Topic Modeling and Text Analysis for Qualitative Policy Research.

This paper contributes to a critical methodological discussion that has direct ramifications for policy studies: how computational methods can be concretely incorporated into existing processes of textual analysis and interpretation without compromising scientific integrity. We focus on the computat...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Policy Studies Journal Vol. 49; no. 1; pp. 300 - 325
Autores principales: Isoaho, Karoliina, Gritsenko, Daria, Mäkelä, Eetu
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Wiley-Blackwell Feb2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=148865359&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: ssf
    uiTerm: 148865359
    longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson)
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        0190292X
        PSJ
      jtl: Policy Studies Journal
      issn: 0190292X
      maglogo: Y
    pubinfo:
      dt: Feb2021
      vid: 49
      iid: 1
      pid: 480
      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
    artinfo:
      ui:
        148865359
        10.1111/psj.12343
      ppf: 300
      ppct: 25
      formats:
        fmt:
          – @attributes:
              type: T
          – @attributes:
              type: C
          – @attributes:
              type: P
              size: 1.3MB
      tig:
        atl: Topic Modeling and Text Analysis for Qualitative Policy Research.
      aug:
        au:
          Isoaho, Karoliina
          Gritsenko, Daria
          Mäkelä, Eetu
      su:
        Policy sciences
        Computer simulation
        Machine learning
        Mixed methods research
        Latent semantic analysis
        Algorithms
      sug:
        subj:
          Policy sciences
          Computer simulation
          Machine learning
          Mixed methods research
          Latent semantic analysis
          Algorithms
      keyword:
        big data
        machine learning
        mixed‐method research
        qualitative research
        topic model
        big data
        machine learning
        mixed‐method research
        qualitative research
        topic model
      ab: This paper contributes to a critical methodological discussion that has direct ramifications for policy studies: how computational methods can be concretely incorporated into existing processes of textual analysis and interpretation without compromising scientific integrity. We focus on the computational method of topic modeling and investigate how it interacts with two larger families of qualitative methods: content and classification methods characterized by interest in words as communication units and discourse and representation methods characterized by interest in the meaning of communicative acts. Based on analysis of recent academic publications that have used topic modeling for textual analysis, our findings show that different mixed‐method research designs are appropriate when combining topic modeling with the two groups of methods. Our main concluding argument is that topic modeling enables scholars to apply policy theories and concepts to much larger sets of data. That said, the use of computational methods requires genuine understanding of these techniques to obtain substantially meaningful results. We encourage policy scholars to reflect carefully on methodological issues, and offer a simple heuristic to help identify and address critical points when designing a study using topic modeling.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
    refInfo:
    copyright:
      @attributes:
        flag: N
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N