Linguistics
This guide provides information and selected resources on linguistics available to you through UCalgary Library and the Internet
Sources for Linguistic Data
Data is the foundation of research in linguistics, whether you collect it yourself or use what others have gathered. There are a number of places where you can find existing datasets; below are some examples:
General Sources
- The Language Archive: https://archive.mpi.nl/tla/
- Created by the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, TLA has audio and video language corpus data from around the world, records of speech in everyday interactions, information about linguistic phenomena and documentation, and more.
- Endangered Languages Archive: https://www.elararchive.org/
- A digital repository of multimedia collections from endangered languages across the world, hosted by the Berlin-Brandenburg
Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
- A digital repository of multimedia collections from endangered languages across the world, hosted by the Berlin-Brandenburg
- Archive of the Indigenous Languages of Latin America: https://www.ailla.utexas.org/
- A digital archive of material in and about indigenous languages of Latin America, hosted by the University of Texas at Austin.
- The Rosetta Project: https://archive.org/details/rosettaproject
- A global collaboration of language specialists and native speakers containing nearly 10,000 pages of material from 2500 languages. Created by the Long Now Foundation and hosted by the Internet Archive.
- The TalkBank System: https://talkbank.org/
Language-Specific Sources
- British National Corpus: http://www.natcorp.ox.ac.uk/
- A 100 million word collection of samples of written and spoken language from a wide range of sources, designed to represent a wide cross-section of British English, both spoken and written, from the late twentieth century.
- English Corpora: https://www.english-corpora.org/corpora.asp
- A collection of multiple English corpora from different time periods, with different sources, and from different countries.
- The ARTFL Project
- A collaboration between the French government and the University of Chicago which provides its members with access to North America's largest collection of digitized French resources. Available through the library catalogue at the link above.
- El Corpus del Espanol: https://www.corpusdelespanol.org/x.asp
- Multiple Spanish corpora, including both historical and modern language.
For help with finding other resources, contact the Linguistics librarian.
Analyzing Your Data
Statistics for Linguists by ISBN: 9781315165547Publication Date: 2019-10-30Statistics for Linguists: An Introduction Using R is the first statistics textbook on linear models for linguistics. The book covers simple uses of linear models through generalized models to more advanced approaches, maintaining its focus on conceptual issues and avoiding excessive mathematical details. It contains many applied examples using the R statistical programming environment. Written in an accessible tone and style, this text is the ideal main resource for graduate and advanced undergraduate students of Linguistics statistics courses as well as those in other fields, including Psychology, Cognitive Science, and Data Science.
Corpus Linguistics and Statistics with R by ISBN: 3319645706Publication Date: 2017-12-07This textbook examines empirical linguistics from a theoretical linguist's perspective. It provides both a theoretical discussion of what quantitative corpus linguistics entails and detailed, hands-on, step-by-step instructions to implement the techniques in the field. The statistical methodology and R-based coding from this book teach readers the basic and then more advanced skills to work with large data sets in their linguistics research and studies. Chapters cover topics including corpus processing, frequencing data, and clustering methods. Case studies illustrate each chapter with accompanying data sets, R code, and exercises for use by readers. This book may be used in advanced undergraduate courses, graduate courses, and self-study.
The Routledge Handbook of Experimental Linguistics by ISBN: 9781003392972Publication Date: 2023-09-03The Routledge Handbook of Experimental Linguistics provides an up-to-date and accessible overview of various ways in which experiments are used across all domains of linguistics and surveys the range of state-of-the-art methods that can be applied to analyse the language of populations with a wide range of linguistic profiles. Each chapter provides a step-by-step introduction to theoretical and methodological challenges and critically presents a wide range of studies in various domains of experimental linguistics.
Research Methods in Sociolinguistics by ISBN: 9780470673607Publication Date: 2013-10-14This single-volume guide equips students of sociolinguistics with a full set of methodological tools including data collection and analysis techniques, explained in clear and accessible terms by leading experts. It features project suggestions, troubleshooting tips, and data assessment across diverse languages. Explores an array of anthropological and scientific methods that cover the full spectrum of contemporary sociolinguistics, from the study of style and discourse analysis to the study of phonetics Details the types of data available, and explains collection methods ranging from sociolinguistic interviews to linguistic landscapes Provides comprehensive coverage of data analysis, subdivided into segments on linguistic and socio-cultural techniques, and linked to numerous languages Includes useful summaries, seasoned advice and troubleshooting tips, ideas for research projects, and a full directory of supplementary reading- Quantitative Research Methods for Linguists byISBN: 9781315181707Publication Date: 2017-07-14Quantitative Research Methods for Linguistics provides an accessible introduction to research methods for undergraduates undertaking research for the first time. Employing a task-based approach, the authors demonstrate key methods through a series of worked examples, allowing students to take a learn-by-doing approach and making quantitative methods less daunting for the novice researcher. Key features include: Chapters framed around real research questions, walking the student step-by-step through the various methods; Guidance on how to design your own research project; Basic questions and answers that every new researcher needs to know; A comprehensive glossary that makes the most technical of terms clear to readers; Coverage of different statistical packages including R and SPSS.
Research Methods in Second Language Acquisition by ISBN: 9781444347340Publication Date: 2012-02-21Research Methods in Second Language Acquisition: A Practical Guide is an informative guide to research design and methodology in this growing and vibrant field. Utilizing research methods and tools from varied fields of study including education, linguistics, psychology, and sociology, this collection offers complete coverage of the techniques of second language acquisition research. This guide covers a variety of topics, such as second language writing and reading, meta-analyses, research replication, qualitative data collection and analysis, and more.
Understanding Linguistic Fieldwork by ISBN: 9780203701294Publication Date: 2018-03-19Understanding Linguistic Fieldwork offers a diverse and practical introduction to research methods used in field linguistics. Designed to teach students how to collect quality linguistic data in an ethical and responsible manner, the key features include: A focus on fieldwork in countries and continents that have undergone colonial expansion, including Australia, the United States of America, Canada, South America and Africa; a description of specialist methods used to conduct research on phonological, grammatical and lexical description, but also including methods for research on gesture and sign, language acquisition, language contact and the verbal arts; and examples of resources that have resulted from collaborations with language communities and which both advance linguistic understanding and support language revitalisation work.
Managing Your Research Data
It's important to consider how you'll manage the data you're collecting, both during the active phases of your research project and after it's complete. Here are some resources that can help you in this area.
- The Open Handbook of Linguistic Data Management
- Written by linguists for linguists, this is a guide to principles and methods for the management, archiving, sharing, and citing of linguistic research data, especially digital data.
- UCalgary's Research Data Management LibGuide
- A general guide to all things research data management, including links to key tools and resources.
- PRISM Data
- UCalgary's institutional data repository, where you can share data collected as part of a research project.
- DMP Assistant
- A free, Canadian, bilingual tool to help you create data management plans (DMPs) before you start a research project.
- A free, Canadian, bilingual tool to help you create data management plans (DMPs) before you start a research project.