Developing a corpus of the nursing literature: A pilot study

  1. Brian BUDGELL1,*,
  2. Michiko MIYAZAKI2,
  3. Myles O’BRIEN3,
  4. Robert PERKINS4,
  5. Yoshiko TANAKA5

Article first published online: 15 MAY 2007

DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-7924.2007.00071.x

Issue

Japan Journal of Nursing Science

Japan Journal of Nursing Science

Volume 4, Issue 1, pages 21–25, June 2007

Additional Information

How to Cite

BUDGELL, B., MIYAZAKI, M., O’BRIEN, M., PERKINS, R. and TANAKA, Y. (2007), Developing a corpus of the nursing literature: A pilot study. Japan Journal of Nursing Science, 4: 21–25. doi: 10.1111/j.1742-7924.2007.00071.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto,

  2. 2

    General Education Center, International University of Health and Welfare, Ohtawara,

  3. 3

    Department of Nursing, Mie Prefectural College of Nursing, Tsu,

  4. 4

    Department of Nursing, Osaka Isen, Osaka and

  5. 5

    School of Nursing and Rehabilitation Sciences, International University of Health and Welfare, Odawara, Japan

*Brian Budgell, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kawahara-cho 53, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan. Email: budgell@hs.med.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 15 MAY 2007
  2. Article first published online: 15 MAY 2007
  3. Received 13 December 2006; accepted 7 February 2007.

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Keywords:

  • communication;
  • literacy;
  • nursing education;
  • nursing research;
  • nursing students

Abstract

Aim:  The purpose of this project was to develop and analyze a pilot corpus of the nursing literature.

Methods:  The first issues for 2005 of six representative nursing journals were used to create a corpus of ≈ 250,000 words. This corpus was analyzed for word frequency using a concordance software package.

Results:  The process of developing and analyzing the corpus took the equivalent of ≈ 2 weeks’ work for a single person. Approximately 7000 unique words were identified and sorted according to frequency.

Conclusions:  In terms of time and cost, the development and analysis of a corpus is an efficient way of identifying the vocabulary which the nursing profession uses in its research publications. Even this brief pilot exercise was able to identify previously unexpected patterns of usage.

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