Methodolgy

�Although the main focus of discourse analysis is on language, it is not concerned with language alone. It also examines the context of communication: who is communicating with whom and why.’

(Cook: �The Discourse of Advertising:1992:3)

3.0 Methodology

3.1 Data Collection.

For the primary focus of my research assignment, three �popular’ magazines were selected which would provide a comparable sample in terms of readerships; Redline (December, 2002), Gardener’s World (April 2002) and Cosmopolitan (March 2004). Further to this, issue 335 of Auto Freeway (27th November 2003) was acquired for the second segment of the research assignment.

3.2 Data Selection.

The multitude of advertisements featured within the publications meant that a precise, systematic analysis of them all would not have complied with the space and time constraints placed upon this project. Therefore, a total of eleven advertisements were selected from the three �popular’ magazines to form a comparable sample of data. This selection process involved narrowing the overall choice advertisements from the publications. The sample was therefore selected from advertisements that were allocated at least half a page in space and featured a significant amount of textual data i.e. advertisements that contained 30 words or more. This was to ensure that there was a significant amount of textual and visual evidence, to which, my analytical frameworks could be applied to. As a result of this selection process, the following advertisements (shown in figure 1) form the basis of my comparable sample.

Source Reference

Advertised Product Magazine Magazine Page Reference

A Gmax Full Suspension Kit

(Appendix A, pg 54) Redline 77

B Redex Petrol Injector Plus

(Appendix B, pg 55) Redline 41

C Plutonium Ground Zero Hi Fi System (Appendix C, pg 56 Redline 86

D The Adult Channel

(Appendix D, pg 57) Redline 151

E Maximuscle Ache-Free

(Appendix E, pg 58) Gardener’s World 125

F Westland Compost

(Appendix F, pg 59) Gardener’s World 52

G Hartley Botanic Glasshouses

(Appendix G, pg 60) Gardener’s World 2

H Head & Shoulders

(Appendix H, pg 61) Cosmopolitan 44

I Ford Fiesta Silver

(Appendix I, pg 62) Cosmopolitan 91-92

J Mazda 3

(Appendix J, pg 64) Cosmopolitan 102

K Loreal Feria Color Booster

(Appendix K, pg 65) Cosmopolitan 48-49

Figure 1: Table indicating details of my selected sample of advertisements. See Chapter 8 (Appendix chapter for inclusion of advertisements)

For the second aspect of my discussion, a double-page spread advertisement was selected from Auto Freeway as a basis of analysis (see appendix N, chapter 8). I deemed this extract as relatively �standard’ in terms of its layout and language features.

3.3 Data Analysis.

Fairclough’s framework of textual analysis was utilised as the most significant analytical tool throughout this assignment. This framework was established by Norman Fairclough in his publication, �Language and Power’ (2001), and provided me with a systematic process of examining the textual elements of the advertisements.

Unlike Fairclough’s full model of �critical discourse analysis’, I did not extend my research to consider issues of �social networks’ that may or may not surround my sample of advertisements. I was predominantly concerned with the �semiotics’ aspect of the framework. �Semiotics’ refers to �a general science of �signs’, of which, according to many scholars in the 20th century, linguistics is a part’ (Matthews:1997:336). In light of this, I considered linguistic �signs’ that indicated audience design as a significant underlying feature of advertising language. Following an extensive textual analysis, I selected and presented the main features that indicated audience design as a significant aspect of the advertising language.

Further to this, I adopted a semiotic-based approach of analysing visual images featured within my sample of advertisements. This framework was established by Jewitt and Oyama, in their article, �Visual Meaning: a Social Semiotic Approach’ (van Leeuwen & Jewitt (eds):2001:134-156). After completing a comprehensive visual analysis on each advertisement, I specifically chose to concentrate on features that directly coincided with the aspect of audience consideration. The following three theories were predominant factors throughout my discussion of visual-orientated findings (see section 4.4, page 35):

• Contact:

Visual images that show characters looking directly at, or making eye-contact with the audience, are labelled by Kress and van Leeuwen as �demand’ pictures. By contrast, certain images depict characters in a more detached manner, as if we were viewing them as �specimens in a display case.’ (Jewitt

...