Transdisciplinary Research
Methodologies: Enhancing content
analysis through the application of
systemic functional semiotics.
Issues to be addressed:
What is meant by transdisciplinary research?
Reviewing common understanding of content analyses in
research methodology.
Systemic Functional Semiotics
• Systemic Functional Grammar and Discourse
• Examples of studies using systemic functional grammar
and discourse
UAM corpus tool: Online software for SFL analyses
Transdisciplinary research
Transdisciplinary research, according to Halliday, is very
different from ‘inter-‘ or ‘multi-disciplinary’ research because the
latter implies that one still pursues research focused within the
disciplines, while building bridges between them and/or
assembling the research efforts into a ‘collection’; whereas the
real alternative is to transcend disciplinary boundaries to achieve
the kind of integrated focus necessary to research issues in
innovative ways.
This means that educational researchers need to commit to
reading and participating in the discourses of research beyond the
discipline(s) in which they are traditionally trained and in which
the prestige of their field is established.
Halliday, M. A. K. (2003 [1990]). New ways of meaning: The challenge to applied linguistics. In
J. Webster (Ed.), On language and linguistics. Volume 3 in the collected works of M.A.K.
Halliday. (pp. 139 - 174). London/New York: Continuum.
Content Analysis
A major form of analysis in any social research is
content analysis, which can be used to analyse any
form of spoken or written words; projected images,
such as those of film or television; or any symbolic
forms such as signs, logos or cartoons. Content
analysis is the systematic analysis of text or
pictographic material. It can be used on both original
data collected by you as a researcher, or on any
range of secondary documentary sources, as
discussed above.
Smith, D., & Hope, J. (1992). The health professional as researcher: Issues,
problems and strategies. Sydney: Social Science Press.(p. 86)
Contexts for content analysis
• Responses to surveys e.g. teenagers television viewing or
computer game playing habits.
• The extent and nature of allied health professionals
contributions to case conferences for mental health patients.
• The role of young children and sporting personalities in the
advertisement of breakfast cereals.
• Gender differences in participation in class discussions in junior
secondary school science.
• The construction of point of view in news reports of the Israel Palestine conflict.
Content Analysis Approaches
The main aim in content analysis is to identify the presence or absence of
patterns or recurring themes in one or more pieces of textual or pictographic
material. Content analysis then is a sorting and categorizing process….
Computer programs such as ‘Ethnographer’ and ‘Nvivo’, now can assist in this
process.
Smith, D., & Hope, J. (1992). The health professional as researcher: Issues, problems and strategies.
Sydney: Social Science Press.(p. 86)
The theme is the most useful unit of analysis. A theme is often a
sentence, a proposition about something. The letters of adolescents or
college students may be studied for statements of self reference. This
would be the larger theme. The themes making this up might be
defined as any sentences that use ‘I’, ‘me’, and other words
indicating reference to the writer’s self. Discipline is another larger
theme. Child training or control is another.
Burns, R. (1991). Introduction to research methods in education. Melbourne: Longman Cheshire.
Issues in Content Analysis
• Selecting categories for analysis
• Ensuring the categories selected will deal exhaustively
with the data
• Defining the categories precisely
Usually, the process of arriving at the categories is to first
review the data a number of times until you become familiar
with its contents and structure, and then derive a number of
categories thought to be appropriate the categorize the data.
These are then tried on a sample of the data. Usually, the
original categories will be refined through this process and a
final set of categories developed.
Smith, D., & Hope, J. (1992). The health professional as researcher: Issues, problems and strategies.
Sydney: Social Science Press.(p. 86)
Challenges for Content Analysis
One of the difficulties in content analysis is defining what to
count in such a way that the count can be made reliably. For
example, in analysing the content of a report issued by an
educational commission, one could count fairly reliably the
number of passages dealing with race relations because the
variable may be defined objectively. On the other hand, it might
be difficult to count reliably the number of passages that use
inflammatory language because the variable is open to various
subject definitions.
Crowl, T. (1993). Fundamentals of educational research. Madison: Brown and
Benchmark.(p.127)
Systemic Functional Semiotics
• Systemic Functional Grammar
Halliday,
M. A. K., & Matthiessen, C. (2004). An introduction to functional grammar (3
ed.). London: Arnold.
and Discourse
Martin, J. R., & Rose, D. (2007). Working with Discourse: Meaning Beyond the
Clause (2 ed. Vol. 1). London/New York: Continuum.
The centrality of meaning in SFL
In Systemic Functional
Linguistics (SFL) meaning and
use are central to the descriptions
of language structure. SFL is
based on the complete
interconnectedness of the social
and the linguistic. SFL entails
complementary descriptions of
both social context and linguistic
form.
Language occurs within a
social context, informed by
cultural beliefs and
ideologies
Social Context
Language
Modelling language and social context in
systemic functional linguistics
SFL approaches the description of social context by interpreting it as
two inter-related levels: context of situation and context of culture.
