Quantitative Analysis of Culture Using Millions of Digitized Books
Harvard University · Quantitative BioSciences · +8 more institutions
Abstract
We constructed a corpus of digitized texts containing about 4% of all books ever printed. Analysis of this corpus enables us to investigate cultural trends quantitatively. We survey the vast terrain of 'culturomics,' focusing on linguistic and cultural phenomena that were reflected in the English language between 1800 and 2000. We show how this approach can provide insights about fields as diverse as lexicography, the evolution of grammar, collective memory, the adoption of technology, the pursuit of fame, censorship, and historical epidemiology. Culturomics extends the boundaries of rigorous quantitative inquiry to a wide array of new phenomena spanning the social sciences and the humanities.
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 1453.96
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 30
Authors
14- JMJean-Baptiste MichelCorresponding
Harvard University, Quantitative BioSciences, Harvard College Observatory, Center for Systems Biology
- YSYuan Shen
Harvard University Press, Harvard College Observatory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- APAviva Presser Aiden
Harvard University, Harvard University Press, Harvard College Observatory
- AVAdrian Veres
Harvard University Press, Harvard College Observatory
- MKMatthew K. Gray
Google (United States)
Topics & keywords
- Quantitative analysis (chemistry)
- Linguistics
- Chemistry
- Philosophy
- Chromatography
- Quality Education