Careful consideration in communicating rejection: Discourse analysis of politeness, empathy, and denial in PhD rejection letters

Abstract

Doctoral degrees are considered daunting, but what about rejection letters? This study examines the bad news genre of rejection using 47 PhD rejection letters through the lens of discourse and genre analysis. Two obligatory rhetorical moves were found in 100% of the letters, a rejection move and a goodwill move. The rejection move includes steps like thanking the applicant and providing reasons. On the other hand, the goodwill move expresses empathy and well wishes. A transitivity analysis also reveals the wordings of the actual rejections employ tactics of indirectness. This project hopes to bring light to the ways that rejection is delivered and how this may impact the receivers of bad news.