About LADAL
Welcome to LADAL
The Language Technology and Data Analysis Laboratory (LADAL) is a collaborative, open-access research infrastructure dedicated to supporting researchers who work with language data. LADAL provides free, high-quality tutorials, tools, and training in language technology, data analysis, and computational methods — with no programming experience required to get started.
We welcome your participation
- Use our resources — tutorials, tools, and workshops are free and open to all
- Become an affiliate member — stay informed about LADAL events and opportunities
- Become a contributor — help develop tutorials, tools, or infrastructure
- Contact us — reach the LADAL team at ladal@uq.edu.au
Directors
LADAL is led by two directors who jointly oversee its strategic direction, content, and operations.
Martin Schweinberger
Senior Lecturer in Applied Linguistics | Director of Research
School of Languages and Cultures, University of Queensland, Australia
2021-2023 Associate Professor & Lab Director
AcqVA-Aurora Center, Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø
Martin is the founder and leading proponent of LADAL. He initiated and established the laboratory and continues to drive its vision, strategy, and development. His responsibilities at LADAL span content creation, team supervision, and overall direction of laboratory activities.
Martin is a language data scientist with a PhD in English Linguistics, specializing in corpus linguistics, computational analysis, and the visualization of language data. His work bridges the gap between traditional linguistics and modern computational methods, making advanced analytical approaches accessible to researchers across disciplines.
Research interests Corpus linguistics · Computational linguistics · Language data science · Data visualization · Applied linguistics
Michael Haugh
Full Professor of Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
School of Languages and Cultures, University of Queensland, Australia
Fellow, Australian Academy of the Humanities
Project Lead, Australian Text Analytics Platform (ATAP) and Language Data Commons of Australia (LDaCA)
Michael co-directs LADAL, with responsibility for supervising and managing its activities and overseeing promotion and outreach. He is a long-standing advocate for Digital Humanities in Australia and internationally, with particular expertise in data management and the accessibility and usability of language data.
As project lead of ATAP and LDaCA, Michael brings a broad national perspective to LADAL’s mission, connecting it to Australia’s wider language data infrastructure and research community.
Research interests Pragmatics · Digital humanities · Language data management · Discourse analysis · Conversation analysis
Contributors and Members
Contributors are actively engaged with LADAL and assist in developing its infrastructure, tutorials, and resources. LADAL is fortunate to work with an internationally diverse team of experts spanning linguistics, computer science, digital humanities, and data science.
Laurence Anthony
Full Professor
Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Japan
CEO, AntLab Solutions
Laurence is an internationally recognized expert in language data science, corpus linguistics, educational technology, and science communication. As CEO of AntLab Solutions, he develops and distributes widely used software tools for corpus analysis, including AntConc — one of the most popular freeware concordance programs in the world.
An experienced programmer in Python and JavaScript, Laurence contributes to LADAL through both tool development and his expertise in making computational methods accessible to language researchers.
Research interests Corpus linguistics · Language data science · Educational technology · Science communication
Sam Hames
Research Fellow in Computational Humanities
School of Languages and Cultures, University of Queensland, Australia
Also affiliated with the Language Data Commons of Australia (LDaCA) and the Australian Text Analytics Platform (ATAP)
Sam is a computational researcher whose work sits at the intersection of machine learning, software development, and the humanities. His PhD focused on machine learning for medical imaging analysis, and he brings an extensive background as a data-focused software developer — including experience supporting social media and web researchers.
At LADAL and its partner projects, Sam’s primary focus is on understanding how computation can enable qualitative and interpretive inquiry across the humanities and social sciences, making powerful analytical methods available to researchers who may not have a strong technical background.
Research interests Computational humanities · Machine learning · Qualitative computing · Digital social science
Ben Foley
Research Engineer & Speech Technology Specialist
Former Project Manager, CoEDL Transcription Acceleration Project (TAP)
Ben is a specialist in speech recognition and the development of user-friendly speech processing tools. His work has been central to making automatic speech recognition accessible for researchers working with low-resource and endangered languages, including many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.
