TY - JOUR

T1 - Acceptable bias?

T2 - Using corpus linguistics methods with critical discourse analysis

AU - Baker, Paul

PY - 2012

Y1 - 2012

N2 - This paper considers the proposal that corpus linguistics approaches can improve the objectivity of critical discourse analysis research, resulting in a more robust and valid set of findings. Taking a recent project which examined the representation of Islam and Muslims in the British press, corpus-driven procedures identified that Muslims tended to be linked to the concept of extreme belief much more than moderate or strong belief. There were differences across newspapers, with 1 in 8 Muslims describing it as extreme in The People while this figure was 1 in 35 for The Guardian. Such patterns of quantification, however, still require researchers to carry out their own critical interpretations with regard to what counts as acceptable frequencies.

AB - This paper considers the proposal that corpus linguistics approaches can improve the objectivity of critical discourse analysis research, resulting in a more robust and valid set of findings. Taking a recent project which examined the representation of Islam and Muslims in the British press, corpus-driven procedures identified that Muslims tended to be linked to the concept of extreme belief much more than moderate or strong belief. There were differences across newspapers, with 1 in 8 Muslims describing it as extreme in The People while this figure was 1 in 35 for The Guardian. Such patterns of quantification, however, still require researchers to carry out their own critical interpretations with regard to what counts as acceptable frequencies.

KW - corpus linguistics

KW - Islam

KW - bias

KW - extremism

KW - CDA

U2 - 10.1080/17405904.2012.688297

DO - 10.1080/17405904.2012.688297

M3 - Journal article

VL - 9

SP - 247

EP - 256

JO - Critical Discourse Studies

JF - Critical Discourse Studies

SN - 1740-5904

IS - 3

ER -