Abstract
Although previous preconceived notions discourage authors from asserting their presence in research articles (RAs), recent studies have substantiated that the use of self-mention markers offer a means to establish authorial identity and recognition in a given discipline. Few studies, however, explored specific sections of research articles to uncover how self-mentions function within each section's conventions. Exploring the use of self-mention markers, the present study aimed at comparing the method sections written by native English writers and L-1 Persian writers in the field of psychology. The corpus contained 120 RAs, with each sub-corpora including 60 RAs. The RAs were then examined structurally and functionally. The data were analyzed both quantitatively, using frequency counts and chi-square analyses, and qualitatively through content analysis. The findings indicated a significant difference between English and Persian authors concerning the frequency of self-mentions and the dimension of rhetorical functions; however, the differences in the dimensions of grammatical forms and hedging and boosting were found insignificant. Native English authors were inclined to make more use of self-mentions in their research articles. The findings of the current study can assist EAP and ESP novice researchers in taking cognizance of the conventions of authorial identity in each genre.