Investigation Analysis and Write-Up

The analysis section is the heart of your language investigation. It is where you demonstrate your ability to apply linguistic methods to real data, and it is where the majority of your marks are earned. A strong analysis goes far beyond describing what you found — it interprets, evaluates, and connects findings to linguistic theory. This lesson covers how to structure your investigation, how to analyse data effectively at multiple language levels, and how to write up your findings in a clear, academic style.

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Structuring the Investigation

Your 2000-word investigation should follow a clear structure. While the AQA specification does not prescribe a rigid format, the following structure is widely recommended and mirrors the conventions of academic linguistic research: