Re: Re: Google searches as linguistic evidence: msg#00091 science.linguistics.corpora

I suppose I should do 'a research' on this.

Sorry, I thought I already had: here is my posting of 8/12/06:

The Cobuild dictionary (3rd ed 2001) entry describes "research"

as "N-UNCOUNT also N in pl",
i.e. it is uncountable (ie not used with a/an in singular form);
but is also used as a plural noun.

Bank of English evidence:

Query is "researches/NOUN" [*Note from RK: to the extent that the POS tagging is accurate...]
Term 1 in your query has been selected as the node

272 matching lines

Corpus Total Number of Average Number per
Occurrences Million Words

brbooks 76 1.8/million [BRITISH BOOKS]
newsci 10 1.3/million [NEW SCIENTIST]
strathy 19 1.2/million [CANADIAN DATA]
indy 29 1.0/million [INDEPENDENT]
guard 30 0.9/million [GUARDIAN]
usbooks 23 0.7/million [USA BOOKS]
usacad 4 0.6/million [USA ACADEMIC]
usephem 2 0.6/million [USA EPHEMERA]
brmags 24 0.5/million [BRITISH MAGAZINES]
brspok 9 0.4/million [BRITISH SPOKEN]
times 23 0.4/million [TIMES]
bbc 8 0.4/million [BBC WORLD SERVICE]
econ 5 0.3/million [ECONOMIST]
oznews 8 0.2/million [AUSTRALIAN REGIONAL NEWSPAPERS]
brephem 1 0.2/million [BRITISH EPHEMERA]
wbe 1 0.1/million [GLOBAL BUSINESS ENGLISH]
sunnow 0 0.0/million [SUN/NEWS OF THE WORLD]
usspok 0 0.0/million [USA SPOKEN]
npr 0 0.0/million [USA NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO]
usnews 0 0.0/million [USA REGIONAL NEWSPAPERS]

Of course, a lot of English texts on the Web are also written by non-expert English speakers,
which will affect the distributions...
I wonder if the proportions are the same for other languages?

[I meant by this: "I wonder to what degree non-native Spanish on the Web affects the Google counts for
Spanish patterns of usage"]

I can also now provide some concordance lines for the plural usage of "researches":

