Abstract

Much research has been devoted to the development of analytical systems for linking different parts of texts for the purpose of determining meaning. This article introduces a referencing system meant for analysing institutional policy texts. The referencing system makes it practical to link clauses and sentences with paragraphs and policy objectives with multiple activities of institutional documents under analysis. Based on a hierarchical numbering order, the referencing system revolves around the analytical principles of Halliday’s Functional Grammar. Using policy sentences of the International Monetary Fund and Ghana in their relationship, the paper demonstrates how meanings can be determined from institutional policy texts without a reference to institutional authors. Without undermining the contributions of institutional authors to the formulation of institutional policy texts, the paper questions their role in meaning making and refers to institutional authors as “scriptors” of institutional texts.

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