Reliability Task

 

Reliability:

Task: how could you collect reliable data on the following topics:

• Editor’s letter in women’s and men’s magazines
• Brian Cox’s tweets
• Michael Gove’s comments on education

If I had to collect reliable data on an Editor's letter in women's and men's magazines, I would collect an equal amount of data. E.G. five letters in a woman's magazine, and five in a man's magazine. I would then analyse these texts, looking into the choices of lexis and grammar. Then I would look to compare the way in which these are used between texts for men and for women, trying to link this to theories about the way in which language is used between genders.

 

Looking into Brian Cox's tweets, I would choose quite a wide amount of data to ensure the reliability of my research through looking at various  tweets. I would probably select every other tweet made within a time scale of one to two weeks. This would ensure that I have enough data to look at, but not too much. I would look at how the tweets vary over time, which could suggest his mood, feelings, attitude, opinions etc. I could then look into theory and see if there are any theories on the way in which men use language to display different emotions.

 

To collect comments made my Michael Gove based on education, I would watch videos/clips such as interviews on him talking of this subject. I would then transcribe these, and analyse the way in which he talks, and uses different techniques to assert power and share opinions in a persuasive way. I could then try to apply the way he talks to any theories.