THE BASICS OF CORPUS COLLECTION FOR RESEARCH: PRINCIPLES, METHODS, AND PITFALLS
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Abstract:
In the domain of empirical language research, the corpus has emerged as an indispensable tool. A corpus is a large, structured, and principled collection of texts stored electronically, designed to represent a specific language variety, genre, or population (McEnery & Hardie, 2012). From lexicography and discourse analysis to second language acquisition and forensic linguistics, corpora provide researchers with quantifiable evidence of language patterns. However, the validity of any corpus-based study is fundamentally dependent on the quality and methodology of the corpus collection process. This article outlines the foundational principles of corpus collection, including defining research goals, ensuring representativeness and balance, addressing sampling strategies, handling spoken data, and navigating ethical and legal considerations.
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