Multidimensional description of register variation in social media and popular culture

• Grant number: 25/04855-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: August 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Linguistics, Literature and Arts - Linguistics - Applied Linguistics
• Principal Investigator: Antonio Paulo Berber Sardinha
• Grantee: Andréa Cristina Martins Santos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Comunicação, Letras e Artes. Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/05848-7 - Multi-Dimensional Analysis of Language, Discourse and Society, AP.TEM

Abstract

The current project, in accordance with the work plan approved by FAPESP, aims to carry out a Multidimensional Analysis of language in use, more specifically of mass communicative forms such as social media and traditional media, including television, journalism, and cinema. In alignment with Axis 2 of the Thematic Project, the main goal of this investigation is to identify the underlying dimensions of linguistic variation that characterize these domains. The central methodology employed to achieve this objective is Multidimensional Analysis, which focuses on identifying dimensions-sets of correlated linguistic features that correspond to parameters of variation in language use. The main methodological steps to be followed include the careful collection of representative corpora from the domains of interest, in English; the automatic annotation of the texts in order to detect relevant linguistic features; the quantification of these features; statistical analysis through Factor Analysis; and the interpretation of the resulting factors as dimensions of variation. Statistical tests will also be conducted to assess the proportion of variation captured across different strata of the corpus. This proposal will benefit from the extensive international, interinstitutional collaborative research network mobilized by the Thematic Project, while also contributing to its goal of expanding the reach of Multidimensional Analysis as an analytical approach. The results will contribute to a comprehensive and detailed description of institutional domains, thereby enabling a better understanding of their linguistic composition and their influence in contemporary society.