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In:Register and Discourse through the Lens of Corpus Linguistics
Edited by Nuria Yáñez-Bouza, Dolores González-Álvarez and Esperanza Rama-Martínez
[Studies in Corpus Linguistics 127] 2026
► pp. 241–265

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Chapter 9
“I’m not a scientist but I did study physics”

Exploring grammatical patterns of expertise on Reddit

 | University of Helsinki
Published online: 24 March 2026
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https://doi.org/10.1075/scl.127.09hil
Abstract
This chapter examines how references to expert knowledge are used as rhetorical resources in public online discourse, focusing on Reddit discussions related to science and technology. In light of a broader crisis of expertise, where traditional scientific authority is increasingly contested in public discourses, the study investigates how terms such as expert and scientist function rhetorically on Reddit. Adopting a corpus-pragmatic framework with form-to-function mapping, the study identifies lexicogrammatical patterns associated with these terms and interprets their discourse functions using the framework of local grammars. The analysis suggests that references to expertise are not only employed to enhance the credibility of claims through appeals to an authority, but also for downplaying the importance of expertise through disclaimers, which are pragmatically appropriate given the informal and conversational nature of the register of Reddit. By contextualizing the findings within sociological theories of expertise, the chapter provides insights into how expertise is conceptualized and negotiated in participatory digital environments.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Background
    • 2.1Expertise and public discourses
    • 2.2Expertise on internet forums
    • 2.3Towards a lexicogrammatical perspective on expert terms
  • 3.Material and methods
    • 3.1The Reddit Expertise Corpus
    • 3.2Retrieval and analysis of grammatical patterns
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1Frequencies of expert terms
    • 4.2Local grammar analysis of expert and scientist
      • 4.2.1Local grammar analysis of expert
      • 4.2.2Local grammar analysis of scientist
  • 5.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
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