publications

books

Norris, S. (ed).  2012.  Multimodality and Practice: Investigating Theory-in-Practice-through-Method.  New York: Routledge.

Norris, S.  2011.  Identity in (Inter)action: Introducing Multimodal (Inter)action Analysis.  Berlin, Boston: deGruyter Mouton.

articles and book chapters

Norris, S. 2013 forthcoming. Multimodal (inter)action analysis. In: Albers P, Holbrook T, Flint A.S. New Methods in Literacy Research. London, New York: Routledge.

Abstract: In this chapter, Norris discusses the methodology called multimodal (inter)action analysis. First, she gives an overview of the origin, the units of analyses and heuristic tools of the methodology. Then, she illustrates the methodology with one novel example in which a usually lower-level action of reading a number balloons into a higher-level action of reading. Through this development of a lower-level into a higher-level action, the actual higher-level action that the social actor was focusing upon is pushed back in her attention, bringing with it some frustration.

Norris, S. 2013 forthcoming.  Multimodal (Inter)action Analysis: An Integrative methodology.  In: Cornelia Müller, Ellen Fricke, Alan Cienki, David McNeill (eds). Body – Language – Communication.   Berlin, New York: de Gruyter Mouton.

Abstract: This article is an introduction to the theoretical and methodological backgrounds of
multimodal (inter)action theory. The aim of this theory is to explain the complexities
of (inter)action, connecting micro- and macro levels of analysis, focusing on the social
actor. The most important theoretical antecedent, mediated discourse analysis (see
Scollon 1998, 2001b), is presented with its key concepts mediated action and modes.
It is shown how action is used as the unit of analysis and how modes are understood
in multimodal (inter)action analysis – as complex cultural tools, as systems of
mediated action with rules and regularities and different levels of abstractness. Subsequently, methodological basics are introduced, such as lower-level, higher-level and frozen action; modal density, which specifies the attention/awareness of the social actor; and horizontal and vertical simultaneity of actions. Horizontal simultaneity can be plotted on
the heuristic model of foreground-background continuum of attention/ awareness. Vertical
simultaneity of actions comprises the central layer of discourse (immediate actions), the
intermediate layer (long-term actions) and the outer layer (institutional or societal contexts).
In short, it is sketched how multimodal (inter)action analysis aims to answer questions
about the interconnection of the different modes on a theoretical as well as on a
practical level.

White, P. 2012. Multimodality’s challenge to marketing theory: A Discussion. Multimodal Communication 1(3), pp. 305-323 November 2012

Abstract: This discussion challenges conventional marketing theory regarding posters and billboards in the twenty first century. It argues against the prevailing dogmatic statement that a poster or billboard must communicate its message in mere seconds (Drewniarny and Jewler 2011). It also points out that convergence of traditional media with new communication technologies is challenging the notion that posters and billboards are still most often viewed from a distance by passers-by (Arens 2004).
In contrast, it proposes that assessing how people interact with billboards and posters from
a mediated and multimodal discourse perspective is more useful. This involves looking
at posters and billboards when they are actually in use rather than considering them
only as they are present in the environment. The modal density foreground-background
continuum (Norris 2004), the concept of a site of attention (Jones 2005) and the idea of
the communicative space (White 2012) are multimodal discourse methodology tools that
prove particularly illuminating in this context. While no empirical data is analysed as part of
this discussion, mediated and multimodal discourse analysis of two specific examples from
previous studies serves to illustrate the points made here.

Norris, S. 2012 [2002].  The Implication of Visual Research for Discourse Analysis:  Transcription beyond Language.  In: Dicks, Bella (ed).  Digital Qualitative Research Methods.  London, New Delhi: Sage.

Norris, S. 2012.  The creation of a community artist in everyday life:  Long-duration process and creative actions.  In Jones, R. H. (ed) Discourse and creativity. Harlow, UK: Pearson Education.

Norris, S.  2011.  Practice-based research:  Multimodal explorations through poetry and painting.  Multimodal Communication 1(1): 31-46.

Abstract: In this article, I investigate the practice-based research project called the poetry-to-painting project that the independent German artist, Andrea Brandt, who has also been a participant in two of my ethnographic studies on identity production, and I are involved in.
Divorce: A visual essay (Norris and Brandt, 2011) illustrates Andrea’s early to current emotive stages that she links to the life-changing event, her divorce. Taking this project as my example, I develop some theoretical thoughts and demonstrate how a practice-based project embeds and produces theoretical thought. In order to establish this theoretical thinking, I lean on mediated discourse theory (Scollon, 1998, 2001) and multimodal (inter)action analysis (Norris, 2004, 2011a).
Through this project, the notion of modes is revisited, as is the notion of practice and nexus of practice as these pertain to the practice-based research project. Throughout the article, I show that practice-based research may gain by taking a multimodal mediated approach. This approach fosters a new way of thinking and thereby fosters the development of knowledge through practice-based research.

