Researching Vocabulary is written for language researchers who want to
carry out valid and reliable studies on first and second language
vocabulary. The author is a well-known vocabulary researcher and he
outlines the dos and don'ts of good lexical research. Practical advice
is given on a wide variety of research methodologies, ranging from
paper-and-pencil tests of acquisition to the newest psycholinguistic
techniques utilizing fMRI scanning. Some of the many topics include
initial learning of the form-meaning link, attrition, the role of
frequency and the L1 in vocabulary research, receptive and productive
knowledge of vocabulary, formulaic language, word associations,
vocabulary measurement, vocabulary learning strategies, and computer
simulations of vocabulary acquisition. The book includes a Resources
section which outlines the lexical tests, corpora, software, internet
sites, and other resources available to vocabulary researchers. A list
of past and present vocabulary researchers, annotated with their
specialisms, is also provided.