Corpus Linguistics and Digital Humanities. Intersecting Paths. A Case Study from Twitter

Abstract

In this paper I aim at critically discussing the role of Corpus Linguistics within the field of Digital Humanities. I posit that the accessible and user-friendly tools of Corpus Linguistics are an optimal resource for scholars within the Humanities and the Social Sciences to engage in Digital Humanities and take in its effort to bring computing techniques to humanities research even further. I also present a case study based on data collected from Twitter as an example of how the two approaches can come together within the framework of American Studies. In this paper American Studies is conceived as a discipline inclusive of any perspective that looks at the American continent rather than a specific field of research. I conclude by endorsing the crossing paths between Digital Humanities and Corpus Linguistics as a necessity in the future of Digital Humanities.

Keywords

• Digital Humanities
• corpus linguistics
• American studies
• Twitter
• WMatrix