PDF (Whole Thesis) - USQ ePrints - University of Southern ...

the…analysis of political discourse (one of the main preoccupations of CDA), often also
highly simplistic and strongly biased historical narratives are given....In such historical
accounts, historical roles (aggressor, victim, winner, loser) can be prescribed in ways that are
hardly ‘neutral’” (Blommaert, 2001, p. 29). In making these criticisms Blommaert not only
stakes a claim that researchers who use CDA see the world through binaries, but a veiled
slight is raised that CDA is unable to sustain rigor, an issue outlined below.
3.4.2 Data analysis issues and considerations.
A criticism directed at conducting an analysis either only through a linguistic approach; or
only through a macro textual analysis, as this research does, is that an “unequal balance”
(Rogers, 2004, p. 14) results in the analysis of data. For example, Antaki, Billig, Edwards,
and Potter (2003) identify that an aspect of discourse analysis (not limited to CDA) often not
being properly addressed is the analysis. With the increasing use of discourse analysis as a
research methodology, a concern is expressed regarding whether the level of analysis
undertaken by researchers is sufficiently rigorous, devoid of bias or taking data out of
context. Antaki et al. identify a gap in the literature addressing the conduct of analysis,
writing “…they leave implicit what is not analysis” (Antaki et al., 2003, p. 3). This gap
appears to be common in the analysis component across a range of qualitative methodologies,
as also pointed out by Burns in discussing case study research analysis, “the analysis of case
study evidence is the most difficult and least developed aspect of the case study
methodology” (2000, p. 472, emphasis added). With the analysis of discourse being an area
identified as commonly not meeting scholarly standards (Antaki et al., 2003), this project
takes steps to avoid this error, in order to apply the analysis component of CDA in an
academically rigorous manner. The problem of inadequate analysis is overcome in a number
of ways. For example, by ensuring potential conflict of issue matters are disclosed, such as
through the disclosure of the researcher section and by being open and clear about the
perspectives and ‘lens’ in which historical research is viewed.
Paraphrasing of data, as a sign of under-analysis, is an error avoided by being conscious of
the need to include primary source information, as it appears in its original context, and to
draw on a number of different sources in order to construct an analysis. Weaving multiple
sources by discussing them together can assist in avoiding falling into a trap of completing a
separate summary of each source. A danger that can occur in under-analysis is to take a
sentence from a textbook and to use it out of the context of the information around it, by
94