adverbial and prepositional phrases.
Frequent use of parenthesis introduced by a dash.
Abundance of attributive groups with a descriptive function.
Preferential use of prepositional attributive groups instead of the descriptive of phrase.
Avoidance of ellipsis, even usually omitted conjunctions like 'that' and 'which'.
Prevalence of nominal constructions over the verbal ones to avoid time reference for the sake of generalisation.
Frequent use of passive and non-finite verb forms to achieve objectivity and impersonality.
Use of impersonal forms and sentences such as mention should be made, it can be inferred, assuming that, etc.
Lexical features
Extensive use of bookish words e. g. presume, infer, preconception, cognitive.
Abundance of scientific terminology and phraseology.
Use of words in their primary dictionary meaning, restricted use of connotative contextual meanings.
Use of numerous neologisms.
Abundance of proper names.
Restricted use of emotive colouring, interjections, expressive phraseology, phrasal verbs, colloquial vocabulary.
Seldom use of tropes, such as metaphor, hyperbole, simile, etc.
Compositional features
Types of texts compositionally depend on the scientific genre: monograph, article, presentation, thesis, dissertation, etc.
In scientific proper and technical texts e.g. mathematics: highly formalized text with the prevalence of formulae, tables, diagrams supplied with concise commentary phrases.
In humanitarian texts (history, philosophy): descriptive narration, supplied with argumentation and interpretation.
Logical and consistent narration, sequential presentation of material and facts.
Extensive use of citation, references and foot-notes.
Restricted use of expressive means and stylistic devices.
Extensive use of conventional set phrases at certain points to emphasize the logical character of the narration, e. g. as we have seen, in conclusion, finally, as mentioned above.
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Use of digressions to debate or support a certain point.
Definite structural arrangement in a hierarchical order: introduction, chapters, paragraphs, conclusion.
Special set of connective phrases and words to sustain coherence and logic, such as consequently, on the contrary, likewise.
Extensive use of double conjunctions like as... as, either... or, both... and, etc.
Compositionally arranged sentence patterns: postulatory (at the beginning), argumentative (in the central part), formulative (in the conclusion).
37. STYLISTICS OF THE AUTHOR/READER. NOTIONS OF ENCODING AND DECODING
Decoding stylistics makes an attempt to regard the esthetic value of a text based on the interaction of specific textual elements, stylistic devices and compositional structure in delivering the author's message. This method does not consider the stylistic function of any stylistically important feature separately but only as a part of the whole text. So expressive means and stylistic devices are treated in their interaction and distribution within the text as carriers of the author's purport and creative idiom. By this the stylistic study of a literary work acquires a new, semasiological dimension in which the stylistic elements become signs of the author's vision of the world.
In a rather simplified version this theory presents a creative process in the following mode. The writer receives diverse information from the outside world. Some of it becomes a source for his creative work. He processes this information and recreates it in his own esthetic images that become a vehicle to pass his vision to the addressee, his readers. The process of internalizing of the outside information and translating it into his imagery is called 'encoding'.
To encode certain information an author resorts to certain means— meaningful units that are organized according to certain rules. The salient feature of this information encoded by the author is called the message.
The process of encoding will only make any sense if besides the encoder who sends the information it includes the recipient or the addressee who in this case is the reader. The reader is supposed to decode the information contained in the text of a literary work.
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However to encode the information does not mean to have it delivered or passed intact to the recipient. There are more obstacles here than meet the eye. In contrast to the writer who is always concrete the reader who is addressed is in fact an abstract notion, he is any of the thousands of people who may read this book. This abstract reader may not be prepared or willing to decode the message or even take it. The reasons are numerous and various. The readers will differ not only from the author but also from each other. They have a different life experience, educational background, cultural level and tastes.
All these factors often preclude easy decoding and show how difficult it is for the message to reach the reader and be appropriately construed by him. The message encoded and sent may differ from the message received after decoding.
So the result may be a failure on either side. The reader may complain that he couldn't understand what the author wanted to say, while the author may resent being misinterpreted.
From the reader's point of view the important thing is not what the author wanted to say but what he managed to convey in the text of his work.
That's why decoding stylistics deals with the notions of stylistics of the author and stylistics of the reader.
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