This edited book presents contemporary empirical research investigating the use of language in professional settings, drawing on the contributions of a set of internationally-renowned authors. The book takes a critical approach to understanding professional communication in a range of fields and global contexts. Split into three parts, covering Healthcare, Business, Politics and Institutions, the contributors explore how and why academics engage in workplace research which takes the form of 'consultancy', 'advocacy' and 'activism'. In light of an ever-changing, ever-demanding global landscape, this volume offers new theoretical and methodological ways of conducting professional communication research with real-world impact. It will be of interest to linguistics and communication researchers and practitioners, particularly those working in sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, business communication, health communication, political communication, language and the law and organisational studies. 

Louise Mullany is Professor of Sociolinguistics at the University of Nottingham, UK. She is also the Founder and Director of Linguistic Profiling for Professionals, an innovative research-based consultancy and business unit based in the Centre for Research in Applied Linguistics at the University of Nottingham.

“An imperative underpinning the modes and modalities of professional communication research is to embrace a societally relevant impact agenda through intervention and influence. The editor and the contributors – committed to ‘responsive’ and ‘responsible’ research with a ‘reflexive’ mentality – rise to the practical and ethical challenges of ‘translational research’ admirably and refreshingly in linking empirically grounded research across diverse settings, domains and methodologies with their lived experiences of consultancy, advocacy and activism.” (Srikant Sarangi, Professor in Humanities and Medicine, Aalborg University, Denmark, Emeritus Professor, Cardiff University,UK)

“The positive and practical impact of research in the organisational space is all too often pushed to the margins in scholarly writing. From linguistic consultancies in corporate, political and healthcare institutions to expert advocacy and social media activism, this exciting new collection- including contributions from field-leaders and experienced professionals- demonstrates the treasures to be found at the researcher-practitioner interface.” (Meredith Marra, Professor in Linguistics and Director, Language in the Workplace, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand)

“A much-needed book that explores the challenges of professional communication in different workplace contexts across the globe. Addressing a range of specific sociocultural problems through professional communication analysis, it offers valuable insights for both researchers and practitioners.” (Helen Spencer-Oatey, University of Warwick, UK)