Linguistic sleuthing for innovators

Francesca Greco (), Ken Riopelle (), Francesca Grippa (), Andrea Fronzetti Colladon () and Julia Gluesing ()
Additional contact information
Francesca Greco: La Sapienza University of Rome
Ken Riopelle: Wayne State University
Francesca Grippa: Northeastern University
Andrea Fronzetti Colladon: University of Perugia
Julia Gluesing: Wayne State University

Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, 2021, vol. 55, issue 3, No 12, 1027-1045

Abstract: Abstract For centuries “innovation” has been a topic of book authors and academic researchers as documented by Ngram and Google Scholar search results. In contrast, “innovators” have had substantially less attention in both the popular domain and the academic domain. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a text analysis research methodology to linguistically identify “innovators” and “non-innovators” using Hebert F. Crovitz’s 42 relational words. Specifically, we demonstrate how to combine the use of two complementary text analysis software programs: Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count and WORDij to simply count the percent of use of these relational words and determine the statistical difference in use between “innovators” and “non-innovators.” We call this the “Crovitz Innovator Identification Method” in honor of Herbert F. Crovitz, who envisioned the possibility of using a small group of 42 words to signal “innovation” language. The Crovitz Innovator Identification Method is inexpensive, fast, scalable, and ready to be applied by others using this example as their guide. Nevertheless, this method does not confirm the viability of any innovation being created, used or implemented; it simply detects how a person’s language signals innovative thinking. We invite other scholars to join us in this linguistic sleuthing for innovators.

Keywords: Text mining methods; Innovation; Innovators; Computational linguistics; Language use; Natural language processing (NLP) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11135-020-01038-x Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:qualqt:v:55:y:2021:i:3:d:10.1007_s11135-020-01038-x

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/economics/journal/11135

DOI: 10.1007/s11135-020-01038-x

Access Statistics for this article

Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology is currently edited by Vittorio Capecchi

More articles in Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().