The Literature-Linguistics Interface -- Bridging the Gap Between Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches to Literary Texts

Abstract

This issue of Umanistica Digitale is devoted to the conference “Bridging Gaps, Creating Links. The Qualitative-Quantitative Interface in the Study of Literature”, which took place at the DiSLL (Department of Linguistic and Literary Studies), University of Padua, on June 7-9, 2018 and was convened by Rocco Coronato and Sara Gesuato. The conference focused on a topic that has recently raised the attention of several scholars both in linguistics and in literary studies, namely, the combination of quantitative and qualitative methods in the study of literature. Mixed-method approaches to the study of literary texts provide complementary insights into the formal encoding, rhetorical-narrative structure, topics and wording of various kinds of literary texts. The results obtained through such combined research methods cast light on the socio-historical themes, beliefs, ideologies and cultural constructs being conveyed. The papers of the conference, some of which appear in this special issue, showed how a mixed-method investigation can both detect patterns and themes that might otherwise go unnoticed without considering the overall content and context of literary works, and collect and systematize quantitative evidence for testing qualitative interpretations of those works.