Undergraduate Research & Scholarships

Ashika Raghavan

Thematic Content Coding in Bulgarian Dialectology

The Bulgarian Dialectology as a Living Tradition project analyzes field interview recordings from Bulgarian villages by cataloging and comparing the dialectal data on an interactive online database. I will be involved this summer in refining the thematic coding tags used to classify the speech data based on ethnographic content. Through updating the existing tags on transcripts and expanding the overall hierarchy of thematic categories, my work will focus on making the anthropological material on the site more accessible and accurate for users. This research aims to expand the field of digital humanities, bringing together knowledge of Bulgarian traditional culture and linguistic systems to be shared with the general public.

Message To Sponsor

Thank you for this opportunity to continue my research on the Bulgarian Dialectology project this summer! I am grateful for your generosity in supporting me in pursuing my academic interests related to language and its role in the social lives of people and their communities. Participating in this project for the past three semesters has allowed me to expand my knowledge and skills as a researcher, specifically in relation to doing linguistic analysis, data organization, and digital applications of social science work. This opportunity will allow me to hone in on the tools I have developed throughout my involvement in this research, and I am beyond excited to carry these invaluable lessons forward into my future aspirations and goals. A huge appreciation to my mentor for her constant support and guidance!