The relationship to other work

Another view is that …

…, whereas X believes that …

a competing theory

This contrasts with … who found that …

In contrast, a study of … found or reported or showed …

this interpretation has recently been challenged, however

X’s theory, explanation etc. has been challenged on various or several grounds:

Although research suggests that …, previous studies have …

Although early work or results suggested that …, subsequent studies have shown …

Current theory, as it stands, does not adequately account for …

A number of aspects of the problem require further investigation.

Although a number of studies exist on …,

… still a great deal of disagreement

… has been hotly debated in the literature

a bone of contention

a source or hotbed of controversy

Controversy remains regarding …

Although controversial, …

critics of … theory would argue that …

X and X’s response is that …

X’s views have failed to gain widespread acceptance

X has been criticized US and GB or criticised GB for failing to take account of etc. …

We rejected X’s hypothesis on the basis of or that …

This is reflected in X’s findings that …

Previous studies have ignored …

The question has been raised whether …

There are increasing doubts about …

Many scholars doubt, however, whether or that …

Other authors have also called for …

Many authors have stressed the importance of …

Few authors would dispute that …

A number of other studies have argued or suggested that …

The traditional approach has been to …

An alternative …, suggested by X, is …

However, recent research by X … suggests that …

X and Y have also pointed out or to …

Researchers have traditionally been reluctant to …

Researchers adopting this position include for example …

… is beginning to gain acceptance as …

a foot in both camps

Rather than engaging in the debate on …, I would like to …

Rather than adding yet another explanation for …, we would like instead to focus on …

Rather than going over old ground, …

In contrast to earlier studies, …

In contrast to previous research on …, this study …

Unlike some or many or most earlier studies, this study …

This study contends that …

This study questions the widely held view that or of …

This study differs from previous research in a number of respects:

At the risk of offending some readers, …