Data Collection

I will collect my data through a variety of ways to ensure that it is reliable and that there is plenty of diversity in my investigation and analysis. Some of the ways I will collect data are:

Interviews (from the past and present): using interviews from last criminals as well as recent inmates will give me an understanding of how times have changed or stayed the same and represent speech from years ago that may give me an insight into the effect the nature of a crime has on language.

Self-reported usage: self-reports are used by many linguists to gain a speaker's opinion of their own language. People describe their own language as opposed to it being recorded or written down. This method of data collection can reveal interesting insights and avoid interpretations.

Documentaries: I will watch documentaries regarding criminals and analyse the nature of the crime, other people's views on the subject and interviews used within the documentary. This will allow me to explore the language and views of criminals, such as murderers and serial killers, that I would not be able to obtain face-to-face.

Recorded interviews: I will interview criminals who may have recently been in prison and record our conversation. I will then transcribe the conversation and post it to my blog. This method will allow me to get a personal feel of the subject and give me a chance to analyse non-linguistic features.

Articles (online and written): I will do some independent research using textbooks, websites and online articles or information. This will provide evidence to support or disprove whatever points I make about my topic.

Theorists views: I will analyse and evaluate linguists' views and use them as baselines for my evidence and research. I will find these views online or in textbooks.