Overview

We have developed three tools to facilitate working with the text data:

1. Keyword Tool. The Keyword Tool helps to create a list of keywords that accurately describe the topic or research question of the user. Given one or more keywords specified by the user, it suggests keywords from earnings calls that are similar in meaning. It also helps to systematically determine whether the suggestions from the Keyword Tool are relevant.

2. Risk Tool. The Risk Tool is a search engine that quickly searches for a given list of keywords in the sentences of earnings calls. Its output is an earnings call level file that aggregates for each earnings call how many sentences were found that match at least one keyword, and how many of those sentences also express risk or sentiment. That file can be the starting point of further downstream analyses, including for example academic papers and market reports.

3. Snippet Tool. The Snippet Tool displays sentences that were found in a search from the Risk Tool. It allows users to filter previously-matched sentences to facilitate the targeted reading of specific sectors, countries, companies, or even earnings calls of interest. It allows users to track exactly what was said in the earning calls about a particular topic.

In the following pages we will explain how to effectively use each of the three tools.