Textometry: A Method for Numerical Representation of a Text

Abstract

This study aims to suggest a systematic text linguistic analysis method. It includes numerical representation of any text not only to illustrate the textual features of any text in concrete numerical terms but also to set a standard of classification via these numerical data. In order to achieve this aim, we initially set our variables upon the fundamental characteristics of what makes a piece of writing a text. The resulting variables were grouped into non-textual, textual and metatextual categories, as to which four different types of sample texts were analyzed. The results were illustrated in tables and represented in numerical values and then compared. The different types of texts produced different textometric values, which were interpreted as the level of these texts in terms of textual features. The outcome values obtained from the administration of the textometry on any text are suggested to be used as a method of labeling the texts for text linguistic or educational purposes.