Processes Matter: How ML/GAI Approaches Could Support Open Qualitative Coding of Online Discourse Datasets

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Chen, John, Lotsos, Alexandros, Wang, Grace, Zhao, Lexie, Sherin, Bruce, Wilensky, Uri, Horn, Michael
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
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author Chen, John
Lotsos, Alexandros
Wang, Grace
Zhao, Lexie
Sherin, Bruce
Wilensky, Uri
Horn, Michael
author_facet Chen, John
Lotsos, Alexandros
Wang, Grace
Zhao, Lexie
Sherin, Bruce
Wilensky, Uri
Horn, Michael
contents Open coding, a key inductive step in qualitative research, discovers and constructs concepts from human datasets. However, capturing extensive and nuanced aspects or "coding moments" can be challenging, especially with large discourse datasets. While some studies explore machine learning (ML)/Generative AI (GAI)'s potential for open coding, few evaluation studies exist. We compare open coding results by five recently published ML/GAI approaches and four human coders, using a dataset of online chat messages around a mobile learning software. Our systematic analysis reveals ML/GAI approaches' strengths and weaknesses, uncovering the complementary potential between humans and AI. Line-by-line AI approaches effectively identify content-based codes, while humans excel in interpreting conversational dynamics. We discussed how embedded analytical processes could shape the results of ML/GAI approaches. Instead of replacing humans in open coding, researchers should integrate AI with and according to their analytical processes, e.g., as parallel co-coders.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2504_02887
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Processes Matter: How ML/GAI Approaches Could Support Open Qualitative Coding of Online Discourse Datasets
Chen, John
Lotsos, Alexandros
Wang, Grace
Zhao, Lexie
Sherin, Bruce
Wilensky, Uri
Horn, Michael
Computation and Language
Human-Computer Interaction
Machine Learning
Open coding, a key inductive step in qualitative research, discovers and constructs concepts from human datasets. However, capturing extensive and nuanced aspects or "coding moments" can be challenging, especially with large discourse datasets. While some studies explore machine learning (ML)/Generative AI (GAI)'s potential for open coding, few evaluation studies exist. We compare open coding results by five recently published ML/GAI approaches and four human coders, using a dataset of online chat messages around a mobile learning software. Our systematic analysis reveals ML/GAI approaches' strengths and weaknesses, uncovering the complementary potential between humans and AI. Line-by-line AI approaches effectively identify content-based codes, while humans excel in interpreting conversational dynamics. We discussed how embedded analytical processes could shape the results of ML/GAI approaches. Instead of replacing humans in open coding, researchers should integrate AI with and according to their analytical processes, e.g., as parallel co-coders.
title Processes Matter: How ML/GAI Approaches Could Support Open Qualitative Coding of Online Discourse Datasets
topic Computation and Language
Human-Computer Interaction
Machine Learning
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.02887