• The context of situation is the immediate context in which the language is used.
• The context of culture can be thought of as the full range of systems of situational
contexts that the culture embodies.
Context of
Culture
Context of Situation
Language
Any context of situation is described in terms of
three main variables that are important in
influencing the way language is used.
• FIELD is concerned with the social activity, its content or topic;
• TENOR is the nature of the relationships among the people using
language;
• MODE is the medium and role of language in the situation - whether
spoken or written, accompanying or constitutive of the activity.
Context of Situation
(Register) Field
Tenor
Language
Mode
Relating meanings and contextual
variables
All situations are
characterised by particular
values of the three contextual
variables, FIELD, TENOR
and MODE.
Context of Situation
(Register) Field
(semantics)
Tenor
Ideational Meaning
Interpersonal
Meaning
Correspondingly, three
dimensions of meaning
(metafunctions) are also
always constructed
simultaneously in the texts
that occur in these situations.
Language
Mode
Textual
Meaning
•
•
•
If we take the text "Helen Murson has given out
some very detailed lecture notes in her classes"
We can easily construct the ideational meanings who is doing what to whom and we can infer the
contextual variable FIELD as university or college
education.
Similarly we can infer interpersonal meanings and
the contextual variable, TENOR, noting that the
speaker has the role of information giver and that
Helen Murson has both higher status than, and less
contact with the speaker and addressee (as
suggested by the inclusion of the surname) - so we
know the interactional roles of the participants, and
something of the relative status and contact among
them.
The textual meanings are related to the contextual
variable, MODE - the part that language is playing.
This text is probably spoken; is more likely to be
constitutive of, than ancillary in the situation; and
presents Helen Murson as the speaker's focus or
point of departure in the structuring of the utterance.
Context of Situation
(Register) Field
(semantics)
Ideational Meaning
Tenor
Interpersonal
Meaning
Language
Mode
Textual
Meaning
Metafunctions and Lexicogrammar
"Helen Murson has given
out some very detailed
lecture notes in her
classes”
• Ideational meanings are
realized by the transitivity system
of the grammar (participants,
processes, circumstances).
Context of Situation
(Register) Field
(semantics)
Tenor
Interpersonal
Meaning
• Interpersonal meaning are
realized by the mood and
modality systems (Subject and
Finite)
• Textual meanings are realized
by location at the beginning of
end of the clause
(Theme/Rheme).
Ideational Meaning
(lexicogrammar)
Transitivity
Mood and
ModalityLanguage
Mode
Textual
Meaning
Theme/
Rheme
Graphology
and
Phonology
Mood realising interpersonal
meaning
"Helen Murson has given out some very detailed lecture notes in her classes"
If this text is changed to
"Has Professor Murson given out very detailed lecture notes in her classes?"
We are changing the interpersonal meaning. This
involves a different choice from the MOOD
system in the grammar. It is the position of the
Subject which changes to realise the difference
between giving and demanding information
Context of Situation
(Register) Field
(semantics)
Ideational Meaning
Tenor
Interpersonal
Meaning
Professor
Murson has
Subject
given out some very detailed
lecture notes during classes
given out very detailed lecture
notes in her classes?
Transitivity
Mood and
ModalityLanguage
Mode
Has Professor
Murson
Subject
(lexicogrammar)
lexicogrammar)
Textual
Meaning
Theme/
Rheme
Graphology
and
Phonology
Theme and Textual Meaning
"Some very detailed lecture notes were given out by Professor Murson in her
classes"
• The experiential and interpersonal meanings are the same as the original
version.
• But by putting "Some very detailed lecture notes" first, the focus or textual
meaning has changed. The speaker’s orientation in the utterance is to the
lecture notes and not so much to the professor.
Textual meanings in English are realised in part by
what is selected for first position in the clause - the
Theme/Rheme system - as we have seen by the
difference in selecting "Professor Murson" or
"Some very detailed lecture notes" in first position.
Context of Situation
(Register) Field
Tenor
Interpersonal
Meaning
Professor Murson has given out some very detailed
lecture notes in her classes
Theme
Rheme
Some very
detailed lecture
notes
Theme
have been given out by Professor
Murson in her classes
Rheme
(semantics)
Ideational Meaning
(lexicogrammar)
lexicogrammar)
Transitivity
Mood and
ModalityLanguage
Mode
Textual
Meaning
Theme/
Rheme
Graphology
and
Phonology
Transitivity and Ideational Meaning
To change the ideational meanings we would change
the participants, processes or circumstances involved
(known as the TRANSITIVITY system), so we could
change "Professor Murson" to "Professor Chang", or
we could change the process "gives out" to "asks" or
the participant "very detailed lecture notes" to
"complicated test questions" etc.
