A Meta-Analysis of Corpus-Based Approaches to CDA: Pakistani and International Perspectives (2015–2025)

Abstract

This article presents a comprehensive meta-analysis of corpus-based approaches to Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) by synthesizing empirical research from Pakistani and international contexts between 2015 and 2025. Critical Discourse Analysis is a multidisciplinary research paradigm that explores how language constructs and reflects power, ideology, and inequality. When combined with corpus linguistics (CL), CDA gains methodological rigor by integrating computational tools, such as concordance, collocation, frequency analysis, and keyword analysis. The present study systematically reviews ten research articles, five from Pakistan and five from global contexts, to examine methodological designs, corpus compilation strategies, analytical frameworks, and thematic foci. Findings reveal that Pakistani studies often emphasize political, educational, and media discourses but face limitations due to underdeveloped corpora and a lack of digitization in regional languages. International research, by contrast, benefits from advanced corpus resources and large datasets but risks cultural misinterpretation and excessive reliance on quantitative techniques. The study contributes to theoretical advancement by mapping the synergy between CDA and corpus linguistics, methodological innovation through identifying strengths and gaps, and pedagogical utility by offering a synthesized framework for future research. Implications include the need for multilingual corpus development in Pakistan, qualitative–quantitative integration in international studies, and cross-cultural comparisons to enhance validity and inclusivity. Ultimately, corpus-based CDA demonstrates considerable potential for analyzing ideology, representation, and power across a wide range of discourses, though its effectiveness depends on balancing computational rigor with critical interpretation.