In other words, CSTA centers on an identifiable problem, as it historically exists in the field of composition research. Second, CSTA is not a highly formalized analysis. Simply put, text analysts who employ CSTA engage in a process of constructing a careful and well-considered interpretation of research findings. Finally, CSTA is a methodology that frequently combines qualitative and quantitative forms of analysis in an effort to support the plausibility of an interpretation. Acknowledging its reliance on and vested interest in various and related disciplinary theories, CSTA draws upon empirical data collection as well as more qualitative forms of analytical description.
Texts are the product of an attempt by a writer to communicate meaning to one or more readers.
This assumption is rooted in the recognition that writers are always and already invested in textual production. Meaning includes not only propositional content but metalinguistic and interpersonal content as well . Writers try to use language in cognitively efficient ways . Linguistic conventions that are recognizable to both writers and readers are efficient ways to manage textual production. Thus, linguistic conventions are often sites of CSTA investigation.