Corpus Linguistics: Mixed‐Methods Research

Abstract

Abstract Corpora are principled collections of searchable electronic text, representative of authentic language‐in‐use. The varied and interdisciplinary research possibilities afforded by corpus linguistics (CL) also give rise to a range of research methods adopted both within CL studies and those of cognate fields that seek to apply the use of corpora to enhance their own research agendas. This entry distinguishes between mixed‐methods CL studies involving both quantitative and qualitative analytical procedures, and studies involving CL methods in combination with other experimental or analytical paradigms that may be completely quantitative or qualitative in nature or somewhere in between. It is apparent that CL, as a field, has embraced a great deal of methods typically used in other disciplines in order to enhance the nature of the “counting” that CL is so good at. Likewise, many other disciplines have harnessed the unique potential of corpora to provide insights into language‐related phenomena that would have not been possible without corpus data, corpus tools, and corpus linguists. Through continued innovations in mixed‐methods CL research, corpus linguists are not only breathing new life into the field of applied linguistics but also enhancing—and in some cases reinventing—many others.