In the Margins is the Lexomics Research Group’s attempt to position the process of computational literary text analysis side by side with its product, whether it be the tool used for or the results obtained from such analysis. This is particularly important for entry-level users and those whose training has not explored the issues raised by computational methods of studying literature. Our text analysis tool, Lexos, is designed for use by newcomers to the field while empowering them to do sophisticated work in relatively little time. But with power comes a price--it must be employed critically. Too often text analysis tools elide aspects of the text analysis process, drawing attention away from the many steps and decisions required both before and after the use of the tool which can impact the results. Documentation tends to focus on how to use the software, rather than how or why it would be used in specific circumstances. Discussion of this sort may exist in other forums, but the separation between the discussion and the tool tends to make the latter function as a “black box”. This can ultimately feed tensions between theoretical traditions prevalent in the Humanities and the use quantitative methods that often have their origins in other disciplines. In the Margins answers Johanna Drucker’s call for Digital Humanities to “synthesize method and theory into ways of doing as thinking” by designing tools that embody humanists’ value of “debate, commentary, and interpretive exposition” (2012).

A central feature of our approach is the creation of a seamless transition between the tool, the documentation, and the discussion. In the Margins contains both instructions for how to use Lexos and discussion about why particular steps or decisions might be taken in the analytical process. This content is then embedded within Lexos user interface so that the user is always aware of the need for reflection about the process. Although In the Margins can be explored directly in the Scalar publishing platform, much of its content is also accessible from within Lexos, in situ, so that the user is more easily able to find information about the implications and best practices for any given function and to reflect upon these issues as part of his or her process. In the Margins embraces the design challenge of providing text, expert commentary, and screen-demos from within the Lexos workflow in order to offer commentary as close to the user’s current task as possible. This commentary comes from the Lexomics Research Group and an array of outside exports, and we hope that the content will grow over time. If you are interested in providing content for In the Margins, please contact us.

The use of the Scalar publishing platform allows us to make In the Margins content available both within Lexos (using Scalar’s API) and separately on the web for use as a resource by those who may be using other tools or approaches. Scalar organizes content into “paths”, which are like chapters of a book, except that individual pages can appear in multiple paths and paths can fork into other paths. Scalar provides methods of visualizing this structure to allow user to navigate the paths. In addition to the current path, In the Margins provides a path about Lexomics and a path about Lexos. Most pages can be accessed from one of these paths, but a few, mostly those focusing specifically on providing instructions for using the Lexos tool, are accessible only from within Lexos.