Shan (2023)
Shan, G. G. (2023) Corpus Linguistics Strategies for Identifying Accepted Theories in Early Modern England. Scientonomy 5, 47-71. Retrieved from https://scientojournal.com/index.php/scientonomy/article/view/42259.
| Title | Corpus Linguistics Strategies for Identifying Accepted Theories in Early Modern England |
|---|---|
| Resource Type | journal article |
| Author(s) | G. G. Shan |
| Year | 2023 |
| URL | https://scientojournal.com/index.php/scientonomy/article/view/42259 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.33137/js.v5i.42259 |
| Journal | Scientonomy |
| Volume | 5 |
| Pages | 47-71 |
Abstract
The paper investigates the applicability of corpus linguistics to the construction of a database of intellectual history. Working with the Royal Society Corpus (RSC), it presents a series of corpus queries that can aid with computationally identifying potential instances of communal theory acceptance in England during the period of 1665-1800. These queries allowed to identify a set of noun-adjective pairs potentially synonymous with “accepted theory” and retrieve around 1,400 excerpts potentially indicative of instances of communal theory acceptance. The paper also discusses some strategies for identifying the epistemic agent, as well as the RSC’s place within the broader historical context. Finally, I argue that, in addition to exploring corpus linguistics strategies, methodologies for interpreting computationally retrieved data should also be developed.
Suggested Modifications
Here are all the modifications suggested in Shan (2023):
- Sciento-2023-0004: Accept that noun-adjective pairs within the RSC can be indicative of communal theory acceptance. The modification was suggested to Scientonomy community by G. G. Shan on 31 December 2023.1 The modification was accepted on 22 February 2024. During 2024 workshop, Andrew Wong noted that he was already using the noun-adjective pairs that this modification concerns to train AI models for the future scientonomy database project. Although Stephanie Cui pointed out that these pairs were from the RSC and as such might not be as relevant for investigating scientific change in different cultures and time periods, she still agreed that this was an excellent starting point. Hakob Barseghyan also noted that there was not as much at stake in accepting the modification as there would be in rejecting it (and essentially stating that the RSC pairs cannot ever be indicative of communal theory acceptance). Andrew Chung suggested that involving other scholars in the digital humanities could help us further refine our use of corpus linguistics strategies in the future. Thus, the acceptance of this modification would bring interdisciplinary benefits for scientonomers too. The modification was accepted unanimously (15/15 votes to accept).
