There are currently multiple pieces of software available to the community for analyzing and scoring text files to provide meaningful information. Unfortunately, the cost for some of this software is a large barrier that prevents many people from undertaking research that might prove both interesting and fruitful. As such, I have undertaken a project to provide a basic, albeit useful, solution to this problem.
I would like to introduce RIOT (Recursive Inspection of Text) Scan to the community. This software is designed with the intention of providing a free software solution for those interested in performing research with bodies of text. I initially developed this software to calculate some indices of language use, such as hapax legomena and coefficient of variation for phrase length, thought to be of interest by Dr. Colin Martindale. I have recently added a content coding feature to the software as well.
In its current form, this software processes .txt files and outputs a variety of indices descriptive of language use. There is also the option to do content coding; this feature scores language categories from multiple traditions. Currently, the content coding feature performs the following scoring systems:
- LIWC2007 system developed by Pennebaker et al
- Harvard IV-4 Inquirer system developed by Stone, Osgood, and colleagues
- Regressive Imagery system developed by Colin Martindale
- Body Type system developed by Wilson
This software is in its infancy, and feedback from users is crucial. Please report any bugs or errors upon discovery.
The software is currently available for free at http://riot.ryanb.cc