Digital Approaches to Textual Analysis Course
Have you ever wondered how digital technologies could help with the analysis of texts whether it is a single text or a large corpora? Rapid developments in the field mean that these technologies are easier to use and more readily available than ever before. This free online course provides a practical introduction to working with digital texts and applying some of the tools available to digitise and interrogate them. The course is divided into the three strands: Core Concepts, Applications and Workflows; Preparing Texts for Analysis; and Analysing Digital Texts. It will help you to decide whether and how to use digital approaches to textual analysis and to select the correct tools for your research project.
The course is fully asynchronous and while it does not include any formal assessment, you will receive a certificate upon completion of the course materials. The course is hosted on the School of Advanced Study’s RESHAPED research training platform for the humanities and you will need to create a free account in order to track your learning and receive a certificate of completion.
Learning Outcomes
After completing this resource, learners will be able to:
- identify and evaluate digital textual analysis methods and workflows
- apply Optical Character Recognition (OCR) tools effectively to digitise texts and decide if using OCR is appropriate
- explore how far big data and distant reading techniques can address specific research questions
- use digital tools like Voyant effectively to analyse digital texts, focusing on the goals of discovery, measurement, and interpretation