Rethinking Incrementalism in Applied Linguistics Research

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Department of English Language and Literature, Faulty of Letters and Humanities, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

Abstract

Incrementalism refers to the epistemic belief that the edifice of knowledge is built one brick at a time. In actual research practice, incrementalism is realized through spotting gaps in the literature, a widely used approach for developing research questions and justifying studies. Gap-spotting is so common and taken for granted that it has become one of the grand narratives of today's academic knowledge practices. Grand narratives often go unnoticed and hence unchallenged; thus, gap-spotting must be submitted to critical scrutiny. Taking such a critical stance, this study employs a synchronic approach using a qualitative content analysis of 238 original research articles published between 2016 and 2025 in six top-tier international Applied Linguistics journals. Findings suggest that, irrespective of paradigmatic differences, an overwhelming majority of articles rely on gap-spotting to craft researchable questions and to justify their significance. Our analysis also indicates that the gap-spotting research habit promotes incremental research, an adding-to-the-literature attitude, and an occasional narrowing of vision in research. The study highlights the epistemological assumptions underpinning gap-spotting and suggests the potential of rhizomatic review as an alternative approach. These findings carry implications for research conduct, pedagogy, and the reconsideration of conventional literature review practices in Applied Linguistics.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Teaching English as a Second Language Quarterly
Volume 45, Issue 3
June 2026
Pages 23-45

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  • Receive Date: 30 July 2025
  • Revise Date: 08 October 2025
  • Accept Date: 04 November 2025

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