Digital Discourse Database

About

The Digital Discourse Database (DDD) is an open-access, participatory archive of newspaper stories concerned with language and communication in new media contexts.

Funded with support from the Swiss National Science Foundation, the DDD is the cornerstone of a research project based at the University of Bern: "The Cultural Discourses and Social Meanings of Mobile Communication" (click here for more detail). The project is directed by Professor Crispin Thurlow and being carried out by a doctoral researcher, Vanessa Jaroski. It is also associated with a larger research programme "What's Up, Switzerland?" (click here for more detail).

The DDD covers local (Swiss), regional (European) and international news sources publishing in a selection of languages; specifically, the major national languages of Switzerland – French, Italian and German – as well as English and Spanish. For copyright reasons, the DDD archives summaries of news stories together with a link to the original news source or third-party database (e.g. LexisNexis).

For questions or suggestions, please email info@digitaldiscoursedatabase.com.

Using the database

SEARCHING: Select the search tab above. Enter one or more keywords into the search bar; your results are filtered automatically. It is also possible to click on one or more of the keyword tags to narrow your results. Be sure to deselect any keywords if a combined search is not required. [Note: To access LexisNexis, individual or institutional membership will be required.]

POSTING: Select the post tab above. We welcome news stories which concern any new/digital technology whether online or mobile; stories must address some aspect of language, communication (i.e. verbal, visual, etc.) or social interaction (e.g. relationships, identities, communities). Please complete and submit the form as indicated. Submissions are reviewed for relevance before posting. Thank you.