Context of Situation
(Register) Field
Professor
Murson
has given some very
in her classes
out
detailed lecture
notes
Participant Process Participant
Circumstance
Professor asks
Chang
Participant Process
complicated
test questions
Participant
Tenor
Interpersonal
Meaning
(lexicogrammar)
lexicogrammar)
Transitivity
Mood and
ModalityLanguage
in her classes
Mode
Circumstance
(semantics)
Ideational Meaning
Textual
Meaning
Theme/
Rheme
Graphology
and
Phonology
Transitivity Analysis
Feral cats
Participant
kill
Process
many small indigenous animals
Participant
They
Participant
are
Process
a pest.
Participant
A lot of nature-lovers
Participant
Feral cats
Actor
kill
Process:
material
They
Carrier
are
Process:
relational
A lot of nature-lovers
Senser
detest
Process
every night.
Circumstance
these cats
Participant
many small indigenous animals
Goal
a pest.
Attribute
detest
Process:
mental
in the bushland
Circumstance
these cats
Phenomenon
in the bushland
Circumstance:
location in space
every night.
Circumstance:
location in time
Analysing Mood and Modality
Feral cats
k-
ill
Subject
Finitei
Predicator
Do
Feral cats
kill
Finite
Subject
Predicator
many small
indigenous animals
Complement
many small
indigenous animals
Complement
Feral cats
probably
k-
ill
Subject
Mood
Adjunct
Finite
Predicator
Feral cats
may
kill
Subject
Finite:
modal
Predicator
i
in the bushland every night.
Adjunct
in the bushland every night?
Adjunct
many small
indigenous animals
Complement
many small
indigenous animals
Complement
Adjunct
Adjunct
in the bushland every night.
Adjunct
Adjunct
in the bushland every night.
Adjunct
Adjunct
In the simple present tense the finite indicating tense 'is/do' is conflated with the lexical verb. We wouldn't
say 'do kill' unless we wanted to indicate that the text is in response to some contestation of the proposition.
Conventionally the first letter of the lexical verb is taken to show the (conflated) presence of the finite
element of the verbal group.
Analysing Theme
Feral cats
Theme
kill many small indigenous animals in the bushland every night.
Rheme
They
Theme
are a pest
Rheme
Notice however, that if we change the Theme in the first clause, the orientation is quite
different. The text is now 'about' the bushland of which th e activity of feral cats is one
feature.
In the bushland
Theme
feral cats kill many small indigenous animals every night.
Rheme
Different patterns of Theme in Reports and Explanations
Enemy 1
Enemy 2
Enemy 3
Enemy 4
Snake enemies
Snakes have a number of enemies.
They are not even safe from their own kind the huge King Cobra from Asia feeds almost entirely on other snakes.
Birds of prey such as eagles, hawks, owls and Secretary birds will kill and eat snakes.
The little mongoose is one of the best known snake killers.
Usually a mongoose avoids challenging a large cobra,
but if there is a fight
the mongoose is more likely to win.
The snake is no match for the speed, agility and sharp teeth of the mongoose.
Report
Humans are probably the greatest threat to snakes,
often killing them unnecessarily, out of fear.
People also kill them for their skins
which can be sold for a lot of money.
As the worlds fishing grounds are being over harvested, the trawlers are catching
less and less fish. These fish shortages mean that the ocean environment is being
damaged. This situation can be helped by allowing more krill fishing. Krill fishing
could help replace other fishing like tuna The worlds tuna stocks could then build
up again.
Explanation
GIVEN
NEW
the worlds fishing grounds
less and less fish
These fish shortages
environment is being damaged
This situation
more krill fishing
Krill fishing
fishing like tuna
worlds tuna stocks
build up again
Different patterns of Transitivity in Reports and Explanations
Enemy 1
Enemy 2
Enemy 3
Enemy 4
Snake enemies
Snakes have a number of enemies.
They are not even safe from their own kind the huge King Cobra from Asia feeds almost entirely on other snakes.
Birds of prey such as eagles, hawks, owls and Secretary birds will kill and eat snakes.
The little mongoose is one of the best known snake killers.
Usually a mongoose avoids challenging a large cobra,
but if there is a fight
the mongoose is more likely to win.
The snake is no match for the speed, agility and sharp teeth of the mongoose.
Report
Mainly Relational
Processes
Humans are probably the greatest threat to snakes,
often killing them unnecessarily, out of fear.
People also kill them for their skins
which can be sold for a lot of money.
As the worlds fishing grounds are being over harvested, the trawlers are catching
less and less fish. These fish shortages mean that the ocean environment is being
damaged. This situation can be helped by allowing more krill fishing. Krill fishing
could help replace other fishing like tuna The worlds tuna stocks could then build
up again.
