Discourse analysis: Method and application in the study of information

摘要

Library and information science (LIS) is a discipline based on communication. Research questions in LIS include those focusing on the retrieval use of information, information services, and information technology. Moreover, the questions asked and the thought relevant to the study of information are communicated formally within the profession, primarily through the literature. This sensitivity to communication suggests that discourse analysis is a valuable method for inquiry in LIS. Discourse analysis has the advantage of being able to address questions regarding both spoken and written communications and so can be applied to matters of articulations of purpose and practice of information study that appear in books and journals in the field. Two key elements of language form the heart of discourse analysis: form (the structure of the language as code, including grammar and semantics) and function (language as a social phenomenon). Applications of discourse analysis to information include investigation of the social, political, and technical uses of the word “information” as they have implications for theory and practice.