Since the turn of the millenium, the application of quantitative methods on empirical data, with increasing sophistication and complexity, has become widely accepted as central in the development and testing of theoretical hypotheses concerning the nature of natural language and its processing by human beings. However, it is also increasingly recognized that quantitative investigations should be theoretically motivated and anchored, in addition to that linguistic theories and models should be modified or even fundamentally revised, if not also sometimes altogether refuted, to properly reflect the reality of quantitative results. Simply put, quantitative methods and theoretical developments should mutually feed and influence each other.

As with the previous two QITL meetings, we invite researchers from all linguistic frameworks engaged in quantitative investigations of theoretical linguistic questions to submit abstracts for 30 minute talks (plus 10 minutes of discussion). The preferred focus is on how one has been able to address a theoretically motivated linguistic question with some quantitative method(s); computational and exploratory approaches may also be of interest if they lead to or shed light on theoretical issues. Furthermore, we welcome studies concerning all media of language use, whether spoken, written or electronic in form. Relevant topics include (but are not by any means limited to) models of lexical, syntactic or pragmatic/prosodic preferences, the nature of linguistic rules/regularities and the lexicon (e.g. morphological productivity), the relationship between language use, linguistic judgements and/or indirect data on language processing, cross-linguistic typological tendencies, first and second language acquisition, diachronic language development, and so forth. Our goal is to continue the workshoppy and conversational form as well as the theoretically and methodologically pluralistic atmosphere of the previous QITL events.

Abstracts should be at the maximum 3 pages long (A4, with 12 point Times New Roman or equivalent font and single spacing), including all tables, figures and references (corresponding to approximately 1000-1500 words). Electronic submission (in either PDF, PostScript or RTF format) by e-mail to "qitl-3 at helsinki.fi" is strongly preferred. Each submission will be peer-reviewed by (at least) two members of the program committee.

The deadline for submissions is Monday, 11 February 2008.