Data availability and cooperation possibilities

The creation of typological databases involves an enormous amount of work. Based on our workload and funding records, we estimate the total production cost of the AUTOTYP network of databases to be about a million euros (as of 2009). This requires a careful policy on sharing data or data structures/database methods. We are generally following the standards in other disciplines.

Generally accessible datasets

Published (deposited) datasets

1. World Atlas of Language Structures

The following datasets are published in the World Atlas of Language Structures. Note that they are subsets of our data, exported in 2003. Our current datasets are generally larger. Use of these data requires nothing but the usual reference to our chapters in the Atlas.

Variable From Project N (Languages)
Phonological fusion of selected TAM markers Grammatical Markers 163
Phonological fusion of selected CASE markers Grammatical Markers 163
Exponence of selected TAM markers Grammatical Markers 160
Exponence of selected CASE markers Grammatical Markers 160
Inflectional synthesis of verbs Verb synthesis 145
Basic locus of P Locus 235
Basic locus of POSS Locus 235
Obligatory possessive inflection NP structures 243
Possessive classification NP structures 243


2. Electronic appendices to published work

The following datasets are available for download. Their use requires no more than the usual reference to the publication that discusses the data.

Ressource From Project Number of Languages Publication
Inclusive/exclusive subtypes Person systems 293 Bickel, B. & J. Nichols, 2005. Inclusive/exclusive as person vs. number categories worldwide. In: Elena Filimonova [ed.] Clusivity. Amsterdam: Benjamins
Phonological word domains Word domains 70 Bickel, B., K. Hildebrandt, & R. Schiering. 2009. The distribution of phonological word domains: a probabilistic typology. In Grijzenhout, J. & B. Kabak (eds.) Phonological Domains: Universals and Deviations. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. [PRE-PRINT]
Case alignment Grammatical relations 435 Bickel, Balthasar, Alena Witzlack-Makarevich, & Taras Zakharko. 2012+. Typological evidence against universal effects of referential scales on case alignment. In Bornkessel-Schlesewsky, I., A. Malchukov and M. Richards (eds.) Scales: A Cross-disciplinary Perspective on Referential Hierarchies. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. [PRE-PRINT]
Grammatical relations Bickel, Balthasar and Iemmolo, Giorgio and Zakharko, Taras and Witzlack-Makarevich, Alena. 2013. Patterns of alignment in verb agreement. In D. Bakker and M. Haspelmath (eds.) Languages across boundaries: studies in memory of Anna Siewierska. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton.
Semantic roles Grammatical relations 141 Bickel, Balthasar and Zakharko, Taras and Bierkandt, Lennart and Witzlack-Makarevich, Alena. 2014. Semantic role clustering: an empirical assessments of semantic role types in non-default case assignment. Studies in Language 38.
Grammatical relations Bickel, Balthasar and Witzlack-Makarevich, Alena and Zakharko, Taras and Iemmolo, Giorgio. 2015. Exploring diachronic universals of agreement: alignment patterns and zero marking across person categories. In J. Fleischer, E. Rieken P. Widmer (eds.) Agreement from a diachronic perspective. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton.
S1 Database Grammatical relations 705 Bickel B, Witzlack-Makarevich A, Choudhary KK, Schlesewsky M, Bornkessel-Schlesewsky I. 2015 The Neurophysiology of Language Processing Shapes the Evolution of Grammar: Evidence from Case Marking. PLoS ONE 10(8): e0132819. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0132819
S1 Sources
Coargument data Grammatical relations 24 Alena Witzlack-Makarevicha, Taras Zakharkob, Lennart Bierkandt, Fernando Zúñiga, & Balthasar Bickel. 2016. Decomposing hierarchical alignment: co-arguments as conditions on alignment and the limits of referential hierarchies as explanations in verb agreement. Linguistics 54(3).

Other datasets: cooperation projects

If you want to use (i.e. browse or analyze) any other AUTOTYP datasets (data files or definition files), it is possible to get access to the database if you agree to a Code of Conduct on Fair Use that regulates intellectual property rights and coauthorship structures. Please contact Balthasar Bickel or Johanna Nichols if you are interested in this kind of cooperation and we will send you our Code of Conduct on Fair Use.

The AUTOTYP Method

If you want to simply adopt the AUTOTYP method and principles, all we ask you is to refer to Bickel & Nichols 2002 in publications using the new database, a report on the new database and on any publications resulting from it. We will then crossreference your project from our website. (Note: The 2002 paper will be updated soon, so please check back for newer versions.)


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