Research Methodology

We have many tools in our toolbox. Our faculty and students use a variety of computer-based tools such as Praat for speech analysis. Other tools include Python, R, SPSS, and  E-Prime. Our faculty employ three main methods of inquiry in their research, which are outlined below. 

Field Methods

Our faculty and graduate students work in the field with native speakers of languages like Somali, Yami and the Fijian languages. We train our students to elicit, store and analyze data that they collect.

People in Field Methods:

Professor
Associate Professor
Professor
Quechua Instructor, Quechua Program Coordinator, Quechua Minor Advisor

Experimental Methods

Some of our faculty members create experiments using crowd-sourced data like the Mechanical Turk or by inviting participants to our two language research labs, one of which is equipped with Whisper Rooms and eye-tracking equipment.

People in Experimental Methods:

Assistant Professor
Professor
Associate Professor
Professor of psychology and linguistics
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor

Computational Methods

Python and R are versatile computational platforms that are enormously popular in data-scientific communities, and they have become essential tools in linguistic research. Python has emerged as the de facto standard for computational linguistics and natural language processing. R, on the other hand, continues to be the programming language of choice for statistically oriented scholars. Many of our faculty members have embraced them as central methods in their research. 

People in Computational Methods:

Teaching Professor
Assistant Professor
Teaching Assistant Professor
Professor
Associate Professor, Carnegie Mellon University
Assistant Professor