Analyzing discourse topics and topic keywords

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Publication Details

Author list: Todd R.W.

Publisher: De Gruyter

Publication year: 2011

Journal: Semiotica: Journal of the International Association for Semiotic Studies (0037-1998)

Volume number: 2011

Issue number: 184

Start page: 251

End page: 270

Number of pages: 20

ISSN: 0037-1998

eISSN: 1613-3692

URL: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-79953168476&doi=10.1515%2fsemi.2011.029&partnerID=40&md5=66973004b96c7bb1285f5b0cbb2d70b9

Languages: English-Great Britain (EN-GB)

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Abstract

Discourse topic is an intractable and inherently subjective notion making analysis problematic. This paper overcomes some of the problems by treating topic as a fuzzy concept and views discourse topics as sets of topic keywords. The study examines the identification of topic boundaries and topic keywords by informants and by four methods of analyzing topics - topical structure analysis, given-new progression, lexical analysis, and topic-based analysis. Comparing the findings from these four methods against those from the informants, it was found that given-new progression is the most valid method for identifying topic boundaries, and topic-based analysis is the most valid for identifying topic keywords. There are also notable differences in the types of keywords identified and the bases for identifying keywords between the methods and the informants. ฉ Walter de Gruyter.

Keywords

Discourse topic, Given-new progression, Lexical analysis, Topic-based analysis, Topic boundary, Topic keyword