Applying Corpus Linguistics in Discourse Analysis

The present study employed corpus analytical tools to study and compare BP Company’s CSR reports before and after the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Corpus linguistics served in the research as a methodological tool since it ensured a more qualitative research methodology. And Fairclough’s three-dimensional conception was employed to explore how an organization uses justificatory discursive strategies to legitimize its operations after perceived disasters.