Differences over discourse structure differences: a reply to Urquhart and Urquhart
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-02-2014-0037 |
| Date | 09 March 2015 |
| Published date | 09 March 2015 |
| Pages | 224-232 |
| Author | Jennie A. Abrahamson,Victoria L. Rubin |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Records management & preservation,Document management |
Differences over discourse
structure differences: a reply
to Urquhart and Urquhart
Jennie A. Abrahamson and Victoria L. Rubin
Faculty of Information and Media Studies,
Language & Information Technology Research Lab (LIT.RL),
University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to respond to Urquhart and Urquhart’s critique of the previous
work entitled “Discourse structure differences in lay and professional health communication”,
published in this journal in 2012 (Vol. 68 No. 6, pp. 826-851, doi: 10.1108/00220411211277064).
Design/methodology/approach –The authors examine Urquhart and Urquhart’s critique and
provide responses to their concerns and cautionary remarks against cross-disciplinary contributions.
The authors reiterate the central claim.
Findings –The authors argue that Mann and Thompson’s (1987, 1988) Rhetorical Structure
Theory (RST) offers valuable insights into computer-mediated health communication and deserves
further discussion of its methodological strength and weaknesses for application in library and
information science.
Research limitations/implications –While the authors agree that some methodological limitations
pointed out by Urquhart and Urquhart are valid, the authors take this opportunity to correct certain
misunderstandings and misstatements.
Originality/value –The authors argue for continued use of innovative techniques borrowed from
neighbouring disciplines, in spite of objections from the researchers accustomed to a familiar strand of
literature. The authors encourage researchers to consider RST and other computational linguistics-
based discourse analysis annotation frameworks that could provide the basis for integrated research,
and eventual applications in information behaviour and information retrieval.
Keywords User studies, Research methods, Written communications, Health,
Information science and documentation
Paper type Viewpoint
1. Introduction
We thank Urquhart and Urquhart for their detailed and enthusiastic consideration
of our recent work (Abrahamson and Rubin, 2012), and for opening the debate
on the use of the Rhetorical Structure Theory (RST) in library and information
science (LIS) research. One of our objectives was to foster further discussion and
research in LIS on all aspects of the work represented, particularly in integrated
approaches to information behaviour and information retrieval system research,
and use of a pragmatics-level linguistics approach in health communication and
information use. After providing a brief background, we respond to several of Urquhart
and Urquhart’s concerns.
2. Background and our central claim
In Abrahamson and Rubin (2012) we positioned our research in the contex t of
laypeople seeking health-related information via public consumer health web sites.
We collected a sample of comparable lay (consumer) and professional (physic ian) online
responses to health-related questions about living with the chronic disease, diabetes.
Journal of Documentation
Vol. 71 No. 2, 2015
pp. 224-232
©Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0022-0418
DOI 10.1108/JD-02-2014-0037
Received 26 February 2014
Revised 26 February 2014
Accepted 3 March 2014
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0022-0418.htm
224
JDOC
71,2
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