What is the difference between 'types' and 'tokens' in text analysis?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for the distinction between 'types' and 'tokens' in the context of text analysis, which are key concepts in linguistics and data analysis. Types refer to unique words or expressions in a text, while tokens refer to the total count of all words including repetitions.
Answer
Types refer to unique elements; tokens are occurrences of these elements.
In text analysis, a 'type' refers to a class of objects or symbols characterized by a common feature, such as unique words. A 'token' is an occurrence or instance of that type in a dataset, often counted for frequency. Tokens include all occurrences, whereas types count distinct elements.
Answer for screen readers
In text analysis, a 'type' refers to a class of objects or symbols characterized by a common feature, such as unique words. A 'token' is an occurrence or instance of that type in a dataset, often counted for frequency. Tokens include all occurrences, whereas types count distinct elements.
More Information
Types are helpful in understanding vocabulary diversity, while tokens by frequency give insight into usage patterns. The concept is widely used in linguistics, natural language processing, and computer science.
Tips
Confusing types with tokens is common. Remember, types are unique, whereas tokens include every occurrence.
Sources
- Tokenization - Stanford NLP Book - nlp.stanford.edu
- Type–token distinction - Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org
- Types and Tokens - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - plato.stanford.edu
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