Ben’s previous experience with Indigenous language resource development has produced a range of impactful tools, including the Iltyem-iltyem sign language database, the Gambay First Languages Map, and a suite of apps and websites supporting language documentation and revitalization efforts.
Research interests Speech recognition · Language technology · Endangered languages · Indigenous language resources
Stefan Th. Gries
Full Professor of Linguistics
Department of Linguistics, University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB)
Honorary Liebig-Professor & Chair of English Linguistics
Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Germany
Stefan is one of the world’s foremost experts in quantitative corpus linguistics and a major proponent of using the open-source statistical software R in language data science. His research sits at the intersection of corpus linguistics, cognitive linguistics, computational linguistics, and first/second language acquisition, and frequently employs experimental methods alongside corpus-based approaches.
Through his prolific publications, teaching materials, and public advocacy, Stefan has done more than almost anyone to promote rigorous, reproducible quantitative methods in linguistics — a mission closely aligned with LADAL’s own goals.
Research interests Quantitative corpus linguistics · Cognitive linguistics · Computational linguistics · Language acquisition · Statistics for linguistics
Andreas Niekler
Research Associate in Computer Science
University of Leipzig, Germany
Andreas develops computer-based methods for exploring semantic properties in language and for language-based artificial intelligence applications. His work spans computational social science, including the Postdemocracy and Neoliberalism project and the development of the Leipzig Corpus Miner (iLCM) — an interactive platform for large-scale text analysis.
His primary technical focus is machine learning and data management, including the processing of unstructured text data for knowledge extraction, document management, and social scientific inquiry.
Research interests Computational social science · Natural language processing · Text mining · Machine learning · Knowledge management
Gregor Wiedemann
Senior Researcher in Computational Social Science
Leibniz Institute for Media Research │ Hans Bredow Institute (HBI)
Co-Head, Media Research Methods Lab (MRML)
Gregor is a senior computational researcher whose work focuses on the development and application of natural language processing and text mining methods for empirical social and media research. Together with Sascha Hölig, he co-heads the Media Research Methods Lab at HBI, where he bridges technical method development with applied social scientific inquiry.
Having studied in Leipzig and Miami before working at the computer science departments of the Universities of Leipzig and Hamburg, Gregor brings a rich international perspective and strong technical grounding to LADAL’s collaborative network.
Research interests Computational social science · Natural language processing · Media research · Text mining · Empirical methods
Erich Round
British Academy Global Professor in Linguistics
University of Surrey, UK
Erich is a specialist in phonology and morphology, with a particular focus on Australian Indigenous languages and the computational modeling of language evolution and diversification. He is an active creator and analyst of large-scale cross-linguistic datasets, which he uses to investigate the nature and origins of linguistic diversity.
His work combines deep descriptive expertise in Australian languages with sophisticated quantitative and computational methods — making him a valued contributor to LADAL’s goals of integrating linguistic knowledge with data-driven analysis.
Research interests Phonology · Morphology · Australian Indigenous languages · Language evolution · Cross-linguistic typology · Computational modeling
Stephane Guillou
Technology Trainer & Research Computing Specialist
University of Queensland Library
Stephane is the leading proponent of computational upskilling at the UQ Library, where he has worked for over a decade designing and delivering training in data analysis, programming, and open-source research tools. After completing a Master’s degree in plant science and ecology in France and gaining experience in research, he transitioned to a Technology Trainer role at UQ Library in 2018.
With extensive experience across multiple programming environments and a strong commitment to open science, Stephane has taught computational skills to researchers at every level of experience. His contributions to LADAL reflect his dedication to making rigorous computational methods broadly accessible.
Expertise R · Python · Data analysis · Open source tools · Research computing training
Joseph Flanagan
Senior Lecturer in Computational Linguistics
University of Helsinki
Joe is a computational linguist whose research centers on English phonetics and phonology, reproducible research practices, and digital humanities. His teaching focuses on how digital technology can enhance and transform student learning, and he brings both pedagogical and technical expertise to LADAL’s educational mission.
