Exploring diversity through machine learning: a case for the use of decision trees in social science research

The literature provides multiple measures of diversity along a single demographic dimension, but when it comes to studying the interaction of multiple diversity types (e.g. age, gender, and race), the field of useable measures diminishes. We present the use of decision trees as a machine learning te...

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التفاصيل البيبلوغرافية
المؤلف الرئيسي: Srour, F. Jordan (author)
مؤلفون آخرون: Karkoulian, Silva (author)
التنسيق: article
منشور في: 2021
الوصول للمادة أونلاين:http://hdl.handle.net/10725/17291
https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2021.1933064
http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/articles.php
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13645579.2021.1933064
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author Srour, F. Jordan
author2 Karkoulian, Silva
author2_role author
author_facet Srour, F. Jordan
Karkoulian, Silva
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Srour, F. Jordan
Karkoulian, Silva
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2021-06-05
2022
2025-09-25T13:23:37Z
2025-09-25T13:23:37Z
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv 1364-5579
http://hdl.handle.net/10725/17291
https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2021.1933064
Srour, F. J., & Karkoulian, S. (2022). Exploring diversity through machine learning: a case for the use of decision trees in social science research. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 25(6), 725-740.
http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/articles.php
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13645579.2021.1933064
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv en
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv International Journal of Social Research Methodology
dc.rights.*.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Exploring diversity through machine learning: a case for the use of decision trees in social science research
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
description The literature provides multiple measures of diversity along a single demographic dimension, but when it comes to studying the interaction of multiple diversity types (e.g. age, gender, and race), the field of useable measures diminishes. We present the use of decision trees as a machine learning technique to automatically identify the interactions across diversity types to predict different levels of a dependent variable. In order to demonstrate the power of decision trees, we use five types of surface-level diversity (age, gender, education level, religion, and region of origin) measured via the standardized Blau index as independent variables and knowledge sharing as the dependent variable. The results of our decision tree approach relative to linear regression show that decision trees serve as a powerful tool to identify key demographic faultlines without a priori specification of a model structure.
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
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id LAURepo_09f9208f45a44e997d262acf961a9feb
identifier_str_mv 1364-5579
Srour, F. J., & Karkoulian, S. (2022). Exploring diversity through machine learning: a case for the use of decision trees in social science research. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 25(6), 725-740.
language_invalid_str_mv en
network_acronym_str LAURepo
network_name_str Lebanese American University repository
oai_identifier_str oai:laur.lau.edu.lb:10725/17291
publishDate 2021
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spelling Exploring diversity through machine learning: a case for the use of decision trees in social science researchSrour, F. JordanKarkoulian, SilvaThe literature provides multiple measures of diversity along a single demographic dimension, but when it comes to studying the interaction of multiple diversity types (e.g. age, gender, and race), the field of useable measures diminishes. We present the use of decision trees as a machine learning technique to automatically identify the interactions across diversity types to predict different levels of a dependent variable. In order to demonstrate the power of decision trees, we use five types of surface-level diversity (age, gender, education level, religion, and region of origin) measured via the standardized Blau index as independent variables and knowledge sharing as the dependent variable. The results of our decision tree approach relative to linear regression show that decision trees serve as a powerful tool to identify key demographic faultlines without a priori specification of a model structure.Published2025-09-25T13:23:37Z2025-09-25T13:23:37Z20222021-06-05Articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/article1364-5579http://hdl.handle.net/10725/17291https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2021.1933064Srour, F. J., & Karkoulian, S. (2022). Exploring diversity through machine learning: a case for the use of decision trees in social science research. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 25(6), 725-740.http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/articles.phphttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13645579.2021.1933064enInternational Journal of Social Research Methodologyinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:laur.lau.edu.lb:10725/172912025-09-25T13:23:37Z
spellingShingle Exploring diversity through machine learning: a case for the use of decision trees in social science research
Srour, F. Jordan
status_str publishedVersion
title Exploring diversity through machine learning: a case for the use of decision trees in social science research
title_full Exploring diversity through machine learning: a case for the use of decision trees in social science research
title_fullStr Exploring diversity through machine learning: a case for the use of decision trees in social science research
title_full_unstemmed Exploring diversity through machine learning: a case for the use of decision trees in social science research
title_short Exploring diversity through machine learning: a case for the use of decision trees in social science research
title_sort Exploring diversity through machine learning: a case for the use of decision trees in social science research
url http://hdl.handle.net/10725/17291
https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2021.1933064
http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/articles.php
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13645579.2021.1933064