Once materials (data) are collected, you will need to edit, transform, and manage them. For text and video collections, database applications are necessary for the editing or transforming process. Databases organize, store and analyze text, make it accessible, and produce materials such as dictionaries, text collections, etc.

There are several language documentation database applications you might want to explore. Adopting one such application can provide a very significant set of features and outputs that can benefit your project. Below is discussion of some of the most commonly used of these.

The three most commonly used documentation database products are FLEx, ELAN, and Miromaa. FLEx is probably the most commonly used application of this sort and has been used for quite some time across many language communities. FLEx and ELAN are often used together, and can complement each other. Miromaa is a unique software package that was created by and is supported by an Indigenous-led technology organization in Australia. Below is a bit more detail about each of these three programs and how they are used.

FLEx

FLEx stands for Fieldworks Language Explorer and is a database application designed for documentary linguists. Users of the program enter some of the writing and grammar rules of language to set up the database. Words, phrases, sentences or text are entered with English translations. As more and more information is entered, FLEx applies the rules to new examples, speeding up linguistic analysis. At first, entering material into FLEx is tedious and can be quite complex, but the more information you enter, the better the system is at recognizing the different elements of your language. FLEx is primarily designed to work with WRITTEN material and to produce outputs such as:

• dictionaries,
• glossed and analyzed texts,
• pedagogical materials,
• archival copies of materials

It is important to note as well, that FLEx works best on Windows platforms and seems more difficult to use on other operating systems.

ELAN

ELAN is an annotation tool for audio and video recordings. Users import video and audio clips to transcribe, translate, and enter metadata for. The annotations can be exported to provide multi-tier captioning for views. ELAN can also be used together with FLEx and there are good utilities that enable sharing of data between the two. As users build up their data in ELAN, they are able to produce material such as:

• audio and video with multi-tiered captions
• pedagogical materials
• archival copies of materials

Miromaa

Miromaa is a language database application produced by the Aboriginal Language and Technology Center, an Indigenous-led consortium working with language communities all over the world. Miromaa is an Awabakal word meaning, ‘saved, to stop from loss.’ The software is only available to Indigenous language communities and those who have interest in wanting to use it must contact the Center. The Center is careful to ensure that their product is only used by community language workers, and they provide technical support to all communities who they license their software to.

Miromaa is an alternative to FLEx and has similar uses, but it is a newer technology and is more adapted to also including non-text resources. It has more built-in functionality to manage images and media; there are also special features that allow you to include GIS coordinates with entries, which can facilitate creating maps. As users build up their data in Miromaa, they can produce materials such as:

• dictionaries,
• glossed and analyzed texts,
• materials with geolocations associated with entries,
• pedagogical materials,
• archival copies of materials