SIGNBANK DATA ENTRY: What have I learned so far?....

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
October 27, 2002

Hi Everyone!
For the first time, I am creating a dictionary with SignBank. It is a bilingual Picture Dictionary for children, in American Sign Language and English.

SIGNBANK DATA ENTRY
What have I learned so far?....

1. A dictionary for children needs to be simple, but a dictionary for linguists and researchers needs to be detailed.

2. I made two copies of the SignBank Shell (an empty database). I then re-named each copy:

SignBank US .......(central ASL dictionary detailed for linguistic work)
SignBank US PictDict.......... (for children)

3. The PictDict is very simple...there are no "different spellings"...just one picture, one sign in SignWriting, and one word....

4. Meanwhile, the SignBank US central dictionary is becoming rather overwhelming, since there is sooooooo much detail possible that it will take us time to sort out what is really important and what is not...

I know some of you are waiting for SignSpelling Guidelines from me...Although I have started writing those rules, I realize I need a couple of months to give you a solid report. This is NOTHING like creating dictionaries without computer programs...Now that computers are involved, we can test sorting routines and spellings, and I am finding all kinds of details I could not have foreseen without a computer and SignBank.

So please....I hope you all will enjoy entering signs, and not to worry - create whatever spelling "feels correct" to you for the moment, and we can then share in a month or so...

I will share the US Picture Dictionary with you shortly, in PDF....It is easy to make a PDF version of any dictionary in SignBank...Just click on a Print Icon to preview or print to postscript...

Have a wonderful Sunday, everyone!