CORVIZ is the acronym of the project ‘CORIECOR visualized. Irish English in writing across time (a longitudinal historical perspective)’ The aim of the project is to create a publicly accessible, sustainable electronic correspondence corpus, the Corpus of Irish English Correspondence (CORIECOR), so that it can then be used for further research by the wider academic community.
Working closely with Professor Carolina P. Amador-Moreno and her team, a database of approximately 6000 letters was developed. A variety of digital tools were used to capture texts and generate associated metadata to enrich the content. In addition visualisations were created to explore this metadata and map families, friends, and the webs of communication these letters highlight.
Ultimately the project shows how a wide range of digital strategies can be used to get at the very human heart of the emigrant experience. Both those who left and those they left behind share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in what are often poignant documents of a time long past. As well as exploring the evolution of the English language as used by the Irish over the centuries, their aspirations and dreams shine through in a wealth of correspondence. See for ourself at https://corviz.h.uib.no/