wiksign, a collaborativ french sign language dictionnary

[Kathy H.]

In response to questions about annotating or transcribing the signs on wiki-sign sites (Asian, French, etc.)--
 
I suppose that the point in providing transcription for signs would be to clarify details that might not be clear in the videos.  The French signs were described verbally.  However, if the viewer cannot read French, then the description does not help.  
 
In like manner, though, if the signs were transcribed in some notation system, well, there is no "universal" transcription system for signed languages.  There would still be viewers who could not understand the notation.  What "language" (written words of which spoken language, which written notation) should be used?  
 
I suppose to answer that question, it would be necessary to know who would be the most frequent user of the sites.  
 
Also, as soon as one starts encoding a sign (or even describing it verbally), theoretical assumptions start to come into play.  That would potentially skew someone else's consideration or analysis of the data, through the influence of the transcription, however inadvertant that influence might be.  
 
How much would these signs be used in actual research, though?  
 
Kathy H.
 
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