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Retrieving Twitter argumentation with corpus queries and discourse analysis

  • Nathan Dykes , Philipp Heinrich and Stephanie Evert
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Broadening the Spectrum of Corpus Linguistics
This chapter is in the book Broadening the Spectrum of Corpus Linguistics

Abstract

We propose a corpus linguistic approach for retrieving argumentation from tweets about Brexit. We analyse two corpora, one from before the referendum in 2016 and one from early 2019. Our approach is based on the manual development of morphosyntactic corpus queries (in CQP syntax) that target specific argumentation patterns. For the present corpora we have developed 130 queries targeting 34 logical formulae. The paper showcases the query development and presents quantitative and qualitative results on how Brexit-related arguments have changed on Twitter from 2016 to 2019.

Abstract

We propose a corpus linguistic approach for retrieving argumentation from tweets about Brexit. We analyse two corpora, one from before the referendum in 2016 and one from early 2019. Our approach is based on the manual development of morphosyntactic corpus queries (in CQP syntax) that target specific argumentation patterns. For the present corpora we have developed 130 queries targeting 34 logical formulae. The paper showcases the query development and presents quantitative and qualitative results on how Brexit-related arguments have changed on Twitter from 2016 to 2019.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Introduction 1
  4. New perspectives
  5. Competing future constructions and the Complexity Principle 9
  6. Diachronic learner corpus research 41
  7. Rhoticity in Southern New Zealand English 69
  8. Revisiting old debates
  9. “I’m putting some salt in my sandwich”. 93
  10. Determinants of exaptation in Verb-Object predicates in the transition from Late Middle English to Early Modern English 133
  11. Recent changes in spoken British English in verbal and nominal constructions 173
  12. “Oh yeah, one more thing: It’s gonna be huge.” 197
  13. Refinements & innovations
  14. Retrieving Twitter argumentation with corpus queries and discourse analysis 229
  15. MuPDAR for corpus-based learner and variety studies 257
  16. A data-driven approach to finding significant changes in language use through time series analysis 285
  17. Index 319
https://doi.org/10.1075/scl.105.08dyk

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Introduction 1
  4. New perspectives
  5. Competing future constructions and the Complexity Principle 9
  6. Diachronic learner corpus research 41
  7. Rhoticity in Southern New Zealand English 69
  8. Revisiting old debates
  9. “I’m putting some salt in my sandwich”. 93
  10. Determinants of exaptation in Verb-Object predicates in the transition from Late Middle English to Early Modern English 133
  11. Recent changes in spoken British English in verbal and nominal constructions 173
  12. “Oh yeah, one more thing: It’s gonna be huge.” 197
  13. Refinements & innovations
  14. Retrieving Twitter argumentation with corpus queries and discourse analysis 229
  15. MuPDAR for corpus-based learner and variety studies 257
  16. A data-driven approach to finding significant changes in language use through time series analysis 285
  17. Index 319
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