Modelling Text

Abstract

Chapter 5, Modelling text – a case study, presents a case study examining examples of activities of modelling around the concepts of text and textuality. It qualifies as an anthology, a gallery, an empirical study, and an experiment on finding a different mode of argumentation to “change the launch pad” into future discussions around modelling. In this chapter, models are exposed primarily as specific and situated visual representations we experience when studying and modelling texts. They are presented following a What You See is What You Get approach. The argument takes a different form of expression from the other chapters by discussing models and their visualisations with the presentation of topical quotes extracted from the literature alongside their iconic counterparts, either in their original version or as interpreted visually by the authors and the designers. This effort is in itself an example of modelling as a translation process in action. The chapter spans various disciplines and illustrates different modes of making implicit and explicit models, covering a broad range from theoretical descriptions to concrete applications in the realm of text technologies and knowledge representation. The overall selection for examples aims to offer a “graphical” argument of how different models represent conceptualisations of and perspectives on texts in different ways, illustrating key concepts discussed in the previous chapters, and encouraging the readers to engage with the topic further.