Evolution of genre parameters of documentary text (exemplified by references)

The article considers reference as an information-and-assessment document, the dynamics of reference transformation is viewed from documentary linguistics angle. The research is carried out on the material of reference given to applicants in the field of education; the documents belong to different chronological periods (Soviet period (wartime): 1941-1945; Soviet period: 1970-1990s; modern period: 2015-2020). The functional purpose of the document was determined and the composition and content structure of its text was analyzed. Speech means representing the main genre characteristics of the text of reference have been identified; they are presented at three levels of the hierarchy, taking into account their interconnection and significance as genre-forming parameters: addresser/addressee and function; information, structure and dominant modality; space and time. The author reveals the regularities of text formation, as well as genre peculiarities of the text, determined bysocial and linguistic factors. When analyzing the genre parameters of the document, the fact that the properties of the text are influenced by the specifics of the communication situation is taken into account. It was shown that social changes caused a shift in the nature of the information transmitted by the document; affected the structure and dominant modality of the text, space and time representation. Extralinguistic determination of speech organization of documentary text is demonstrated. It was established that speech representation of genre parameters is associated with the implementation of informational and presentation functions of the document.