Instructions/Manuals/Guides
- SIL Self-Paced Training Course
- PDF Training Guide
- SIL Video Tutorials — Vimeo
Reviews/Articles
- Fitzgerald (2019): Fieldworks Language Explorer
- Lockwood (2011): Machine Parsing of Gilaki Verbs with Fieldworks Language Explorer
- Rogers (2010): Fieldworks Language Explorer (FLEx) 3.0 Review
Instructions/Manuals/Guides
Resource Type: Website
SIL International. “Dictionary-Making & Lexicography Basics.” Dictionary & Lexicography Services: List of Courses. https://sites.google.com/sil.org/dls-course/. Accessed June 13, 2022.
This course from SIL is designed to teach users how to compile and publish a dictionary using FLEx. It was created in response to questions about how to use FLEx and aims to cover common questions and also to address more complicated aspects of the software. There are four modules: Theoretical Foundations, Database Preparation, Working with Data, and Expanding an Entry. Each section includes videos and quizzes to complete before moving on.
Users will benefit from this course as a starting point before beginning their project with FLEx, as the resource offers a fairly comprehensive overview and encourages engagement in the learning process.
This self-paced training course can be accessed here.
Resource Type: Downloadable Guide
Mason, K. 2020. Fieldworks Linguistic Explorer (FLEx) Training 2020. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343390713_Fieldworks_Linguistic_Explorer_FLEx_Training_2020_ver_11_August_2020. Accessed June 13, 2022.
This 81-page document covers topics such as starting a project, setting up collaboration, navigating FLEx, creating lexical entries, making bulk edits, and export methods. Many of the sections include images to walk users through the necessary steps.
Users will benefit from having this document on hand as they work through the process of creating resources with FLEx. The step-by-step instructions are very clear.
This training guide can be found here.
Resource Type: Video
Language Technology. “FLEx.” Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/channels/fieldworks. Accessed June 13, 2022.
This series of videos from SIL covers a variety of more technically difficult FLEx functions and tools, with a demonstration of how to perform each function on video. Topics include enabling spellcheck, adding allomorphs, and breaking words into morphemes. Each video is about 1-2 minutes long.
This resource is helpful for users who are struggling with the more technical aspects of the software and would benefit from videos covering these areas.
These video tutorials can be accessed here.
Reviews/Articles
Resource Type: Presentation Slides
Fitzgerald, C. 2019. “Fieldworks Language Explorer.” 2019 Language Institute University of California Davis Day 5. https://www.linguisticsociety.org/sites/default/files/e-learning/Day%205%20slides%20-%20FLEx%20.pdf.
Fieldworks Language Explorer
This 2019 presentation, saved on the Linguistic Society of America website, includes an overview of FLEx’s functions and gaps, samples of projects created using FLEx (although many of the links no longer work), and a list of resources and companion tools that can support FLEx users. The presentation slides are largely in point form, but still offer valuable information about FLEx, and include many screenshots of the interface.
These presentation slides can be found here.
Resource Type: Academic Article
Lockwood, R. 2011. “Machine Parsing of Gilaki Verbs with Fieldworks Language Explorer.” SIL International. https://software.sil.org/fieldworks/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2017/01/Machine-Parsing-of-Gilaki-Verbs-with-Fieldworks-Language-Explorer.pdf.
Machine Parsing of Gilaki Verbs with Fieldworks Language Explorer
Abstract:
“This paper will outline how machine parsing with Fieldworks Language Explorer (FLEx) can be done. To illustrate, this parsing will be applied to Gilaki verbs which have sufficient complexity in several areas to show the various methods of getting surface forms to parse correctly while ruling out incorrect forms. The paper will go through the steps to setup a system of parsing in FLEx. This includes setting up a lexicon for roots and affixes, defining templates for verb forms, applying features to lexical items, setting up environment rules and using ad-hoc rules. I will show how parsing can be done both in Arabic script and in Latin script using the same system. Lastly, I will show some uses of machine parsing for creating interlinear texts and as a morphological spelling-checker.”
This article can be found here.
Resource Type: Academic Article
Rogers, C. 2010. “Fieldworks Language Explorer (FLEx) 3.0.” Language Documentation and Conservation, 4: 78-84. https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/653de9a1-8278-42f3-9edc-6d2050e04c21/content.
Fieldworks Language Explorer (FLEx) 3.0 Review
Abstract:
“One of the most important goals in language documentation is to produce reference materials as well as to create long-lasting (i.e., archivable) materials for the languages. Fieldworks Language Explorer (FLEx) 3.0 is software for organizing and analyzing linguistic data and is produced for free download by SIL International (SIL)1.This review has three goals: to show how the current version of FLEx addresses problems in earlier versions of the program, to highlight some of the more useful features of FLEx 3.0, and to indicate how it compares to other database programs. Like earlier versions of the program and its predecessors (Shoebox/Toolbox), FLEx consists of components designed to organize information for a given language, such as its lexicon, grammar, and texts. The broad categories of language organization form separate components of the program: lexicon, texts & words, and grammar. Each of these component parts consists of a number of options and data fields, most of which can be customized to the needs of a given language project. When taken together the program’s components can be used to produce outputs useful in language conservation, such as: wordlists and dictionaries, collections of texts and examples sentences, and interlinear morphological analyses; though these outputs are of varying sophistication. This review is concerned with the new features in FLEx (3.0) and with the usefulness of this program to both seasoned field workers and those looking for an ideal program for their first field experiences. By way of general summary, I have found this program to be useful for its described purposes and an important asset in any language documentation effort. The updated version provides solutions to many of the difficulties present in past editions. However, there are some aspects of the program that limit its use and render it less than suitable for some language projects.”
This article can be found here.