Explanation
Mainly Material
Processes
GIVEN
NEW
the worlds fishing grounds
less and less fish
These fish shortages
environment is being damaged
This situation
more krill fishing
Krill fishing
fishing like tuna
worlds tuna stocks
build up again
A functional model of
language
Wright, J. (1993). Regulation and resistance: The
physical education lesson as speech genre. Social
Semiotics, 3(1), 23-55.
Co-educational year 7 Basic Skills lesson: male teacher with
male (15) and female (13) students.
Appraisal Systems in English
Attitude
happiness
affect
security
satisfaction
veracity/truth
social
sanction
ATTITUDE
judgment
propriety/ethics
capacity
social
esteem
tenacity
normality
reaction
appreciation
composition
valuation
Current Health Research Using Systemic
Functional Linguistics
Caldwell, David
School of Communication & Creative Arts, Deakin University
How to show you are coping when you are unwell
This paper reports on the methodology and findings of a study of a sample of the control group of The
Language of Depression research project which is a collaborative research project between linguists at
Deakin University and psychiatrists at Monash Medical Centre. The purpose of the study of the control group
is to identify language use that facilitates the kinds of attitudes or ‘character strengths’ indicative of Acute
Hospital patients who are coping psychologically, despite their adverse physical conditions. In this way, the
paper will follow recent developments in positive psychology (e.g. Seligman 2002) and shift perspective from
a traditional ‘disease’ model of depression, to preventing and overcoming mental illness from a model of
happiness and resilience.
The data comprise 10 interviews between Acute Hospital patients and a Consultation-liaison psychiatrist.
The interviews are approximately 30 minutes in duration. There were 6 female and 4 male patients all in their
late 50s. The data were analysed using the interpersonal discourse semantic systems of APPRAISAL
analysis (e.g. Martin and Rose 2003) and Negotiation (e.g. Martin 1992). The analysis of ATTITUDE is
aligned with features of subjective well-being (e.g. Compton 2004) so as to reveal the kinds of ‘attitudes’ that
facilitate psychological well-being. Particular attention is also given to the ways in which the ‘non-depressed’
patients’ used ENGAGEMENT resources as a rhetorical device so as to ‘convince’ the psychiatrist of their
well-being.
It is expected that the findings will contribute to a set of interpersonal discourse semantic features that show
‘what works’ for mentally healthy people in adverse circumstances.
Fraser, Helen
University of Adelaide
A comparison of local and international student papers in two medicine exams of reasoning
A comparative study of reasoning characteristics in answers to a medicine examination of reasoning, learning
and explaining was undertaken for 2002 and 2003. The exam has three aspects: an initial case analysis
(including hypotheses and brief mechanisms to explain patient symptoms), a research phase and a reanalysis, plus further explanations of specific symptoms/signs. Three paired papers by local and international
students were selected for these years at the levels: excellent and satisfactory (grouped here as ‘successful’)
and fail -twelve papers in all. 2002 and 2003 were chosen because the 2002 case withheld the diagnosis,
while the 2003 case provided it. It was found that none of the selected papers was wholly consistent in the
initial analysis, but the four successful local students produced consistent re-analyses in both years, while only
one of the successful international students did so. The two local students who Thematised the key symptoms
in their re-analyses scored much higher than the successful international students who used minor clauses
and Thematised themselves and hypotheses, not symptoms. The results can be used for developing the
international students’ skills in demonstrating their reasoning in this written exam. They may also be useful to
the year group as a whole
Kealley, Jill
University of South Australia
Exploring the Language of Nursing Practice: an examination of Nursing practice and theory.
The language of Nursing is examined in this paper. The ways of doing, thinking and saying of the nurse
depicted in the conversations between nurses and patients are examined and highlight the levels of
implicitness of the language of Nursing. Cloran’s Rhetorical Units (1994) were used to examine the texts to
understand how the nurse’s language construes realities in the here and now, the past and future and
abstraction – virtual realities. However, often nurses enact theory in material actions and ancillary language
and this was explored using Lemke’s thematic patterns (1990). It is proposed that nurses enact the theory of
nursing and scientific realities thereby construe a theoretical or scientific context often without expressing
what is commonly understood as the language of science. Lemke’s work was also used to explore how
nurses delivery goods and services and information and therefore how they need to interpret patient’s
messages as requests for goods and services or information. When the language of practice was examined
in relationship to the theory of Nursing, gaps in the congruency between theory and practice were highlighted
and have impact on how Nursing is taught, researched, and measured. Furthermore, the results of this study
impact on the current practices of doctors (and other healthcare professionals) and healthcare administrators.
Cloran C. (1994) Rhetorical Units and Decontextualisation: an enquiry into some relations of context,
meaning and grammar Monographs in Systemic Linguistics, 6. Department of English, University of
Nottingham Nottingham.
Lemke J. L. (1990) Talking science: language, learning and values Ablex Publishing Corp Norwood, NJ.
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