Opinion Piece: How to pre-register experimental studies that involve machine learning for text data analysis

Lisa Bruttel and Juri Nithammer

Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), 2025, vol. 118, issue C

Abstract: This paper discusses the challenges researchers face when pre-registering experimental studies that incorporate machine learning methods for data analysis, in particular text mining. Compared to standard behavioral data, text data (e.g., free-form chat content) is less predictable in form and meaning, and it is often unclear which representation techniques will yield the most meaningful results. Drawing on experience from multiple experimental studies, we propose best practices and offer guidelines to assist researchers working in this growing area.

Keywords: Text analysis; Experiment; Replicability; Transparency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C12 C81 D83 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:soceco:v:118:y:2025:i:c:s2214804325000783

DOI: 10.1016/j.socec.2025.102414

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