Information Systems for Working with Text Corpora: Classification and Comparative Analysis

The article examines information systems for working with text corpora, particularly their application for linguistic analysis and management of large text data. Information systems for supporting text corpora are analyzed, classified, and compared based on their historical development and functional capabilities. The main focus is comparing the two most common systems that can be distinguished by functionality as corpus managers: ‘AntConc’ and ‘Sketch Engine’. These are evaluated based on key criteria: corpus creation, text processing, annotation, storage and export, data analysis and visualization, interface intuitiveness, support for the Ukrainian language, as well as the presence of an open license. The research aimed to conduct a comparative analysis of these systems using the analytic hierarchy process method to determine their strengths and weaknesses under different usage conditions. It was found that ‘Sketch Engine’ provides advanced capabilities for creating and managing large corpora, annotating and visualizing data, making it a better choice for large research projects. At the same time, ‘AntConc’ is a more accessible and efficient system for individual or small-scale research due to its simplicity, lack of licensing costs, and support for specific parameters for text analysis. The research findings can be useful for corpus and applied linguists when choosing systems for creating and working with text corpora. The conclusions will contribute to making decisions regarding the selection of appropriate tools based on specific research needs, workload, and budget constraints. In addition, the research results can be applied to improving existing and developing new information systems to support corpora in future scientific projects by the authors.