A brief teaching on discourse analysis as a research method: for Housing Studies students

A brief teaching on discourse analysis as a research method: for Housing Studies students (information from perplexity.ai)

My question: "Briefly highlight the main ideas of discourse analysis as a research method in housing studies with reference to the following topics: (1) favored research philosophy, (2) favored research method design techniques, (3) favored research method design quality criteria, (4) favored data analysis techniques, and (5) favored researcher's impression management approach in conducting the discourse analysis."

The reply: "The main ideas of discourse analysis as a research method in housing studies can be summarized as follows, referencing the specified topics:

(1) Favored Research Philosophy:

Discourse analysis in housing studies often adopts a critical or social constructionist research philosophy. This recognizes that housing discourses are socially constructed and influenced by power relations, ideology, and social context rather than reflecting objective facts. For example, a critical realist or social constructionist framework is common, which allows exploration of how discourses shape and reflect social realities and inequalities in housing.

(2) Favored Research Method Design Techniques:

The design is usually qualitative in nature and may combine multiple data sources such as policy documents, media texts, interviews, or social media data to capture the complexity of housing discourse. Researchers tend to use approaches like Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) or Fairclough’s dialectical-relational model, which includes detailed textual analysis alongside contextual and institutional interpretation.

(3) Favored Research Method Design Quality Criteria:

Quality in discourse analysis is assessed through trustworthiness and transparency. This includes clear documentation of data collection, coding, and analysis processes, and ensuring the interpretations are intelligible and accessible. Inter-subjective validity is emphasized, meaning interpretations should be understandable and open to critique by others, enhancing their credibility.

(4) Favored Data Analysis Techniques:

Data analysis involves close textual examination to identify themes, patterns, rhetorical strategies, and power relations in the language used. Techniques include coding for discourse types and strategies, linguistic and rhetorical pattern analysis, and interpretation within broader social, historical, and political contexts. Software tools like MAXqda may be used for managing qualitative data.

(5) Favored Researcher's Impression Management Approach:

Researchers in discourse analysis manage impression by situating their interpretations transparently within theoretical frameworks and explicating their analytical choices. They acknowledge their positionality and aim to create interpretations that can invite dialogue and critique rather than asserting absolute truths. This reflective and critical stance helps manage how findings are presented and perceived.

In sum, discourse analysis in housing studies is a qualitative, critical, and interpretive research method grounded in social constructionism, using rigorous and transparent textual analysis combined with contextual interpretation, with careful attention to the researcher's positionality and the credibility of interpretations."

A useful video to study: discourse analysis

A collection of blog notes on using chatgpt for research purpose.