what is research methodology in linguistics

• Directories
• Books & Ebooks
• Gray Literature
• Encyclopedias & Dictionaries
• Online Language Reference
• Data Resources
• Citations & Writing
• Research Methods
• Language Learning and Teaching
• Start Your Research
• Research Guides
• University of Washington Libraries
• Library Guides
• UW Libraries
• Linguistics

Linguistics: Research Methods

Selected research methods texts.

Methods in Contemporary Linguistics (online)

The Oxford Handbook of Linguistic Analysis (online)

Research Methods in Sociolinguistics: A Practical Guide (online)

The Routledge Encyclopedia of Research Methods in Applied Linguistics (online)

The Oxford Handbook of Linguistic Fieldwork (online)

Linguistics research methods.

Research Methods Database: SRMO

• SAGE Research Methods Online (SRM) Guide to SRM, database featuring articles, books, case studies, datasets, and video. Covers practices of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research methodologies.

Print Books

• << Previous: Citations & Writing
• Next: Language Learning and Teaching >>
• Last Updated: Aug 7, 2024 10:40 AM
• URL: https://guides.lib.uw.edu/research/linguistics

• My library record
• ANU Library
• new production templates

Linguistics

• Research methodologies
• Reference sources
• Recent Books by Linguists
• Off-campus access
• Google Scholar
• John Benjamins Read and Publish Agreement
• Language Assessment & Policy Resources
• Language Learning and Teaching Resources
• Translation studies
• Indigenous language resources
• Open Access
• Requesting resources
• SAGE Research Methods Online SAGE Research Methods is a multidisciplinary resource which supports research at all levels by providing material to guide users through every step of the research process.
• SSRN Social Science Research Network (SSRN) is devoted to the rapid worldwide dissemination of social science research and is composed of a number of specialized research networks in each of the social sciences.
• IRIS IRIS is a collection of instruments, materials, stimuli, and data coding and analysis tools used for research into second languages, including second and foreign language learning, multilingualism, language education, language use and processing. Materials are freely accessible and searchable, easy to upload (for contributions) and download (for use).

Research methods in linguistics and applied linguistics

Applied Linguistics Research: Current Issues, Methods, and Trends

Cite this chapter.

• Aek Phakiti 5 ,
• Peter De Costa 6 ,
• Luke Plonsky 7 &
• Sue Starfield 8  

9654 Accesses

10 Citations

1 Altmetric

This chapter provides a broad contextualisation of the Handbook , locating its focus within current debates and concerns of relevance to the field of applied linguistics. The editors highlight the field’s growing interest in research methodology and offer a rationale for the selection of topics and issues in the Handbook, such as methodological reform, transparency, transdisciplinarity, and the impact of technology.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save.

• Get 10 units per month
• Download Article/Chapter or eBook
• 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
• Cancel anytime
• Available as PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Available as EPUB and PDF
• Compact, lightweight edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info
• Durable hardcover edition

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Research Traditions in Applied Linguistics

New Domains and Methodologies in Corpus Linguistics and Pragmatics Research, an Introduction

Applied linguistics research in three decades: a methodological synthesis of graduate theses in an EFL context

Brown, J. D. (2014). Mixed methods research for TESOL . Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Google Scholar  

Brown, J. D. (2015). Why bother learning advanced quantitative methods in L2 research. In L. Plonsky (Ed.), Advancing quantitative methods in second language research (pp. 9–20). New York, NY: Routledge.

Chapter   Google Scholar  

Brown, J. D., & Rogers, T. S. (2002). Doing second language research . Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Byrnes, H. (2011). Perspectives. Modern Language Journal, 95 , 628–653.

Article   Google Scholar  

Byrnes, H. (2013). Notes from the editor. Modern Language Journal, 97 , 825–827.

Cook, G. (2003). Applied linguistics . Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Cook, G. (2015). Birds out of dinosaurs: The death and life of applied linguistics. Applied Linguistics, 36 , 425–433.

Crossley, S. A., Kyle, K., & McNamara, D. S. (2016). The development and use of cohesive devices in L2 writing and their relations to judgments of essay quality. Journal of Second Language Writing, 32 , 1–16.

