Factor Matrix Text Filtering and Clustering

The presence of trivial words in text databases can affect record or concept (words/phrases) clustering adversely. Additionally, the determination of whether a word/phrase is trivial is context-dependent. Our objective in the present article is to demonstrate a context-dependent trivial word filter to improve clustering quality. Factor analysis was used as a context-dependent trivial word filter for subsequent term clustering. Medline records for Raynaud’s Phenomenon were used as the database, and words were extracted from the record abstracts. A factor matrix of these words was generated, and the words that had low factor loadings across all factors were identified, and eliminated. The remaining words, which had high factor loading values for at least one factor and therefore were influential in determining the theme of that factor, were input to the clustering algorithm. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were used to show that factor matrix filtering leads to higher quality clusters and subsequent taxonomies.