As a proponent of reproducible research, Joe contributes to LADAL’s broader goals of making computational workflows transparent, shareable, and accessible for language researchers across career stages.
Research interests English phonetics and phonology · Reproducible research · Digital humanities · Language technology in education
Affiliate Members
Affiliate members support LADAL and are kept informed about events, workshops, and training opportunities. We are grateful for their ongoing engagement with and promotion of LADAL’s mission.
| Name | Institution |
|---|---|
| Gerold Schneider | University of Zurich, Switzerland |
| Monika Bednarek | University of Sydney, Australia |
| Laurence Anthony | Waseda University, Japan |
| Peter Crosthwaite | University of Queensland, Australia |
| Simon Musgrave | Monash University, Australia |
Interested in becoming an affiliate member of LADAL?
Affiliate membership is open to researchers and practitioners with an interest in language data analysis, computational linguistics, or digital humanities. Affiliates receive:
- Updates on new LADAL tutorials and resources
- Invitations to workshops and training events
- Opportunities to collaborate and connect
- A stake in shaping LADAL’s future direction
Contact us ladal@uq.edu.au
Collaborating Institutions
LADAL benefits from strong partnerships with leading institutions and research groups around the world. These collaborators share resources, expertise, and a common commitment to open, reproducible language research.
School of Languages and Cultures, UQ
The School of Languages and Cultures at the University of Queensland is LADAL’s home institution and primary sponsor. The School supports LADAL’s infrastructure, staffing, and operations, and provides the academic foundation from which LADAL’s work grows.
Text Crunching Center, University of Zurich
The Text Crunching Center (TCC) at the University of Zurich (UZH) is a research center dedicated to computational text analysis. The TCC and LADAL collaborate on methods, tools, and training resources for language data science.
Sydney Corpus Lab, University of Sydney
The Sydney Corpus Lab at The University of Sydney focuses on corpus-based research and the development of language data resources. LADAL and the Sydney Corpus Lab share a commitment to open, accessible language data science.
VARIENG, University of Helsinki
VARIENG at the University of Helsinki is a leading research group specializing in the variation and change of English. LADAL’s collaboration with VARIENG supports shared approaches to corpus linguistics and the computational study of language variation.
AcqVA Aurora Lab, Arctic University of Norway
The AcqVA Aurora Lab is part of the UiT Aurora Center for Language Acquisition, Variation & Attrition at The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø. The lab focuses on language acquisition, variation, and attrition research, and shares resources and expertise with LADAL. [GitHub]
Media Research Methods Lab, HBI
The Media Research Methods Lab (MRML) at the Leibniz Institute for Media Research │ Hans Bredow Institute (HBI) brings computational social science methods to media research. LADAL’s collaboration with MRML supports the development of NLP and text mining approaches for social scientific inquiry.
Former Members
We gratefully acknowledge former LADAL members whose contributions helped build what LADAL is today. They have since moved to new positions, institutions, or research directions, but their work remains part of LADAL’s foundation.
| Name | Profile |
|---|---|
| Katherine Dallaston | Website |
| Restuadi Restuadi | GitHub |
| Katy McHugh | |
| Alex Trueman | UQ Profile |
| Dattatreya Majumdar | UQ Profile |
| Stephen Kennedy-Clark | |
| Liam Crowhurst |
Contact
We welcome enquiries from researchers, educators, students, and anyone interested in language data science.
📧 Email ladal@uq.edu.au
🏛️ Address
School of Languages and Cultures
The University of Queensland
St Lucia QLD 4072
Australia
Whether you want to
- Ask about tutorials or resources
- Propose a collaboration
- Enquire about affiliate membership
- Share a user story
- Suggest a new tutorial topic
- Report an error or issue
…we’d love to hear from you!