Texto4Science: texting for science

Texters can now donate their text messages—also known as SMS messages—to science through the Texto4Science project.

Although we hear all kinds of things about the poor quality of language in text messages, there are no scientific studies to back up these concerns. Texters come up with creative ways to express themselves, communicating quickly with a limited number of characters. Does this mean that they don't know how to write? Researchers from around the world have decided to study this social phenomenon with the public's help.

The Texto4Science project is the Canadian component of the international project sms4science. Texto4Science is led by Patrick Drouin and Phillipe Langlais of the Université de Montréal, in cooperation with the University of Ottawa and Simon Fraser University. Canadian researchers hope to collect 300 000 French text messages by April 30. In the second phase of the project, slated to begin in 2010, they will collect English text messages.