Applying Corpus Linguistics to Illness and Healthcare

Semino, Elena and Baker, Paul and Brookes, Gavin and Collins, Luke and McEnery, Anthony (2025) Applying Corpus Linguistics to Illness and Healthcare. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. ISBN 9781009477673

Abstract

Communication is central to the experience of illness and the provision of healthcare. This book showcases the insights that can be gained into health communication by means of corpus linguistics – the computer-aided linguistic analysis of large datasets of naturally occurring language use known as 'corpora'. The book takes readers through the stages that they must go through to carry out corpus linguistic research on health communication, from formulating research questions to disseminating findings to interested stakeholders. It helps readers anticipate and deal with different kinds of challenges they may encounter, and shows the variety of applications of the methods discussed, from interactions in Accident and Emergency departments, to online discussions of mental illness, and press representations of obesity. Providing the reader with a wide range of clear case studies, it makes the relevant methods and findings accessible, engaging and inspiring.