Analyzing Large Collections of Electronic Text Using OLAP

Abstract

Computer-assisted reading and analysis of text has applications in the humanities and social sciences. Ever-larger electronic text archives have the advantage of allowing a more complete analysis but the disadvantage of forcing longer waits for results. On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP) allows quick analysis of multidimensional data. By storing text-analysis information in an OLAP system, queries may be solved in seconds instead of minutes or hours. This analysis is user-driven, allowing users the freedom to pursue their own directions of research.