A prototype data-analysis software developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory could help track potential terrorist groups by uncovering hidden meaning in the group's written interactions. The method can extract emotional content known as affective meaning from unstructured text documents like blogs, emails, tweets and chat feeds, said Jack Schryver, co-developer of the ORNL tool. "Research shows that group processes such as group formation, recruitment, coalition, threat and conflict depend on the underlying affective meaning in their textual communications," Schryver said. This automated tracking of group dynamics could allow intelligence analysts to more efficiently monitor and identify threats to national security. Other ORNL researchers include Cathy Jiao, Tracy Warren and Edmon Begoli.
