From Word-based to Concept-based Text Analysis: the PhiloNet Project

ITC-irst and the Department of Phylosophy of the University of Bologna have started a joint project, PhiloNet, with the main goal of developing tools for semantic concordances. PhiloNet`s workplan articulates into two main phases: the first phase is concerned with the development of techniques for semantic concordances, and the study of their effectiveness and added value with respect to traditional, word-oriented methodologies. The second phase attempts at improving the methodology by developing a specialized philosophical WordNet, with the objective of providing scholars with more precise and informative semantic concordances. This work reports on results currently available from the project. We discuss semantic concordances in detail, showing why and how WordNet can play a major role to this effect. We describe the criteria followed in the construction of the specialized phylosophical WordNet. Then we exemplify the methodology developed for semantic concordances, providing data about its effectiveness and improvement over traditional, word-based techniques