Discourse Analysis: varieties and methods

This paper presents and analyses six key approaches to discourse analysis, including political discourse theory, rhetorical political analysis, the discourse historical approach in critical discourse analysis, interpretive policy analysis, discursive psychology and Q methodology. It highlights differences and similarities between the approaches along three distinctive dimensions, namely, ontology, focus and purpose. Our analysis reveals the difficulty of arriving at a fundamental matrix of dimensions which would satisfactorily allow one to organize all approaches in a coherent theoretical framework. However, it does not preclude various theoretical articulations between the different approaches, provided one takes a problem-driven approach to social science as one?s starting-point

The crane flies (Tipulidae) of the George Reserve, Michigan.

http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/56298/1/MP053.pd

The biosynthesis of betaine and related compounds in higher plants and fungi

A satisfactory synthesis of crystalline betaine aldehyde was achieved and methods were developed for the isolation and characterization of choline, betaine aldehyde, betaine and related compounds. The suitability of these methods (ion-exchange column chromatography and thin-layer chromatography in particular) were demonstrated by their application to the choline oxidase system known to exist in the mitochondria of rat liver. Attempts were made to demonstrate a similar choline oxidase system in plants. Experiments designed to demonstrate the existence of these enzymes by spectrophotometric and polarographic methods in mitochondria extracted from plant sources were largely unsuccessful. The mitochondria were structurally intact and were of high bio chemical integrity. On the isolated occasions when stimulation of respiration occurred when choline was supplied as substrate, the formation of betaine aldehyde or betaine was never confirmed by the characterization techniques which had been developed. The existence of a permeability barrier to the uptake of choline was discounted as an explanation of the 'latency' of the enzymes investigated. The methods employed to overcome such a barrier in mitochondria extracted from rat liver were without effect on the plant systems. Radioactive choline was taken up by mitochondria, from plants and a fraction of the labelled compound became closely associated with the mitochondrial membranes. However, the level of radioactivity did not increase with time indicating an upper limit of choline uptake or a continual utilization of the choline taken up. The existence of an alternative pathway for the oxidation of choline was superficially examined but no definite conclusions could be reached

The summer crane-fly fauna of the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee

http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/56654/1/OP215.pd

The utility of unmanned probes in lunar exploration

Utility of unmanned probes of Ranger or Surveyor class in Apollo exploration program - Lunar scientific exploratio

A theory for investment across defences triggered at different stages of a predator-prey encounter

We introduce a general theoretical description of a combination of defences acting sequentially at different stages in the predatory sequence in order to make predictions about how animal prey should best allocate investment across different defensive stages. We predict that defensive investment will often be concentrated at stages early in the interaction between a predator individual and the prey (especially if investment is concentrated in only one defence, then it will be in the first defence). Key to making this prediction is the assumption that there is a cost to a prey when it has a defence tested by an enemy, for example because this incurs costs of deployment or tested costs as a defence is exposed to the enemies; and the assumption that the investment functions are the same among defences. But if investment functions are different across defences (e.g. the investment efficiency in making resources into defences is higher in later defences than in earlier defences), then the contrary could happen. The framework we propose can be applied to other victim-exploiter systems, such as insect herbivores feeding on plant tissues. This leads us to propose a novel explanation for the observation that herbivory damage is often not well explained by variation in concentrations of toxic plant secondary metabolites. We compare our general theoretical structure with related examples in the literature, and conclude that coevolutionary approaches will be profitable in future work

'Because You're Worth It': A discourse analysis of the gendered rhetoric of the ADHD woman, Qualitative Research in Psychology.

Drawing on the traditions of discursive psychology and critical discourse analysis this study examined the presentation of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in women in a sample of the most commonly identified online YouTube videos on this topic. The video material selected represented a combination of first-person testimonies from the ?sufferer? and the sharing of ?expertise? by ?professionals.? Analysis involved the identification of common rhetorical devices and evaluation of the role of these devices in conveying various key meanings or themes. The categories generated by this method told a story of the construction of an ?ADHD product? presented to women by other women, and unproblematically positioned within the biomedical discourse. Stimulant medication was endorsed for its ability to improve performance at work and in the domestic sphere. Women sufferers in the videos appear as ?active consumers? promoting the ADHD diagnosis for its ability to enable them to fulfil the ?superwoman? ideal. The medicalisation of underperformance witnessed in the videos is discussed in relation to literature on modern-day ?discourses of femininity.

"Because You're Worth It": A Discourse Analysis of the Gendered Rhetoric of the ADHD Woman

Drawing on the traditions of discursive psychology and critical discourse analysis this study examined the presentation of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in women in a sample of the most commonly identified online YouTube videos on this topic. The video material selected represented a combination of first-person testimonies from the “sufferer” and the sharing of “expertise” by “professionals.” Analysis involved the identification of common rhetorical devices and evaluation of the role of these devices in conveying various key meanings or themes. The categories generated by this method told a story of the construction of an “ADHD product” presented to women by other women, and unproblematically positioned within the biomedical discourse. Stimulant medication was endorsed for its ability to improve performance at work and in the domestic sphere. Women sufferers in the videos appear as “active consumers” promoting the ADHD diagnosis for its ability to enable them to fulfil the “superwoman” ideal. The medicalisation of underperformance witnessed in the videos is discussed in relation to literature on modern-day “discourses of femininity.

Translocations of North Island kokako, 1981-2011

The North Island kokako (Callaeas wilsoni) is a threatened endemic passerine whose distribution has declined greatly on the New Zealand mainland due primarily to predation by ship rats (Rattus rattus) and brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula). It persists in 21 populations, of which 10 (48%) have been established by translocation, and 1 has been supplemented by translocation. Of the 11 populations subject to translocation, 4 are on islands and the remainder are on the mainland; 7 translocations have resulted in successful new or supplemented populations and another 4 translocations are in progress. Translocations to another 5 sites did not establish breeding populations for various reasons. In total, there were 94 translocations of 286 kokako to the 16 sites, and the number released at a site averaged 18 (range 3-33) birds. Kokako were released at a site over an average period of 49 months (range 1-159 months) with a mean of 3 birds (maximum 10) released per day. The small numbers of kokako released and the long time required to complete a translocation were due to the difficulty and high expense of catching kokako. Translocations will continue to be important for the conservation of this species, to establish further new populations and to limit inbreeding depression and allele loss in existing populations