Joining language with data and data with data

Welcome to the IASSIST Quarterly first issue of 2021 and of volume 45 (IQ 45(1) 2021). I always find it interesting to learn more about other research areas. Often, I find approaches in less well-known areas can be transformed and transferred to my own areas, or make me aware of problems unwisely ignored hitherto and becoming potentials. In the case of the first article, you will become aware of the connection with linguistics from a data viewpoint. As a search for datasets requires using words of a language it is obvious that linguistic knowledge can be of benefit. However, most is obvious when you think of it - afterwards. Often, it is because you did not think it through - beforehand - that new information surprises you. And this also gives you a good opportunity to thank people who are working in areas you had not thought of - before. The benefits of combining and merging types of data such as linking survey data and social media data are obvious - again! Before you start the journey of joining these types of data, the second article will provide you with valuable information gained from the experience of several projects and exemplified through cases using Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. The first article shows the support for diversity in research areas already in the title: 'A recommendation to the SSH community: take a linguist on board' authored by Jeannine Beeken of UK Data Service at University of Essex (UK). Theories and methods of linguistics are obviously relevant for data services where the search for and retrieval of data collections from vast data archives is an important step in the process towards analysis and findings in data. Beeken starts by introducing us to areas of this important retrieval step that are supported by Natural Language Processing (NLP) that increases findability, with the result that relevant descriptions of data collections are identified through online search. A simple example is that when searching for survey questions concerning 'war' the results will also include those from a search for 'armed conflict'. The development and upkeep of thesauri and language relationships is a huge and valuable task that is itself supported by linguistics and computers, for example by intelligent creation of metadata for studies. Linguistic knowledge is not only relevant for finding data but also valuable for the production of data. Computer linguistics have made great progress for the growing number of studies based on texts an