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Research Guides

Collection Guidelines: Linguistics: Scope

These are the guidelines by which materials are purchased for the linguistics collections of the UW Libraries.

Scope

a. Chronological

Focus in the linguistics collection is on modern languages, but all periods are included from the advent of language to the present. Selection is focused on new materials but retrospective materials may be acquired as gifts.

b. Geographical

Linguistics materials cover natural and artificial languages globally. Materials on the languages of Europe and East Asia are collected in larger proportion than languages from other regions due to availability and demand. Most linguistics materials collected by the UW libraries are published in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands.

c. Language

New linguistics materials are selected primarily in English. Linguistics materials in other languages may be considered for selection upon request, or collected as gifts. The linguistics collection is not limited by individual language; it concerns itself with characteristics of all languages, both natural and artificial.

d. Format

Print and electronic books and serials are collected. Reference works, handbooks, and materials on computational linguistics are selected in e-book format when possible. Edited books (as opposed to authored books) may also be considered for selection in electronic format. Whenever possible, journals are selected in electronic format rather than print. Audiovisual media materials may also be considered for selection.

e. Exclusions

  • Subject areas:
  • Formats: