Chapter 5. Sentiment Analysis in Text
One of the most powerful skills we can master in data mining is learning how to deal with large amounts of unstructured or semi-structured textual data. Textual data, sometimes just called text, is important because it is everywhere, and because it conveys so much detail about the human experience in so many formats: books, news media, journals, government reports, case law, e-mail messages, chat logs, product reviews, and so on. We also find text data in places we might not expect. For example, when the spoken word is written down it also becomes text, as do song lyrics and video transcripts. When we look at the code that makes up web pages and computer programs, we find text. When we need a computer to leave a record of what activities have transpired, we have it create a text log file. When we need a common, universally interoperable medium for communicating between devices, we often use plain text to do so.
Over the next few chapters, we...
