Abstract
Latent semantic analysis (LSA) is a statistical model of word usage that permits comparisons of semantic similarity between pieces of textual information. This paper summarizes three experiments that illustrate how LSA may be used in text-based research. Two experiments describe methods for analyzing a subject’s essay for determining from what text a subject learned the information and for grading the quality of information cited in the essay. The third experiment describes using LSA to measure the coherence and comprehensibility of texts.
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This work has benefited from collaborative research with Tom Landauer, Walter Kintsch, Charles Perfetti, M. Anne Britt, Susan Dumais, Mara Georgi, and Adrienne Lee. Support for this research was funded by grants from Bell Communications Research and by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI).
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Foltz, P.W. Latent semantic analysis for text-based research. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers 28, 197–202 (1996). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03204765
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03204765