On the usefulness of Google Books & co. for histories of concepts (not only in the Slavic Studies): glasnostʹ, standard language, and digraphia/bigraphism

The article shows how new insights for the history of concepts can be gained using Google Books and other large collections of full texts. Various problems that are encountered are discussed. By demonstrating the method, new light is shed on the history of the concepts of glasnostʹ, standard language and digraphia/bigraphism.

Translated from “Über den Nutzen von Google Books & Co. für (nicht nur slavistische) Begriffsgeschichten” in Podtergera, Irina (ed.), Schnittpunkt Slavistik: Ost und West im wissenschaftlichen Dialog; Festgabe für Helmut Keipert zum 70. Geburtstag, vol. 1, 393–407. Göttingen: V&R unipress – Bonn University Press 2012. DOI: 10.18716/bun/gglb.