QQ+concordance: an analysis tool for text research

This paper presents a software+hardware package for the annotation and analysis of texts, using a combination of common word-processors or text editors and free concordancing software. This package, called "QQ+Concordance," uses in-line tags--tags which are inserted in the linear stream of text--to capture formal, pragmatic, syntactic, semantic, stylistic, contextual and other aspects of texts. The KWIC analyses (key word in context) of QQ- tags support analyses of co-occurrences and patterns of tags with tags, tags with text, and text with text. QQ+Concordance provides a viable learning framework for students of language. The process of developing, refining and analyzing tags and their patterns, allows students of text analysis to familiarize themselves with the processes of analysis in a nuts-and-bolts way, and to use the output to construct arguments and theories about the content and implications of the components of texts.