but Winthrop D. Jordan, whose researches have added enormously to our
secretary, helped too. Henry's researches in electromagnetism in the 1830s
of the speed of light. Michelson's researches in the 1870s and 1880s helped
of the speed of light. Michelson's researches in the 1870s and 1880s helped
suited to Mondrian's new researches: Its diagonal edges allowed him
Monetary Fund Private researches More than 100 specialized
Second World War, and began the researches at Jodrell Bank, which
or, to be precise, on pioneering researches he undertook into nuclear
with a quote from Mark Twain: `The researches of many commentators have already
in his numismatico-metallurgic researches: the British currency has been
the ceiling which their costly researches would encounter sooner or later.
the data upon which the group's researches are based. The database is a
in the course of her historical researches Wertheim completely changed her
even the rough location of his researches-around the Skerki Bank off
University of Cambridge. His early researches were indeed remarkable, and it
work and lingered over one of my researches, which was very small and
breed. John Coffin's historical researches into his ancestors had caught
or so away, where he was doing his researches, and so knew practically every
hysterics. Somewhere in his researches, Alastair had come across an
working in his hotel, or doing his researches on his own: her secret advice
with the results of their researches being made available to the
since, with any luck Bardi's researches will come to a dead end there."
<o> But so far as the author's researches suggest, this is the first
of the highest in Scotland. The researches of my nephew Richard
what she had learned from her own researches, Alex found that Eve's story
his next question. How are the researches going? Did Peter Brewster come up
shall I say # untoward? Your researches and the way you're handling them
The first is that the young poet's researches into folklore and occultism were
his emerging thought, and that his researches in these areas therefore bear the
a direct knowledge of Yeats's researches into magic. We could not entirely
For concise summaries of the major researches on Yeats and occultism, see Anglo-
the early writings based on his researches into fairylore, the book would be
come across dozens of times in his researches into Irish folklore, a folklore
s valuable bibliography of researches in the area, pp. 203-17. Works to
Von Reichenbach, Baron Karl, Researches on Magnetism, Electricity, Heat,
of Indian society and on his own researches into Mughal economic history. It
also in F. Braudel's polymathic researches into the nature and evolution of
their economic studies and policy researches than on imperialism theory, and
his attempts to carry his researches on to a world stage from which
the implications of his historical researches and their application to
Cournot, Augustin (1960 [1858 # Researches into the mathematical principles
1956) brings together his earlier researches into the nature of power in the
of sources. Prominent are his own researches, some of which had been
have regulating effects. In fact researches implicate solar radiation levels
up during the present intensive researches. <f> Treatment <f> Not
indoors isn't logical. New researches have suggested it may be possible
nothing. If he had studied the researches of his ostensibly more extreme
of the lost continents, or the researches of some scientist into their
of research, our experimental researches and our theoretical progress have
<f> RKP, 1972). In his researches, he detected what he called an #
the pioneer racing driver although researches reveal that he did very little
homeland or areas adjacent. The researches of Nabia Abbott have revealed at
health. <f> I <f> My own researches have tended to indicate that the
the development of Geoffrey's researches in the course of writing the <f>
the term of his long Hermetic Researches by directing him on the true path
that Waite had obtained from his researches at the British Museum. This is
to build, as it must, upon his researches. But the outer form of the
to telepathy in some experimental researches - although other studies have not
totally trivial and wasteful researches have been tolerated for years,
story of Margaret Mead's Samoan researches and their present debunking
at the history of diet and their researches have shed much light on the
content, according to the researches of the Shute Foundation for
Registered Charity. Researches into illnesses caused by
or the handicapped were opened and researches into the needs of the disabled
appeasement gained through the researches of Donald Cameron Watt, which is
to the detailed `wholistic" researches already referred to, both
the Navigator. Inspired by the researches of the prince and his team of
Appalachian field project. Liz's researches had amused her, and she had given
inconsistencies in his researches to the malevolent intentions of
attitudes. At the same time the researches of Christian biblical scholars
activities were accompanied by the researches of Christian biblical theologians
even more widely. According to the researches of Werner Bergman, six to seven
attacked Jews, and the researches of Christian biblical scholars
time to devote to his historical researches and his subsequent verbal venting
jobs, stated that from a series of researches it had been established that
seen by scientists. The team's researches suggested that this species'
closely. Only time and further # researches will determine which of these
time during his ornithological researches at the magnificent natural
work on the subject, and his researches for it had taken him to the Congo
to receive attention too, and researches ultimately disclosed that in
findings when she published her researches in 1946. Firstly, the other
however, Gauss, prompted by his researches into the asteroids' path, had
important stimulus to Einstein's researches was an awareness of differences
he had little time for his own researches. While working at the hospital,
and he determined that his future researches should be to that end. THE
any way restrict your legitimate researches and their logical formulations.
and superstition. Thanks to the researches of psychologists, man is in a
Cowles Prichard, whose first book, Researches into thc Physical History of
He was encouraged to continue his researches and, indeed, liberally subsidised
actually write the book and his researches influenced the way in which the
Dace summarised the results of his researches as indicating that `Japanese
