The Search for Meaning in Higher Education Research: A Discourse Analysis of ASHE Presidential Addresses

In this study, we utilized discourse analysis to examine past ASHE Presidential Addresses. Study findings highlight recurrent themes related to: the way that agency is assigned to various higher education actors (e.g., undergraduate students, faculty members); appropriate research topics and approaches; and higher education as a distinctive field of study. Our findings suggest that, although higher education is not a distinct discipline, it has assumed some disciplinary characteristics—mostly notably the creation of a discourse community predicated on specialized knowledge and recurrent discursive strategies.