Concept Navigation and Classification via Open-Source Large Language Model Processing

Abstract: This paper presents a novel methodological framework for detecting and classifying latent constructs, including frames, narratives, and topics, from textual data using Open-Source LLMs. The proposed hybrid approach combines automated summarization with human-in-the-loop validation to enhance the accuracy and interpretability of construct identification. By employing iterative sampling coupled with expert refinement, the framework guarantees methodological robustness and ensures conceptual precision. Applied to diverse data sets, including AI policy debates, newspaper articles on encryption, and the 20 Newsgroups data set, this approach demonstrates its versatility in systematically analyzing complex political discourses, media framing, and topic classification tasks.