ISSN:
1572-8412
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Computer Science
,
Media Resources and Communication Sciences, Journalism
Notes:
Concluding comments To date we have produced maps with all responses to each individual question, frequency counts for all primary responses, and individual maps for separate responses that occurred at least 10 times. These individual-response maps were used in drawing the isoglosses on various maps, as illustrated in Maps I–IV. As of January 1976, all the data have been coded, keypunched, proofread, corrected, and stored on magnetic tape. What remains to be done is continuing modification of the programming to produce (1) maps that use variables other than geographical location, (2) statistical analyses of the basic data in a sociolinguistic perspective, (3) further labeling of data to reflect the dialect divisions found in the preliminary analysis, and finally (4) further statistical analyses of data within and along the edges of these dialect subdivisions. Because the initial goal, the identification of clearly regional items, is a somewhat limited, though a necessary preliminary of the entire investigation, we have not yet programmed the subroutines to calculate densities of items in given areas or to compute statistical correlations among variables. Even though it is still necessary, with our present program and data files, to find distributional patterns by eye and draw isoglosses by hand, ultimately the entire operation enables us to accomplish much more in a shorter period of time than would ever have been possible without the computer.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02426315
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