Discovering terms using statistical corpus analysis

Abstract

Software that extracts contextually relevant terms from a text sample (or corpus) by performing the following steps: (i) identifying a first term from a corpus, based, at least in part, on a set of initial contextual characteristic(s), where each initial contextual characteristic of the set of initial contextual characteristic(s) relates to the contextual use of at least one category related term of a set of category related term(s) in the corpus; (ii) adding the first term to the set of category related term(s), thereby creating a revised set of category related term(s) and a set of first term contextual characteristic(s), where each first term contextual characteristic of the set of first term contextual characteristic(s) relates to the contextual use of the first term in the corpus; and (iii) identifying a second term from the corpus, based, at least in part, on the set of first term contextual characteristic(s).

1 - 7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon:
 first program instructions programmed to identify a first term from a corpus, based, at least in part, on a set of initial contextual characteristic(s), where each initial contextual characteristic of the set of initial contextual characteristic(s) relates to the contextual use of at least one category related term of a set of category related term(s) in the corpus;   second program instructions programmed to add the first term to the set of category related term(s), thereby creating a revised set of category related term(s) and a set of first term contextual characteristic(s), where each first term contextual characteristic of the set of first term contextual characteristic(s) relates to the contextual use of the first term in the corpus; and   third program instructions programmed to identify a second term from the corpus, based, at least in part, on the set of first term contextual characteristic(s).   
     
     
         9 . The computer program product of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 fourth program instructions programmed to add the second term to the revised set of category related term(s), thereby creating a second revised set of category related term(s) and a set of second term contextual characteristic(s), where each second term contextual characteristic of the set of second term contextual characteristic(s) relates to the contextual use of the second term in the corpus; and   fifth program instructions programmed to identify a third term from the corpus, based, at least in part, on the set of second term contextual characteristic(s).   
     
     
         10 . The computer program product of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the identifying of the second term from the corpus is further based, at least in part, on the set of initial contextual characteristic(s).   
     
     
         11 . The computer program product of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 fourth program instructions programmed to create the set of category related term(s), where at least one category related term of the set of category related term(s) is extracted from the corpus using a precision oriented extraction method.   
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the first term belongs to a set of relevant term(s), where each relevant term of the set of relevant term(s) is extracted from the corpus using a statistical extraction method.   
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 8 , wherein:
 each initial contextual characteristic of the set of initial contextual characteristic(s) includes a contextual weight corresponding to the respective initial contextual characteristic's use in the corpus.   
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the identifying of the first term in the corpus is further based, at least in part, on a weighted strength of a match between the first term and the respective contextual weights of each initial contextual characteristic in the set of initial contextual characteristic(s).   
     
     
         15 . A computer system comprising:
 a processor(s) set; and   a computer readable storage medium;   wherein:   the processor set is structured, located, connected and/or programmed to run program instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium; and   the program instructions include:
 first program instructions programmed to identify a first term from a corpus, based, at least in part, on a set of initial contextual characteristic(s), where each initial contextual characteristic of the set of initial contextual characteristic(s) relates to the contextual use of at least one category related term of a set of category related term(s) in the corpus; 
 second program instructions programmed to add the first term to the set of category related term(s), thereby creating a revised set of category related term(s) and a set of first term contextual characteristic(s), where each first term contextual characteristic of the set of first term contextual characteristic(s) relates to the contextual use of the first term in the corpus; and 
 third program instructions programmed to identify a second term from the corpus, based, at least in part, on the set of first term contextual characteristic(s). 
   
     
     
         16 . The computer system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 fourth program instructions programmed to add the second term to the revised set of category related term(s), thereby creating a second revised set of category related term(s) and a set of second term contextual characteristic(s), where each second term contextual characteristic of the set of second term contextual characteristic(s) relates to the contextual use of the second term in the corpus; and   fifth program instructions programmed to identify a third term from the corpus, based, at least in part, on the set of second term contextual characteristic(s).   
     
     
         17 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the identifying of the second term from the corpus is further based, at least in part, on the set of initial contextual characteristic(s).   
     
     
         18 . The computer system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 fourth program instructions programmed to create the set of category related term(s), where at least one category related term of the set of category related term(s) is extracted from the corpus using a precision oriented extraction method.   
     
     
         19 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the first term belongs to a set of relevant term(s), where each relevant term of the set of relevant term(s) is extracted from the corpus using a statistical extraction method.   
     
     
         20 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein:
 each initial contextual characteristic of the set of initial contextual characteristic(s) includes a contextual weight corresponding to the respective initial contextual characteristic's use in the corpus.