Multimodality¿s popularity as a semiotic approach has not resulted in a common voice yet. Its
conceptual anchoring as well as its empirical applications often remain localized and disparate
and ideas of a theory of multimodality are heterogeneous and uncoordinated. For the field to
move ahead it must achieve a more mature status of reflection mutual support and interaction
with regard to both past and future directions. The red thread across the disciplines reflected
in this book is a common goal of capturing the mechanisms of synergetic knowledge construction
and transmission using diverse forms of expressions i.e. multimodality. The collection of
chapters brought together in the book reflects both a diversity of disciplines and common
interests and challenges thereby establishing an excellent roadmap for the future. The
contributions revisit and redefine theoretical concepts or empirical analyses which are
crucial to the study of multimodality from various perspectives with a view towards evolving
issues of multimodal analysis. With this the book aims at repositioning the field as a
well-grounded scientific discipline with significant implications for future communication
research in many fields of study.
