The technological aspect of Corpus Linguistics

Reader in Corpus Linguistics at Aston University (United Kingdom), 
Mike Scott is perhaps mostly associated with WordSmith Tools, the 
computer program he has designed and has been working on since 1996 
(currently in its fifth version). The author’s technological concern is clear from the onset of his interview when he comments on the role played by the availability of personal computers in the development of Corpus Linguistics. In line with this practical concern, Scott writes about one of the major problems in compiling corpora: the issue of copyright. What lies ahead in the future, according to the researcher, is the creation of a newer generation of corpora, which will allow users to have audio and visual materials (in the first stage) together with the transcribed text. This specific technological concern, however, does not stop Scott from claiming that the questions to be asked by practicing corpus linguists should be always socially relevant in the first place.