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Main Author: Amadoru, Malmi
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.00547
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author Amadoru, Malmi
author_facet Amadoru, Malmi
contents The rise of advanced computational algorithms has opened new avenues for computationally intensive research approaches to theory development. However, the opacity of these algorithms and lack of transparency and rigour in their application pose methodological challenges, potentially undermining trust in research. The discourse on methodological rigour in this new genre of research is still emerging. Against this backdrop, I attempt to offer guidance on methodological rigour, particularly in the context of topic modelling algorithms. By illustrating the application of the structural topic modelling algorithm and presenting a set of guidelines, I discuss how to ensure rigour in topic modelling studies. Although the guidelines are for the application of topic modelling algorithms, they can be applied to other algorithms with context-specific adjustments. The guidelines are helpful, especially for novice researchers applying topic modelling, and editors and reviewers handling topic modelling manuscripts. I contribute to the literature on topic modelling and join the emerging dialogue on methodological rigour in computationally intensive theory construction research.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_00547
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Methodological Rigour in Algorithm Application: An Illustration of Topic Modelling Algorithm
Amadoru, Malmi
Computation and Language
The rise of advanced computational algorithms has opened new avenues for computationally intensive research approaches to theory development. However, the opacity of these algorithms and lack of transparency and rigour in their application pose methodological challenges, potentially undermining trust in research. The discourse on methodological rigour in this new genre of research is still emerging. Against this backdrop, I attempt to offer guidance on methodological rigour, particularly in the context of topic modelling algorithms. By illustrating the application of the structural topic modelling algorithm and presenting a set of guidelines, I discuss how to ensure rigour in topic modelling studies. Although the guidelines are for the application of topic modelling algorithms, they can be applied to other algorithms with context-specific adjustments. The guidelines are helpful, especially for novice researchers applying topic modelling, and editors and reviewers handling topic modelling manuscripts. I contribute to the literature on topic modelling and join the emerging dialogue on methodological rigour in computationally intensive theory construction research.
title Methodological Rigour in Algorithm Application: An Illustration of Topic Modelling Algorithm
topic Computation and Language
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.00547