Learn how to use AntConc to explore the Gazetteers of Scotland dataset.
This guide has been designed to introduce the free text analysis software, AntConc, and how it can be used to explore the National Library of Scotland’s data collections. We will walk you through what you can expect from our datasets, and give you a beginner’s introduction to AntConc using our Gazetteers of Scotland as an example.
By the end of this tutorial, you should be able to:
– upload texts into AntConc;
– use a range of tools within AntConc to analyse the Library’s gazetteer collection in greater depth to learn more about Scotland’s geographic history;
-save your results.
Questions this tutorial can help you begin investigating include:
– Which types of words are clustered together in this dataset?
– What types of phrases appear frequently across the corpus?
– Which words commonly appear within range of locations such as Edinburgh and Glasgow?
– How can text quality affect the outcomes of such searches and analysis?
This tutorial was developed and written by Ash Charlton, PhD student at the University of Edinburgh.
We also recommend trying the Programming Historian’s Corpus Analysis with AntConc training
A note on the data
The text used in this introduction to AntConc using the Gazetteers of Scotland was digitised with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and and has not been manually corrected. As a result, certain words and numbers may not be accurately represented. For example, incorrect characters may appear such as “ ¬”. Analysis conducted in AntConc should thus be viewed as estimates and a guide for further research.
Due to the historical nature of the dataset (the Gazetteers date back to 1803), the language may include terms or sentiments that are considered inappropriate today. The language of this collection does not reflect the values of the National Library of Scotland. Rather, it reflects historical values that offer insight on historical perceptions of places and people.
Access the tutorial
Download the guide
Download a PDF guide: An Introduction to AntConc using the Gazetteers of Scotland.
Please zoom in on images if greater clarity is needed.
Cite this tutorial
DOI: https://doi.org/10.34812/bhjv-b153
Document creator: Ash Charlton and National Library of Scotland
Document publisher: National Library of Scotland
Publication year: 2023
Suggested citation: Charlton, Ash and National Library of Scotland. Introduction to AntConc using the Gazetteers of Scotland. National Library of Scotland, 2023. https://doi.org/10.34812/bhjv-b153
Which dataset did this tutorial use?
This tutorial used Gazetteers of Scotland: Gazetteers of Scotland on the Data Foundry website