This volume is designed to provide researchers with an understanding of essential concepts in the field of social science as well as to equip them with tools, strategies, and methods to approach the study of genres and texts in an increasingly complex field. Ruth Wodak emphasizes the intertextual and interdisciplinary nature of social science research and the importance of researchers being aware of alternative methodological and theoretical approaches and being able to select the appropriate approach for their particular data set.

The volume itself represents the multiplicity of genres, text types, and methodological approaches. The first part focuses on methods of analyzing traditional genres. In chapter 2, Gerlinde Mautner discusses the use of print media as a data source and highlights the importance of the methods of selecting appropriate texts, alongside understanding the conditions of production and consumption surrounding the dataset, in addition to detailing a toolkit for the analysis of print media sources. Helmut Gruber, in chapter 3, deals with the issues surrounding the study of new media forms and discusses a sample pilot project revealing how those genres should be investigated. In chapter 4, Alexander Pollak discusses problems that arise when analyzing TV documentaries, including problems of authenticity and truth; he provides a structured approach to the successful analysis of audiovisual materials. In chapter 5, Martin Reisigl outlines an eight-step approach to the analysis of political rhetoric in an attempt to move toward a transdisciplinary “politolinguistic” approach to counteract previous “amateur” approaches to the development of theory and methodology in this area. In the final chapter of Part 1, Greg Myers focuses on interactions between candidates in broadcast political debates, in contrast to the traditional approach of questioning content and format.

The focus in the second half of the book shifts from concentration on the analysis of particular genres to the discussion of methodologies: interviews, ethnography, and focus groups. Jackie Abell & Greg Myers, in chapter 7, discuss an alternative approach to the study of research interviews, where the focus of analysis is on the interaction between the interviewer and interviewee rather than a straightforward analysis of the research interview data. In chapter 8, Michal Krzyzanowski also uses discourse analysis to investigate one of the key methods of qualitative exploration in the social sciences – the focus group. Then, in chapter 9, Florian Oberhuber & Michal Krzyzanowski aim to discuss the ways “the study of discourse can be enhanced by an ethnographic analysis of particular socio-cultural locales” (p.182).

This volume provides an interesting and accessible discussion of major terms and concepts in the field of discourse analysis as well as analyses of particular genres and clear illustrations of major methodological approaches. It is a valuable read for students and researchers new to the field.