ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of discourse analysis before presenting a focused analysis of Discourse Theory, and includes the key concepts and models and a number of criticisms. It discusses some of the adjustments made to the theory, and an evaluation of the applicability of discourse theory as a research methodology. The chapter deals with the operationalisation of the methodological theory into the empirical research strategy. It addresses issues of sampling and text selection, details the starting points of reference for the analysis, and an evaluative schema for qualitative textual analysis research. The chapter shows discourse theory provides a number of theoretical concepts, categories and models which allow the refinement of the research questions produced by surveillance theory and the analytics of governance. Textual analysis is a strong method for social and political research for a number of reasons.
