Language documentation tools and methods: Difference between revisions

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=== Principles for recording ===

Since documentation of languages is often difficult, with many languages that linguists work with being endangered (they may not be spoken in the near future), it is recommended to record at the highest quality possible given the limitations of a recorder. For video, this means recording at HD resolution (1080p or 720p) or higher when possible, while for audio this means recording minimally in uncompressed WAV, 44.1khz, 16-bit resolution. Arguably, however, good recording techniques (isolation, microphone selection and usage, using a tripod to minimize blur) is more important than resolution. A microphone that gives a clear recording of a speaker telling a folktale (high signal/noise ratio) in MP3 format (such as to a phone) is better than an extremely noisy recording in WAV format where all that can be heard are cars going by. To ensure that good recordings can be obtained, linguists should practice with their recording devices as much as possible and compare the results to observe which techniques yield the best results.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/51818554|title=Phonetic data analysis : an introduction to fieldwork and instrumental techniques|last=Ladefoged|first=Peter|date=2003|publisher=Blackwell Pub|year=|isbn=0631232699|___location=Malden, MA|pages=|oclc=51818554}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Chelliah|first=Shobhana L.|last2=de Reuse|first2=Willem J.|date=2011|title=Handbook of Descriptive Linguistic Fieldwork|url=httphttps://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-90-481-9026-3|language=en-gb|doi=10.1007/978-90-481-9026-3}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1029352513|title=Understanding linguistic fieldwork.|last=Meakins, Felicity; Green, Jennifer; Turpin, Myfany|first=|publisher=|others=|year=2018|isbn=9781351330114|___location=London|pages=|oclc=1029352513}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|date=2011-11-24|editor-last=Thieberger|editor-first=Nicholas|title=The Oxford Handbook of Linguistic Fieldwork|url=http://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199571888.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199571888|language=en-US|doi=10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199571888.001.0001}}</ref>

=== Workflows ===