Cunnings, I., & Finlayson, I. (2015). Mixed effects modelling and longitudinal data analysis. In L. Plonsky (Ed.), Advancing quantitative methods in second language research (pp. 159–181). New York, NY: Routledge.

Davies, A., & Elder, C. (Eds.). (2004). Handbook of applied linguistics . London: Blackwell.

de Bot, K. (2015). A history of applied linguistics: From 1980 to the present . London and New York: Routledge.

De Costa, P. I. (Ed.). (2016). Ethics in applied linguistics research: Language researcher narratives . New York: Routledge.

De Costa, P. I., Rawal, H., & Zaykovskaya, I. (2017). Study abroad in contemporary times: Toward greater methodological diversity and innovation. Special issue of System, 71 .

Dörnyei, Z. (2007). Research methods in applied linguistics: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methodologies . Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Duff, P. (2008). Case study research in applied linguistics . New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Fulcher, G., & Davidson, F. (Eds.). (2012). The Routledge handbook of language testing . London and New York: Routledge.

Gass, S. (2009). A historical survey of SLA research. In T. K. Bhatia & W. C. Ritchie (Eds.), The new handbook of second language acquisition (pp. 3–27). Bingley: Emerald.

Gass, S. M., & Mackey, A. (Eds.). (2012). The Routledge handbook of second language acquisition . London and New York: Routledge.

Graesser, A. C., McNamara, D. S., Louwerse, M. M., & Cai, Z. (2004). Coh-Metrix: Analysis of text on cohesion and language. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 36 (2), 193–202. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03195564

Hall, C. J., Smith, P. H., & Wicaksono, R. (2011). Mapping applied linguistics: A guide for students and practitioners . London: Routledge.

Heller, M., Pietikäinen, S., & Pujolar, J. (2018). Critical sociolinguistic research methods: Studying language issues that matter . New York: Routledge.

Holliday, A. (2016). Doing and writing qualitative research (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Ivankova, N. V., & Greer, J. L. (2015). Mixed methods research and analysis. In B. Paltridge & A. Phakiti (Eds.), Research methods in applied linguistics: A practical resource (pp. 63–81). London: Bloomsbury.

Kaplan, R. (Ed.). (2010). The Oxford handbook of applied linguistics (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

King, K. A., & Mackey, A. (2016). Research methodology in second language studies: Trends, concerns, and new directions. Modern Language Journal, 100 , 209–227.

Linck, J., & Cunnings, I. (2015). The utility and application of mixed-effects models in second language research. Language Learning, 65 (S1), 185–207.

Liu, Q., & Brown, D. (2015). Methodological synthesis of research on the effectiveness of corrective feedback in L2 writing. Journal of Second Language Writing, 30 , 66–81.

Mackey, A. (Ed.). (2007). Conversational interaction in second language acquisition: A collection of empirical studies . Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Mackey, A., & Gass, S. M. (2012). Second language research: Methodology and design (2nd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Mahboob, A., & Knight, N. K. (Eds.). (2010). Appliable linguistics . London: Continuum.

Mahboob, A., Paltridge, B., Phakiti, A., Wagner, E., Starfield, S., Burns, A., … De Costa, P. I. (2016). TESOL quarterly research guidelines. TESOL Quarterly, 50 , 42–65.

Marsden, E., Mackey, A., & Plonsky, L. (2016). Breadth and depth: The IRIS repository. In A. Mackey & E. Marsden (Eds.), Advancing methodology and practice: The IRIS repository of instruments for research into second languages (pp. 1–21). New York, NY: Routledge.

Marsden, E. J., Morgan-Short, K., Thompson, S., & Abugaber, D. (in press). Replication in second language research: Narrative and systematic reviews, and recommendations for the field. Language Learning, 68 (2).

Marsden, E., Thompson, S., & Plonsky, L. (in press). A methodological synthesis of self-paced reading in second language research. Applied Psycholinguistics .

Mckay, S. L. (2006). Researching second language classrooms . Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

McKinley, J., & Rose, H. (Eds.). (2017). Doing research in applied linguistics: Realities, dilemmas and solutions . London and New York: Routledge.

