Database programs (or DBMSs, "Database Management Systems") are extremely useful tools for the linguist; they allow efficient storage and rapid manipulation of large quantities of data, and have no competition when it comes to testing complex quantitative hypotheses quickly and easily. With a corpus properly coded in a well-designed relational database, you can get an answer to a question like "how many relative clauses have heads which are definite patients" in seconds.

However, they are rather different from other kinds of software most users are familiar with, such as word processors and spreadsheets, and they can be intimidating at first. This guide is intended as an introduction to database concepts and principles.

This is not a step-by-step "how to" guide to any particular piece of database software. The paradigm described here is shared by many different products. Some of those currently on the market, with which people are having success doing linguistic analysis, include:

• Corel Paradox (previously developed by Borland, now a part of the Corel Wordperfect Suite)
• Microsoft Access (part of Microsoft Office, Professional Edition only)
• Filemaker Pro (for Macintosh)

A piece of advice that applies to these or any other large software products that you plan to use for research:

• Buy the software before you need it for a research project.
• Accept that it will take some time and commitment to learn to use it. Get a book or take one of the free classes on campus.
• Spend some time getting to know it in a non-stressful environment. For instance, set up a small database for addresses, your record collection, whatever.

Learning a complex piece of software while also trying to do research and writing under a deadline is a recipe for frustration. Software can be your friend, but like any other friendship it requires time and commitment to flourish.