Jackson and Moulinier, with a research and development company, explain how to harness computers to process natural language for commercial ends. They emphasize particular tasks that people want software to perform, the techniques that are currently available, and new technologies on the horizon. The first edition (no date noted) was used almost exclusively in academic realms, so the second edition has dropped the sections intended for general readers. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
This text covers the technologies of document retrieval, information extraction, and text categorization in a way which highlights commonalities in terms of both general principles and practical concerns. It assumes some mathematical background on the part of the reader, but the chapters typically begin with a non-mathematical account of the key issues. Current research topics are covered only to the extent that they are informing current applications; detailed coverage of longer term research and more theoretical treatments should be sought elsewhere. There are many pointers at the ends of the chapters that the reader can follow to explore the literature. However, the book does maintain a strong emphasis on evaluation in every chapter both in terms of methodology and the results of controlled experimentation.
