Collection of people or groups that work towards a common goal through communication. "A 'discourse community' is a group of individuals bound by a common interest who communicate through approved channels and whose discourse is regulated" (Porter 1986, 38–39). This group develops a process for communication, a unique vocabulary of jargon, and a power structure tied to the source of their community. John Swales maintains that genres both “belong” to discourse communities and help to define them. He outlined six characteristics of discourse communities: (1) common public goals; (2) methods of communicating among members; (3) participatory communication methods; (4) genres that define the group; (5) a lexis; and (6) a standard of knowledge needed for membership (Swales 1990, 471-473).
Source: Discourse community. (n.d.). Genreacrossborders.Org. Retrieved July 15, 2024, from https://genreacrossborders.org/gxb-glossary/discourse-community
Examples include:
letters and diaries
interview transcripts, recordings of speeches, social media posts
statistical data, empirical studies, government documents
works of art, films, and performances
photographs and newspaper reports
Source: Streefkerk, R. (2018, June 20). Primary vs. Secondary sources. Scribbr. https://www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/primary-and-secondary-sources/
Examples include:
interviews with members of the community
TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media exchanges
Reddit and other “traditional” message boards
listservs
newsletters, zines, trade publications
any other texts typical to the community
Example written (message board) vocabulary that the community uses: Ritchie, Brick City, Goodbye, Goodbuy, wellness course, RIT Kosovo
Example written or spoken (Discord) vocabulary that the community uses: creeper, co-op, Steve, dungeon, diamond sword
Example spoken (commentary) vocabulary that the community uses: ippon, tokui-waza, tori, uke, obi
Example spoken and written (email) vocabulary that the community uses: reference, circulation, serials & acquisitions, one-shot
Secondary sources provide second-hand information and commentary from other researchers.
Examples include:
encyclopedias
academic journal articles
academic books
reviews and essays
Source: Streefkerk, R. (2018, June 20). Primary vs. Secondary sources. Scribbr. https://www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/primary-and-secondary-sources/
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and staff for academic and teaching purposes only.
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