Research methods in linguistic anthropology is the first extensive volume to focus exclusively on methods in linguistic anthropology, officially recognized as one of the four anthropological subfields in 1964. For decades, linguistic anthropologists have developed various distinctive methodologies for collecting and analysing data, whose common aspect was to privilege social interaction, which is relatable to other disciplines, such as sociolinguistics, applied linguistics, and ethnomethodology. This volume approaches all stages of research and offers multiple insights for current challenges in linguistic anthropology.
The first four chapters of this book set the foundations for the initial stages of research in this subfield. In chapter 1, Farzad Karimzad & Lydia Catedral focus on finding an original topic and creating viable research questions. In chapter 2, Justin B. Richland discusses literature reviewing in linguistic anthropology and how it might entail ‘intertextual chains’ that are key to future data collection and formulation of feasible research hypotheses. Deborah Jones & Ilana Gershon present in chapter 3 the main points a researcher must have in mind while planning research, and they argue that even though an ethnographer must acquire experience and knowledge of the communities and locations they seek to study, it is essential to prepare oneself for the possibility of changing plans. Ethics in research is a topic of discussion throughout the volume, but it is in chapter 4 that Steven P. Black & Robin Conley Riner present a broad overview of ethical orientations and discuss how a researcher must be flexible and attentive to ethical issues that may emerge contextually.
After addressing the planning stage of research in linguistic anthropology, the following chapters concern the putting-into-practice steps. In chapter 5, Sonya E. Pritzker & Sabina M. Perrino present how to conduct active observation and register field notes in different media. In chapter 6, Perrino examines interview development, conduct, and analysis, pointing out the discursive and interactional nature of speech events. In chapters 7 and 8, technology is the central theme of Greg Kholer & Keith M. Murphy as well as Teruko Vida Mitsuhara & Jan David Hauck, such as the types of media available, the strategic use of these technological tools, video ethnography, and the importance of having backup plans in case the planned media to collect data is unavailable. In chapter 9, Merav Shohet & Heather Loyd dissect transcribing and analysing data processes in audio and video recordings. They argue that those processes are ‘recursive’ and should be constantly (re)analysed and (re)interpreted. Chapter 10, by Archie Crowley & Elaine Chun, focuses on how linguistic anthropologists do ethnographic research in online or digital environments, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. In chapter 11, Pritzker shows the benefits of interdisciplinary research using a mixed methods approach. Finally, in chapter 12, Sonia Neela Das examines the challenges of grant writing in the subfield of linguistic anthropology, going through all stages of research.
This book offers a broad perspective of methods from multiple authors and a diverse perspective of how those methods can be conceptualized and applied in different social and historical contexts. Therefore, this volume is a key resource for students as well as experienced researchers in linguistic anthropology and related fields.
