Digital methods for mediated discourse analysis

In this paper we discuss methodological strategies for collecting multimodal data using digital resources. The aim is to show how digital resources can provide ethnographic insights into mediated actions (Scollon, 2002) that can otherwise be difficult to observe or engage in, due to, for instance, restrictions or privately mediated settings. Having used mediated discourse analysis (Scollon 2002, Scollon & Scollon, 2004) as a framework in two different research projects, we show how the framework, in correlation with digital resources for data gathering, provides new understandings of 1) the daily practice of health care professionals (Author 1, 2014) and 2) young people’s identity construction on social media platforms (Author 2, 2010, 2015, in press).

The paper’s contribution is a methodological discussion on digital data collection using methods such as online interviewing (via e-mail or chat) and online questionnaire data in order to capture mediated actions and discourses in practice.