Dr. Konstantinos Zougris, associate professor of Sociology at the University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu, recently published a research article that examines how text analytics began and developed within the realm of traditional content analysis.
Zougris’ article, “Origins, Styles, and Applications of Text Analytics in Social Science Research,” was published in May in Encyclopedia of Social Sciences, an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal. The Encyclopedia of Social Sciences provides a comprehensive reference work covering several disciplines and subdisciplines in Social Sciences. The journal is published quarterly by MDPI in Basel, Switzerland.
“The article outlines key paradigm shifts over time and highlights early text-mining methods that led to the rise of Discriminative Artificial Intelligence (DAI),” Zougris said. “These traditional approaches also played a major role in shaping Generative AI (GenAI) and Large Language Models (LLMs).”
He continued, “Using combined, efficient text analysis techniques is crucial for understanding both shared and differing opinions, which have long impacted the functionality, solidarity, and cohesion within small and large social groups.”
Zougris elaborated on the significance of his research article.
“Streamlining text analytical techniques — complemented by multivariate analysis — has been proven especially useful in identifying common grounds in negotiations and interpretations of meanings in socio-cultural and socio-cognitive settings,” he said. “In essence, text analytics can provide valuable insights into the process of establishing inclusive and cohesive communities of practice, as well as enhancing shared governance models within institutional and organizational entities, for example, government agencies and business corporations.”