are handled between countries. The researches of the Industrial Marketing Group
Institute at Oxford employs 25 researches working on biology and
in various ways: in the number of researches carried out, the nature of the
of the teacher's behaviours. Researches carried out into pre-service
those reported in two other such researches: in one study, evaluation was
has succeeded in marshalling her researches into an attractive and readable
others are nudged by biology. Researches of chronobiology (the study of
ways and on different days. Researches suggest that, in order to
The fruit of Simon's historical researches-he is a scholar of Scotland'
were more common. The Concorde researches say that these preliminary
oval locket is testimony to their researches into Japanese cloisonne work. 
simply stop fishing. Tim's researches into argulus suggest it has been
used for other functions. John's researches found this particular shape was
of sperm.to determine the problem, researches analyse a sperm sample to find
lecturer Cumming, who turned her researches into a phd. `She was a very
to become homosexual." The researches have warned that the gene marker
known. The results of his researches reveal an extraordinary and
new words to fill the gaps. My researches have revealed, for example, no
his priests. Wojtyla's protracted researches were clearly an attempt to solve
tramped several marathons for his researches, and has clearly devoted himself
by primarily) male psychoanalytic researches, conducted by, among others,
and the European community. Researches could be paid to produce
of its recent history and his researches into the earlier days have given
wrought in his own life by his researches and about the power of this
is not always easy when television researches ask aggressively, as they did in
challenge traditional scientific researches into cancer cures, Kurtz warns,
According to Ms Lestor's hasty researches, the other four did ask questions
of winning in every draw? My own researches have yielded only one possibly
drawn from Rentoul's parallel researches and draft" text. It amounts to an
from driving for 10 years. <h> Researches into crocodile blood bring hope
that remains hidden. But his researches in the east have already had
has come to light thanks to the researches of Michael Crick, published in
70,000 a year. Mr Milburn's researches show that among 23 recent
not just those Tudor stiffs. His researches range over the present lot, as an
to tell the world about their own researches and resources. Public libraries
and expert on archery and his researches on the range of medieval archers
academic in the sobriety of its researches, analyses and presentation. It
two Congressional inquiries and researches by the Washington Post, New York
disposition; and extensive researches through the Sony rankings fail to
in Richmond, Virginia for `the researches of the learned and the curious".
published six years ago, said his researches uncovered one law lord, three
telephone directory. My own brief researches some years ago suggested that the
Pierre Coustillas's exhaustive researches have turned up a `George J
NOTE that Colin maccabe's incisive researches into British popular culture Why
development if Anna Raeburn's researches are any guide. She picks over the
the British. Raffles's zoological researches, printed by the Linnaean Society
of drugs on the mind. Davy's Researches Chemical and Philosophical,
poets Coleridge and Southey. The researches were carried out under the aegis
progress of the nitrous oxide researches makes little sense as a clinical
under the influence. The enormous Researches Chemical and Philosophical,
have abandoned his nitrous oxide researches at this point, moving on to
in this way." War on Want's researches suggest that much speculation
Nixon visits while pursuing his researches. Here he learns of the grand
heavily reliant on the original researches of her betters. Previously the
for four years he conducted his researches in her house. Dee and I often had
Matisse remained in his artistic researches. The treasures on view belong to
his sleep and further his literary researches. Better a first lady with a
war of court actions'. In his researches, Mr Gregory came across a
took him in hand, and his researches for land claims led him on to
according to The Economist's researches, is the highest of any rich-
before the peak. He told me his researches began in the library of Britain's
and clumsy, but as one of the researches comments, all you need to do is
where he can carry out his researches in an atmosphere conducive to
effort to show beekeepers what researches are directly of use to them.
which shows that if you look at researches into left-handedness, most of the
which shows that if you look at researches into left-handedness, most of the
talked to Sue Nowak about his researches around the world into which kinds
able to provide drug companies to researches in clinical areas and others who
supporting science in its researches and teaching, seeking to promote
composite-critic. Kaye's careful researches into Mandeville's influence found
of adequate funding of his own researches. Dean Clark's financial
pathology, to carry on with their researches and publish the results in the
the clinical aspects of Connell's researches with the cancer clinic which had
of particle sizes." In all these researches, however, Gray was forced to work
to the support of his son's researches. Nor did Gray possess the special
in his view, were engaged in researches related to, and capable of
of professional knowledge; the researches were demonstrably of national
Orrin Carson directed a series of researches into metals and alloys for the
he directed its principal economic researches and also contributed a
brought to fruition a variety of researches and won national and
of Newton's earliest optical researches might have been more persuasive
be more striking. Brockliss's researches reveal that in the French
s book, together with similar researches by Hugo Ott, revealed a mass of
aid" society. She hopes more researches will be done on this and other
United States. Probably some researches should be done on these
knowledge. Rothenberg, in his researches on creative individuals, noted a
it's still in its early stages, researches said they hope in the future,
the sake of sex; the subsequent researches ot historians have revealed the
accorded her at some point in his researches, and he uses it throughout his
increasingly urgent. Lucas's researches allow the author to display his
helped her husband throughout his researches and carried batches of penicillin