Moeller, A. J., Creswell, J. W., & Saville, N. (Eds.). (2015). Language assessment and mixed methods . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Norouzian, R., de Miranda, M. A., & Plonsky, L. (in press). The Bayesian revolution in L2 research: An applied approach. Language Learning .

Norris, J. M., Plonsky, L., Ross, S. J., & Schoonen, R. (2015). Guidelines for reporting quantitative methods and results in primary research. Language Learning, 65 , 470–476.

Norton, B., & De Costa, P. I. (2018). Research tasks on identity and language education. Language Teaching, 51 , 90–112.

Nunan, D., & Bailey, K. (2009). Exploring second language classroom research: A comprehensive guide . Boston: Heinle Cengage Learning.

Ortega, L. (2015). Research synthesis. In B. Paltridge & A. Phakiti (Eds.), Research methods in applied linguistics: A practical resource (pp. 225–244). London: Bloomsbury.

Paltridge, B., & Phakiti, A. (Eds.). (2010). Continuum companion to research methods in applied linguistics . London: Continuum.

Paltridge, B., & Phakiti, A. (2015a). Developing a research project. In B. Paltridge & A. Phakiti (Eds.), Research methods in applied linguistics: A practical resource (pp. 260–278). London: Bloomsbury.

Paltridge, B., & Phakiti, A. (Eds.). (2015b). Research methods in applied linguistics: A practical resource . London: Bloomsbury.

Paquot, M., & Plonsky, L. (2017). Quantitative research methods and study quality in learner corpus research. International Journal of Learner Corpus Research, 3 , 61–94.

Pawlak, M., & Aronin, L. (2014). Essential topics in applied linguistics and multilingualism: Studies in honor of David Singleton . New York: Springer.

Book   Google Scholar  

Perry, F. L. (2012). Research in applied linguistics: Becoming a discerning consumer (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

Phakiti, A. (2014). Experimental research methods in language learning . London: Bloomsbury.

Phakiti, A., & Paltridge, B. (2015). Approaches and methods in applied linguistics research. In B. Paltridge & A. Phakiti (Eds.), Research methods in applied linguistics: A practical resource (pp. 5–25). London: Bloomsbury.

Plonsky, L. (2013). Study quality in SLA: An assessment of designs, analyses, and reporting practices in quantitative L2 research. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 35 , 655–687.

Plonsky, L. (2014). Study quality in quantitative L2 research (1990–2010): A methodological synthesis and call for reform. Modern Language Journal, 98 , 450–470.

Plonsky, L., Egbert, J., & LaFlair, G. T. (2015). Bootstrapping in applied linguistics: Assessing its potential using shared data. Applied Linguistics, 36 , 591–610.

Plonsky, L., & Gass, S. (2011). Quantitative research methods, study quality, and outcomes: The case of interaction research. Language Learning, 61 , 325–366.

Plonsky, L, & Ghanbar, H. (in press). Multiple regression in L2 research: A methodological synthesis and meta-analysis of R 2 values . Manuscript under review.

Plonsky, L., & Oswald, F. L. (2015). Meta-analyzing second language research. In L. Plonsky (Ed.), Advancing quantitative methods in second language research (pp. 106–128). New York, NY: Routledge.

Plonsky, L., & Oswald, F. L. (2017). Multiple regression as a flexible alternative to ANOVA in L2 research. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 39 , 579–592.

Richards, K., Ross, S., & Seedhouse, P. (2012). Research methods for applied language studies: An advanced resource book for students . New York and London: Routledge.

Schmitt, N. (2002). An introduction to applied linguistics . London: Arnold.

Simpson, J. (Ed.). (2011). The Routledge handbook of applied linguistics . New York: Routledge.

Starfield, S. (2015). Ethnographic research. In B. Paltridge & A. Phakiti (Eds.), Research methods in applied linguistics: A practical resource (pp. 137–152). London: Bloomsbury.

Sterling, S., & Gass, S. (2017). Exploring the boundaries of research ethics: Perceptions of ethics and ethical behaviors in applied linguistics research. System, 70 , 50–62.

Tao, J., Shao, G., & Gao, X. (2017). Ethics-related practices in internet-based applied linguistics research. Applied Linguistics Review, 8 , 321–354.

