is there an open source computer-based algoritm/program for parsing large numbers
of qualitative English responses to a questionnaire and reducing the responses
down to a managable number in a sorted category format?

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Request for Question Clarification by hedgie-ga on 15 Oct 2006 19:28 PDT

Hi danw-ga

     Interesting question. I see two possible interpretations of the question:

1) Is there a statistical method (algorithm) which will reduce number of 
dimensions of a  poll?  
    e.g. instead of rating object in 20 dimension, (is it good, important, ....)
 you ask 3 and get about same  variance ?

2) The program does natural language processing and based on it's
'understanding' formulates new questions?

which of the two are you interested in?

Also, what is  large and managable ?  2000 to 100 ?

The more you  say about the application, the more likely you get an answer.