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Constructive Visual Analytics for Text Similarity Detection
Author(s) -
AbdulRahman A.,
Roe G.,
Olsen M.,
Gladstone C.,
Whaling R.,
Cronk N.,
Morrissey R.,
Chen M.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
computer graphics forum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.578
H-Index - 120
eISSN - 1467-8659
pISSN - 0167-7055
DOI - 10.1111/cgf.12798
Subject(s) - computer science , pipeline (software) , visual analytics , similarity (geometry) , information retrieval , artificial intelligence , context (archaeology) , semantic similarity , construct (python library) , pairwise comparison , natural language processing , task (project management) , visualization , data mining , image (mathematics) , programming language , paleontology , management , economics , biology
Detecting similarity between texts is a frequently encountered text mining task. Because the measurement of similarity is typically composed of a number of metrics, and some measures are sensitive to subjective interpretation, a generic detector obtained using machine learning often has difficulties balancing the roles of different metrics according to the semantic context exhibited in a specific collection of texts. In order to facilitate human interaction in a visual analytics process for text similarity detection, we first map the problem of pairwise sequence comparison to that of image processing, allowing patterns of similarity to be visualized as a 2D pixelmap. We then devise a visual interface to enable users to construct and experiment with different detectors using primitive metrics, in a way similar to constructing an image processing pipeline. We deployed this new approach for the identification of commonplaces in 18th‐century literary and print culture. Domain experts were then able to make use of the prototype system to derive new scholarly discoveries and generate new hypotheses.