ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the case is made for the generalizability and validity of the book's content and its core contribution: a generic method for tracking semiosis. The study is positioned in relation to established research conventions. A full explanation is given of the book's philosophical and methodological origins. Because it takes a stratified view of classroom interactions, an analogy with archaeology is explored and developed in order to characterize elements of the research not normally associated with studies based on classroom data. With the rapidly changing patterns of global communication and their impact on education around the world, the book's contribution is presented as being timely and relevant.