Norris, S. & Brandt A.  2011. Divorce: A visual essay.  Multimodal Communication 1(1): 21-30.

Abstract: This visual essay incorporates poetry and paintings, telling a narrative about the stages of divorce that Andrea (retrospectively) experienced. The stages developed through this project were not lived as such, but rather are an analysis of past lived experience. The paintings, which were produced in 2011 embed poems that were written around the year 2000 during an ethnographic study on identity construction (Norris, 2011) in which Andrea was one of the participants. Back then, the researcher used poetry to jot down emotions of participants and other difficult-to-describe aspects encountered during ethnographic fieldwork. This year, we revisited the poems that came about because of Andrea’s divorce at the time, and illustrate our findings in this essay.

Norris, S. 2011. Three hierarchical positions of deictic gesture in relation to spoken language: A multimodal interaction analysis.  Visual Communication. 10(2):1-19.

Norris, S. 2011. Teaching Touch/Respons-Feel: A first step to an analysis of touch from an (inter)active perspective. In: Norris, S. (ed) Multimodality and Practice: Investigating Theory-in-Practice-through-Method.  New York: Routledge.

Sissons, H. 2011. Multimodal exchanges and power relations in a public relations department. In: Norris, S. (ed) Multimodality and Practice: Investigating Theory-in-Practice-through-Method.  New York: Routledge.

White, P. 2011. Receptions as social action: The case of marketing. In: Norris, S. (ed) Multimodality and Practice: Investigating Theory-in-Practice-through-Method.  New York: Routledge.

Lange, C. 2010. Visibility/Involvement Model: A Tool for Arts Marketing. Marketing Intelligence and Planning.

White, P. 2010. Grabbing attention: The importance of modal density in advertising. Visual Communication.

Norris, S. 2009.  Modal density and modal configurations: Multimodal actions. In Jewit , C. (ed) Routledge Handbook for Multimodal Discourse Analysis.  London: Routledge.

Norris, S.  2009.  Tempo, Auftakt, Levels of Actions, and Practice: Rhythms in Ordinary Interactions.  Journal of Applied Linguistics 6 (3)

other publications

Geenen, J. 2012. Multimodality and Identity Construction. In: Carol A. Chapelle (ed). The Encyclopaedia of Applied Linguistics. Somerset, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.

Norris, S. 2012. Mediatisierte Diskurs Analyse; Mediated discourse analysis. In: Martin Reisigl, Alexander Ziem, Martin Nonhoff, Johannes Angermüller und Daniel Wrana (eds). Wörterbuch für interdisziplinäre Diskursforschung.  Berlin: Suhrkamp.

Norris, S. 2012. Geosemiotik; Geosemiotics. In Martin Reisigl, Alexander Ziem, Martin Nonhoff, Johannes Angermüller und Daniel Wrana (eds). Wörterbuch für interdisziplinäre Diskursforschung.  Berlin: Suhrkamp.

Norris, S. 2012.  Nexus Analyse; Nexus analysis.  2011.  Martin Reisigl, Alexander Ziem, Martin Nonhoff, Johannes Angermüller und Daniel Wrana (eds). Wörterbuch für interdisziplinäre Diskursforschung.  Berlin: Suhrkamp.

Norris, S.  2012.  Multimodal Communication: Overview.   In: Carol A. Chapelle (ed). The Encyclopaedia of Applied Linguistics. Somerset, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.

Norris, S. 2012.  Discourse Analysis: Overview.  In: Carol A. Chapelle (ed). The Encyclopaedia of Applied Linguistics. Somerset, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.

Norris, S. 2012. Multimodal Interaction Analysis. In: Carol A. Chapelle (ed). The Encyclopaedia of Applied Linguistics. Somerset, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.

Sissons, H. 2012. Transcribing Multimodal Interaction. In: Carol A. Chapelle (ed). The Encyclopaedia of Applied Linguistics. Somerset, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.

Sissons, H. 2012. Biography: Sarangi, Srikant. In: Carol A. Chapelle (ed). The Encyclopaedia of Applied Linguistics. Somerset, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.

Wells, J. & Wong, F. 2012. Mediated Discourse Analysis. In: Carol A. Chapelle (ed). The Encyclopaedia of Applied Linguistics. Somerset, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.