dollar export industry. Some researches also believe the pine, which won'
pcs and Macs can narrow down their researches by defining their own equipment.
pcs and Macs can narrow down their researches by defining their own equipment.
We knew from the Teknoguild's researches that they had created machines
for local and international researches and industry interested in
9QL Tel: (061) 434 7721 Researches, develops and evaluates advice,
Gorge would have pushed the researches of Bishop Ussher off their firm
before which his thoughts and researches never touched upon the problem.
historical accuracy. Most recent researches tend to show that the Puritans
continuing also his extensive researches in entomology. He became a
said in 1830, `I have carried out researches which will halt many savants in
things clear, than to his original researches." Equally inspiring to
the difficulties in relating these researches to the contemporary state of
redressed. De Tocqueville in his researches into the state of society in
of the markets it serves. It researches customer needs exhaustively in
economic advance? A propos, the researches of Denison suggest, quite the
it remains elusive after diligent researches--the prized credentials, at once
zealous (and honestly reported) researches often threatened to embarrass the
of lives, drew directly on the researches of Louis Pasteur. By mid-century,
did their extensive, emotion-laden researches into the family from the
with his earliest psychoanalytic researches, he had given conspicuous room in
historians that their historical researches were really a centerpiece to the
be: Not until the historical researches # and] anthropological
the Deep South helped him with his researches at considerable personal risk to
temperament are the longitudinal researches of the child psychiatrists
of depth of the investigations. Researches that originate in understanding
and family instability. Researches have seldom explored the
satisfactorily displayed as in the researches of Political Economy." The
the inscription: `Founded on the researches of Matthew Fontaine Maury while
do jokes come from? As part of his researches, Fry is trying to `plant" a joke
 Todd's most recent researches have been in the field of
writing detective novels and her researches into Von Fischer's past unearth
eye-opening discovery during his researches at NASA: `You know, these
 In the course of his researches, Schonfeld got a one-in-a-million
the apparent diversity of these researches, the French chemist's career had
Despite her obviously exhaustive researches, Alexandra Lapierre has decided
It seemed evident to her that the researches of L'cole Nationale d'Agriculture
him to interrogate himself on his researches. `I do wonder. whether my own
developing its own products, OAI researches and tests drugs on behalf of
painter was prolific. Anfam's researches reveal that he painted no fewer
another strand of magnetism, the researches of the late Frances Nixon, that
Paddy" Mayne, DSO, 1987) and his researches into the work of the cardiologist
result of their MORI-assisted researches was a hideous blue-green
The romantic reason is that researches indicated this would be the 400th
newspapers while continuing his researches into musical theory. These first
Greeks to the Renaissance. After researches in the British Museum, meetings
Bown deserves a prize for his researches, though the book displays a
mccann, says the agency's initial researches indicate that many young children
Ferguson's chewing-gum - Thrills' researches are as timely as they are
on experiment and teaching, and researches into language, particularly
from their own experiences and researches. I find myself in a constant
and collaborating in his wife's researches which, to his joy, led to her
our drinks cupboard, I pursued my researches into Russia's national grog. In
had been published." Phillips's researches then stalled for a couple of
and Fiftiese he made detailed researches into malnutrition and its
recommend than to implement. His researches continued until the children's
Majaj published the results of his researches in the American Journal of
The intellectual structure of his researches and his genius in finding rather
the ostensible subject of his researches; both Jardine and his firm often
diagnostic computer. Biotechnology researches at Glasgow University have joined
stake. In Wilson, his biographical researches scarcely replicate these
there will be extra help for these researches when the Financial Services
epidemic broke out during his researches into what he had already
this guide are the fruits of his researches. Although all are day trips, they
and flow uphill. He continued his researches as professor of natural
to more important pursuits, to researches after Queen Mary's comb, Wolsey's
an SS soldier. His urgent, furtive researches begin to border on the neurotic,
prominently in Hoyle's postwar researches. The most celebrated outcome of
 In parallel, Hoyle kept up his researches in solar physics, on the origin
by a combination of the tireless researches of her pianist and of her own
he has Austerlitz describe his researches, `which increasingly diverged
though highly contentious) researches into party opinion in the Commons
he leaves us in no doubt where his researches into centuries of recreational
known who this was. My in-depth researches suggest -- oh, all right, someone
odd years of previously published researches is being represented here as 21st-
for this novel, Polynesian Researches by William Ellis, an Evangelical
Ellis's four-volume Polynesian Researches (1832-34) had been out ten years.
historian, whose dry academic researches are brought suddenly to life by
happened. But despite endless researches, the full truth of the Gunpowder
of Scottish Studies, where his researches in song and folklore had made him
head of the NCR Knowledge Lab, researches how the Internet and e-commerce
He <ZF0> he wants support for his researches which would lead eventually <M0X>
a wartime success in one of his researches. <M01> Oh that <PN1> Sandtex
was the basis of course for the researches I did on illiteracy in adult
and erm history. Er I go in my researches and see er where the origin of
<ZF0> I should see? Further to my researches that er maybe I've overlooked
in the results of those researches before they're published. <ZGY>
in a variety of different researches <ZZ1> <ZZ0> policies institutions
of doing government-funded researches and the example of the Social
at the time were starting to do researches into <ZGY> don't think they were

