The main procedure HAMLET II - Joint Frequencies searches a text file for words in a given vocabulary list, and computes matrices of raw and standardised joint frequencies with respect to a chosen unit of context, or of joint occurrences within a given number of words. The procedure should be used when there are good grounds for searching for inter-connections between a number of key words, the spelling of which in the original text is already reasonably well known. Alternatively, it is possible to attempt a completely empirical preliminary identification of 'nodal' words in a given text, according to the density of their co-occurrences within a given unit of context. These can then form the basis of a suitable vocabulary list for more advanced use.
HAMLET II includes a Cluster Analysis procedure and a Correspondence Analysis option to explore word-associations in individual texts. The multi-dimensional scaling procedure MINISSA can be applied to the matrix of joint word frequencies in a text. Configurations of word usage derived in this way from a number of texts can be compared using Procrustean Individual Differences Scaling (PINDIS). A series of matrices derived from different texts can also be compared using Individual Differences Scaling (INDSCAL). The unique graphics of HAMLET II summarise the results of each of these analyses, for inclusion in other documents and reports.
The options
When a vocabulary list has been defined which is considered suitable for use with a number of texts, a fast-track procedure can be used to automatically carry out all stages of their comparison using PINDIS or INDSCAL.