Ziegler, N. (2016). Methodological practices in interaction in synchronous computer mediated communication: A synthetic approach. In A. Mackey & E. Marsden (Eds.), Instruments for research into second languages: Empirical studies advancing methodology (pp. 197–223). New York, NY: Routledge.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Sydney School of Education and Social Work, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Aek Phakiti

Department of Linguistics and Languages, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

Peter De Costa

Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA

Luke Plonsky

School of Education, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Sue Starfield

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Aek Phakiti .

Editor information

Editors and affiliations.

Sydney School of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Department of Linguistics, Germanic, Slavic, Asian and African Languages, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

Applied Linguistics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA

Copyright information

© 2018 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Phakiti, A., De Costa, P., Plonsky, L., Starfield, S. (2018). Applied Linguistics Research: Current Issues, Methods, and Trends. In: Phakiti, A., De Costa, P., Plonsky, L., Starfield, S. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Applied Linguistics Research Methodology. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59900-1_1

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59900-1_1

Publisher Name : Palgrave Macmillan, London

Print ISBN : 978-1-137-59899-8

Online ISBN : 978-1-137-59900-1

eBook Packages : Social Sciences Social Sciences (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

• DOI: 10.1017/cbo9781139013734
• Corpus ID: 159722899

Research Methods in Linguistics

• L. Litosseliti
• Published 9 April 2010
• Linguistics

79 Citations

A genre analysis and corpus based study of university lecture introductions, methodology and pedagogy in educational sociolinguistics: researching and teaching in linguistically diverse schools, maintaining confessional discourse through presupposition in feminist speech, personal research collections : examining research practices and user needs in art historical research, active and passive voice constructions by indonesian student writers, oral narrative genres as communicative dialogic resources and their correlation to african short fiction, transitivity process and ideological construction of donald trump's speeches, (im)politeness in email communication: how english speakers and chinese speakers negotiate meanings and develop intercultural (mis)understandings, the development of reading strategies: a longitudinal study on chinese international master's students, measure words in learning and teaching chinese as a second language, related papers.

Showing 1 through 3 of 0 Related Papers

1st Edition

The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in Applied Linguistics

• Taylor & Francis eBooks (Institutional Purchase) Opens in new tab or window

Description

The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in Applied Linguistics provides a critical survey of the methodological concepts, designs, instruments and types of analysis that are used within the broad field of applied linguistics. With more than 40 chapters written by leading and emerging scholars, this book problematizes and theorizes applied linguistics research, incorporating numerous multifaceted methodological considerations and pointing to the future of good practice in research. Topics covered include: key concepts and constructs in research methodology, such as sampling strategies and mixed methods research; research designs such as experimental research, case study research, and action research; data collection methods, from questionnaires and interviews to think-aloud protocols and data elicitation tasks; data analysis methods, such as use of R, inferential statistical analysis, and qualitative content analysis; current considerations in applied linguistics research, such as a need for transparency and greater incorporation of multilingualism in research; and recent innovations in research methods related to multimodality, eye-tracking, and advances in quantitative methods. The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in Applied Linguistics is key reading for both experienced and novice researchers in Applied Linguistics as well as anyone undertaking study in this area.

Table of Contents

Jim McKinley is an associate professor of applied linguistics and TESOL at the Institute of Education, University College London, UK. Heath Rose is an associate professor of applied linguistics at the Department of Education, University of Oxford, UK.

About VitalSource eBooks

VitalSource is a leading provider of eBooks.

• Access your materials anywhere, at anytime.
• Customer preferences like text size, font type, page color and more.
• Take annotations in line as you read.

Multiple eBook Copies

This eBook is already in your shopping cart. If you would like to replace it with a different purchasing option please remove the current eBook option from your cart.

Book Preview

The country you have selected will result in the following:

• Product pricing will be adjusted to match the corresponding currency.
• The title Perception will be removed from your cart because it is not available in this region.

Let your curiosity lead the way:

Apply Today

• Arts & Sciences
• Graduate Studies in A&S

Methods in Linguistic Research

Linguistics 258.

