This comprehensive reference work provides an overview of the concepts, methodologies, and applications in computational linguistics and natural language processing (NLP).

Features contributions by the top researchers in the field, reflecting the work that is driving the discipline forward
Includes an introduction to the major theoretical issues in these fields, as well as the central engineering applications that the work has produced
Presents the major developments in an accessible way, explaining the close connection between scientific understanding of the computational properties of natural language and the creation of effective language technologies
Serves as an invaluable state-of-the-art reference source for computational linguists and software engineers developing NLP applications in industrial research and development labs of software companies