Following Swales' (1990) pioneering study on the generic structure of research article (RA) introductions, the Create-a-Research-Space (CARS) model has inspired numerous move-based studies on different sections of RAs. Therefore, to outline the generic, field-specific characteristics of the relevant body of research and identify future trends in the research agenda, the authors conducted the present systematic review. In doing so, we examined: The research themes addressed in the retrieved studies 2. Rhetorical idiosyncrasies as well as theoretical frameworks within which the studies have been conducted, and 3.Other field-specific aspects of the corpora. 190 move-based studies published between 1990 and 2023 were included in this review. The findings reveal rapid, consistent growth in move analysis research, with particular emphasis on cross-disciplinary comparison, cross-linguistic comparison, and the applicability of move frameworks. The abstract and introduction sections dominated the published research. Researchers applied various models to analyze different sections of RAs. Applied linguistics and language education were the most frequently studied fields. The inherently interpretative nature of move identification, achieving inter-coder agreement, and maintaining analytical consistency were identified as the most prevalent challenges in identifying and analyzing moves. This study offers important implications for further research.
