ABSTRACT
This chapter conceptualizes genre in academic and professional communication and introduces the concept of genre network in digital environments, a concept that lies at the core of this book. The chapter first provides a critical review of the seminal concept of genre, the form and substance of genres and their attended social action, along with other concepts that bring to the fore the dynamism and openness of genres. This chapter also outlines the theoretical basis for proposing a multiperspective analytical approach to understanding processes of knowledge transformation and (re-)entextualization across hyperlinked genres. In closing, the chapter summarizes the sources of analysis and the design of the case study research.
