# Textal

> Textal is a text analysis app for the iPhone and iPad offered by the UCL Centre for Digital Humanities

**Wikidata**: [Q126084625](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q126084625)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/textal

## Summary  
Textal is a text analysis application designed for iOS devices, specifically the iPhone and iPad. It was developed by the UCL Centre for Digital Humanities to support digital humanities research. The tool enables users to perform various forms of textual analysis including stylistic analysis, network analysis, and data visualization.

## Key Facts  
- Textal is a mobile software application for iOS (iPhone and iPad)  
- Developed and maintained by the UCL Centre for Digital Humanities  
- Supports functionalities such as stylistic analysis, visual analysis, and network analysis  
- Listed in the Social Sciences and Humanities Open Marketplace and the Text Analysis Portal for Research (TAPoR)  
- Described in English at https://tapor.ca/tools/240 and https://marketplace.sshopencloud.eu/tool-or-service/92SzPP (both accessed November 2022)

## FAQs  
### Q: What is Textal used for?  
A: Textal is used for performing text analysis on mobile devices. It supports tasks like stylistic analysis, data visualization, and network analysis, making it useful for researchers in the digital humanities.

### Q: Who created Textal?  
A: Textal was developed by the UCL Centre for Digital Humanities, a leading institution in digital scholarship and computational methods in the humanities.

### Q: On which platforms can Textal be used?  
A: Textal is exclusively available for iOS devices, including the iPhone and iPad. It is not currently available for Android or desktop operating systems.

## Why It Matters  
Textal plays an important role in expanding access to text analysis tools beyond traditional desktop environments. By offering a mobile solution, it allows researchers, students, and educators to engage with textual data while on the go. Its inclusion in curated collections like TAPoR and the SSH Open Marketplace underscores its credibility and utility within academic communities focused on digital humanities. As part of the growing trend toward mobile-first applications in scholarly research, Textal contributes to democratizing access to analytical tools.

## Notable For  
- Being one of the few dedicated text analysis apps for iOS devices  
- Integration with major digital humanities resource portals such as TAPoR and the SSH Open Marketplace  
- Offering multiple types of analysis—stylistic, visual, and network—all within a single mobile interface  
- Representation of UCL’s commitment to innovation in digital scholarship  

## Body  

### Overview  
Textal is a specialized software application built for Apple's iOS platform. It targets scholars, students, and researchers who require portable access to text analysis capabilities. The app reflects broader trends in digital humanities computing that emphasize accessibility and user-friendly interfaces.

### Development and Affiliation  
The app is produced and supported by the **UCL Centre for Digital Humanities**, based at University College London. This center is internationally recognized for advancing interdisciplinary research through digital methodologies.

### Functional Capabilities  
Textal facilitates several core functions relevant to textual studies:
- **Digital capturing**: Enables import and processing of text-based materials
- **Stylistic analysis**: Allows examination of linguistic patterns and stylistic features
- **Data visualization**: Provides graphical representations of analyzed texts
- **Network analysis**: Maps relationships between textual elements
- **Visual analysis**: Offers interactive exploration of textual structures

These features align with standard practices in corpus linguistics, literary studies, and social science content analysis.

### Availability and Distribution  
Textal has been indexed in two notable online repositories:
- **Text Analysis Portal for Research (TAPoR)** – Entry ID: 240  
- **Social Sciences and Humanities Open Marketplace** – Identifier: 92SzPP  

Both entries were last reviewed in November 2022 and provide multilingual descriptions in English.

### Technical Scope  
As a native iOS application, Textal leverages Apple’s mobile ecosystem to deliver optimized performance on handheld devices. While no version history or release dates are specified in available documentation, its presence in curated academic toolsets indicates ongoing maintenance and institutional backing.

## References

1. [Source](https://marketplace.sshopencloud.eu/tool-or-service/92SzPP)
2. [Source](https://tapor.ca/tools/240)