Breadcrumbs Section. Click here to navigate to respective pages.

The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in Applied Linguistics

DOI link for The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in Applied Linguistics

Get Citation

The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in Applied Linguistics provides a critical survey of the methodological concepts, designs, instruments and types of analysis that are used within the broad field of applied linguistics. With more than 40 chapters written by leading and emerging scholars, this book problematizes and theorizes applied linguistics research, incorporating numerous multifaceted methodological considerations and pointing to the future of good practice in research. Topics covered include:

• key concepts and constructs in research methodology, such as sampling strategies and mixed methods research;
• research designs such as experimental research, case study research, and action research;
• data collection methods, from questionnaires and interviews to think-aloud protocols and data elicitation tasks;
• data analysis methods, such as use of R, inferential statistical analysis, and qualitative content analysis;
• current considerations in applied linguistics research, such as a need for transparency and greater incorporation of multilingualism in research; and
• recent innovations in research methods related to multimodality, eye-tracking, and advances in quantitative methods.

The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in Applied Linguistics is key reading for both experienced and novice researchers in Applied Linguistics as well as anyone undertaking study in this area.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter | 12  pages, introduction, part i | 118  pages, key concepts and current considerations, chapter 1 | 14  pages, methodological transparency and its consequences for the quality and scope of research, chapter 2 | 10  pages, multi-perspective research, chapter 3 | 13  pages, expanding the scope of mixed methods research in applied linguistics, chapter 4 | 11  pages, chapter 5 | 13  pages, ensuring translation fidelity in multilingual research, chapter 6 | 11  pages, researching multilingually in applied linguistics, chapter 7 | 11  pages, solidarity and the politics of ‘us’, chapter 8 | 10  pages, advancing quantitative research methods, chapter 9 | 14  pages, interdisciplinary research, chapter 10 | 9  pages, ethics in applied linguistics research, part ii | 145  pages, designs and approaches to research, chapter 11 | 11  pages, experimental and quasi-experimental designs, chapter 12 | 10  pages, case study research, chapter 13 | 11  pages, ethnography, chapter 14 | 11  pages, autoethnography and critical ethnography, chapter 15 | 12  pages, action research in language education, chapter 16 | 11  pages, core dimensions of narrative inquiry, chapter 17 | 12  pages, methodological issues in critical discourse studies, chapter 18 | 19  pages, integrating corpus tools into mixed methods research, chapter 19 | 10  pages, systematic reviews in applied linguistics, chapter 20 | 13  pages, meta-analysis in applied linguistics, chapter 21 | 11  pages, methods and approaches in language policy research, chapter 22 | 12  pages, grounded theory method, part iii | 106  pages, data collection methods, chapter 23 | 11  pages, planning and conducting ethical interviews, chapter 24 | 12  pages, focus groups, chapter 25 | 10  pages, think-aloud protocols, chapter 26 | 12  pages, stimulated recall, chapter 27 | 12  pages, questionnaires, chapter 28 | 12  pages, observations and field notes, chapter 29 | 12  pages, diaries and journals, chapter 30 | 10  pages, oral language elicitation tasks in applied linguistics research, chapter 31 | 13  pages, eye tracking as a data collection method, part iv | 131  pages, data analysis, chapter 32 | 13  pages, using statistical analysis software (r, spss), chapter 33 | 17  pages, descriptive statistics in data analysis, chapter 34 | 12  pages, inferential statistics in quantitative data analysis, chapter 35 | 13  pages, factor analysis and statistical modeling in applied linguistics, chapter 36 | 13  pages, qualitative content analysis, chapter 37 | 11  pages, text analysis, chapter 38 | 10  pages, analysis of corpora, chapter 39 | 14  pages, a discursive psychological approach to the analysis of talk and text in applied linguistics, chapter 40 | 12  pages, multimodal (inter)action analysis, chapter 41 | 14  pages, toward an expansive interactional analysis.

• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• Cookie Policy
• Taylor & Francis Online
• Taylor & Francis Group
• Students/Researchers
• Librarians/Institutions

Connect with us

Registered in England & Wales No. 3099067 5 Howick Place | London | SW1P 1WG © 2024 Informa UK Limited