Veranstaltungsprogramm der VHB Tagung

For decades, textual analysis has been an important methodological approach in social science, as it is powerful to operationalize difficult-to-measure constructs. However, recent technological developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) may transform how researchers can (and perhaps should) apply textual analysis, while these developments also introduce new challenges around transparency, bias, and reproducibility. Given this ongoing debate, the panel discussion aims to outline and discuss contemporary applications of textual analysis.

The panel brings together researchers familiar with classical and AI-driven approaches to discuss the developments, opportunities and challenges, and how AI-driven methods may reshape textual analysis. The panel discussion will include presentations of experts that discuss the developments along three “provocative” questions.

The three “provocative” questions are as follows:

(1)    Classical bag-of-words approaches in textual analysis are dead, aren’t they?

Expert discussion: Marvin Hanisch, Department of Innovation Management & Strategy,  University of Groningen

(2)    Are LLMs the ultimate solution or just the latest hype in textual analysis?

Expert discussion: Fabian Woebbeking, Halle Institute for Economic Research, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg

(3)    In an AI-dominated world, is voice the only data that speaks for itself?

Expert discussion: Michelle Lang, Chair of Management and Control, University of Goettingen