At 18:44 11/12/2006, James_L._Fidelholtz wrote:

David L. Hoover escribió:
...
[a bunch of interesting examinations of Google results] ...

"many researches" will freqeuntly be an error for "many researchers", no?

...
Actually, I doubt it. In Spanish (similar facts in many other European languages), 'una investigación' *could* be the literal 'an investigation', but rather more often, I think, means 'a research project' or 'a piece of research'. In the latter case, the error is sometimes made of translating it as 'an investigation', which in English sounds like something a P.I. or the FBI (resp. MI-whatever-the-number-is or Scotland Yard) would do. But people with more experience with English, especially reading experience only, and who are aware of the fact that the example just given is wrong in English, will frequently make the error of translating the expression as 'a research', or 'muchas investigaciones' as 'many researches'. So the issue in evaluating such collocations is whether the writer is a native speaker of English. If they are, then the suggestion could be correct. But if they are a speaker of one of the other languages with a different division of this semantic space (as well as, NB, somewhat or very different usage of the articles), then it seems to me that this other explanation is rather more likely. I suppose I should do 'a research' on this.
Jim
James L. Fidelholtz
Posgrado en Ciencias del Lenguaje, ICSyH
Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla MÉXICO

Ramesh Krishnamurthy

Lecturer in English Studies, School of Languages and Social Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK
[Room NX08, North Wing of Main Building] ; Tel: +44 (0)121-204-3812 ; Fax: +44 (0)121-204-3766
http://www.aston.ac.uk/lss/staff/krishnamurthyr.jsp

Project Leader, ACORN (Aston Corpus Network): http://corpus.aston.ac.uk/

Previous by Date:	Re: pdfs/ OCR question: 00091, Jakub Marecek
Next by Date:	Post-Doc "Natural Language Processing (NLP) applied to eLearning in Web 2.0": 00091, Torsten Zesch
Previous by Thread:	Re: Google searches as linguistic evidencei: 00091, James_L._Fidelholtz
Next by Thread:	2nd CFP: TextGraphs Workshop at HLT/NAACL 2007: 00091, Irina Matveeva
Indexes:	[Date] [Thread] [Top] [All Lists]

<Prev in Thread]	Current Thread	[Next in Thread>