IQLA-GIAT Summer School in Quantitative Analysis of Textual Data

Active since 2013 and now in its seventh edition, the IQLA-GIAT International Summer School in Quantitative Analysis of Textual Data represents an exceptional educational opportunity in the field of quantitative methods for text analysis. The school is aimed at undergraduate and graduate students, doctoral students, post-docs, researchers and scholars (both academic and non-academic) from all disciplines within the humanities and social sciences who are interested in the tools for the study of large digital textual corpora (documents, novels, newspapers, social media). The summer school programme is characterised by three main elements:

1. A general part, which provides an introduction to quantitative methods for text analysis.
2. A thematic focus, exploring an emerging theme and its related effects on research.
3. A series of practical workshops, where participants, through individual and group activities, can acquire practical skills in the use of advanced tools.

 This year's theme addresses the challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI) and the use of large language models (LLMs) to traditional methods of textual data analysis. The central theme for the 2025 edition is the question: Large Language Models: Does AI Challenge Traditional Methods?
Computational methods are now fundamental in many disciplines, including linguistics, sociology, philosophy, pedagogy, psychology, history, economics, communication studies, political science, statistics and literary studies. The school's activities are designed to stimulate critical reflection on the advantages and limitations of the methods and to engage participants in discussions in an interdisciplinary context regarding the potential, challenges and opportunities of various approaches. The interdisciplinarity of the school is guaranteed both by the presence of speakers from different scientific fields and by the different backgrounds of the participants.
In summary, the school aims to share knowledge on methods, software, corpora, scientific literature and research results; to promote dialogue between disciplines on a current issue such as the use of LLMs in text analysis; develop innovative analytical tools and integrated research methods; and introduce young researchers to highly qualified research contexts. The school also represents an ideal platform to establish collaborations in international research networks, develop transversal skills and explore new research challenges in the fields of humanities and social sciences.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Period: Monday, September 8, 2025 – Friday, September 12, 2025

Target audience: Bachelor's , Master's and PhD students, post-PhD researchers, scholars, professionals
Massimo 20 participants

Lingua: English

Location: Padua

Contacts: qatd.school@fisppa.it