During the past few decades the use of computers and other technological devices has brought about several changes for both translators and researchers. Computer applications not only provide new opportunities for translators to facilitate their work, they also offer new possibilities to observe, trace and analyse text production during translation in detail.
In the context of our research on writing processes, we have developed an observation and logging tool, called Inputlog. This program enables researchers to extensively log a writing session. Existing logging tools such as TransLog (Jakobsen & Schou,1998), JEdit/Trace-it (Eklundh & Kollberg, 1996) or ScriptLog (Strömqvist & Malmsten, 1997) are either developed for a specific word processor, or have no full functionality to be used with commercial word processors in the current MS WindowsTM environment. Therefore, we have developed a logging tool that enables researchers to log writing sessions in MS WordTM or any other Window application, and make these logs accessible for further analysis.
This workshop will focus on the functionality of Inputlog as a tool for process registration. We will demonstrate how it can be used for research into writing and translation processes and how this type of digital tools might also have instructional applications.
At this stage Inputlog can generate the following data files:
General data : basic log file of the writing session: e.g. identification parameters of the research participant, writing mode, keystroke, action time, pause time, x and y value of mouse click, speech input;
Statistical analysis: basic statistical information about the writing session: e.g. total number of characters, words and sentences in the text, number of mode switches, number of pauses, mean pause length;
Text analysis: text files with the final text, linear text, linear text with writing modes and the linear text in set intervals;
Pause analysis: analysis of every non-scribal period of any - user specified - pause length;
Mode analysis: analysis of the time spent per writing mode and the number of mode switches;
Revision analysis: analysis of all non-linear changes in the text.
These different components enable researchers to reconstruct the writing process in great detail, and get insight in the cognitive processes of the writers through statistical analyses. It is also possible to use Inputlog in combination with think aloud protocols, either concurrent or retrospective (using the play back modus), or other - more macro oriented - observation tools. During the workshop we will demonstrate the program and present examples of studies that were conducted using this logging program.

Mariëlle LEIJTEN received her Ph.D. from Utrecht University on the topic of Writing and Speech Recognition in 2007. She currently teaches Business Communication, Communication Research Methods and Communication and New Media at the University of Antwerp. In her research she focuses on Writing and Digital Media, more specifically analyzing on-line writing processes via keystroke logging and eyetracking. She co-edited 'Writing and Digital Media'.

Luuk VAN WAES is a professor in Business and Technical Communication at the University of Antwerp, Belgium. His main research areas are: writing processes, writing and digital media, tools and methods for writing research, business and technical communication and online writing centers. Recently he co-edited two books in the Elsevier's series on Studies in Writing: 'Writing and Digital Media' and 'Writing and Cognition'. He also is chief-editor of the international journal ‘Journal of Writing Research’.