Corpus linguistics continues to be a vibrant methodology applied across highly diverse fields of research in the language sciences. With the current steep rise in corpus sizes, computational power, statistical literacy and multi-purpose software tools, and inspired by neighbouring disciplines, approaches have diversified to an extent that calls for an intensification of the accompanying critical debate. Bringing together a team of leading experts, this book follows a unique design, comparing advanced methods and approaches current in corpus linguistics, to stimulate reflective evaluation and discussion. Each chapter explores the strengths and weaknesses of different datasets and techniques, presenting a case study and allowing readers to gauge methodological options in practice. Contributions also provide suggestions for further reading, and data and analysis scripts are included in an online appendix. This is an important and timely volume, and will be essential reading for any linguist interested in corpus-linguistic approaches to variation and change.

‘This work by Schützler and Schlüter carefully explores the impact of methodological decisions on how results are interpreted. This timely work is a must-read for advanced corpus students and established researchers.’

Randi Reppen - Northern Arizona University

‘Methodology matters, lest we end up comparing apples and oranges. With its focus on comparative meta-methodological studies, a must-read for advanced corpus linguists who would like to make more informed choices and who might well end up combining the crunch of apples with the zest of oranges in future methodological menues.’

Marianne Hundt - University of Zurich