Abstract

The study aims to understand major topics and concerns of gender identity-related questions expressed by the users of the NAVER social Q&A site. To achieve this goal, we analyzed 2,120 questions created from 2010 to 2018 using natural language- and information retrieval-based methods. Results indicated that the major topics discussed by the users include interpersonal relationships, doubts about gender identity, sexual orientation, feelings and relationships, and concerns about gender identity. In addition, users mainly expressed concerns regarding general issues of gender identity; sexual orientation; negative cognition about gender identity; confession, coming-out, homosexuality; future, heterosexual relationships, military enlistment; and causes of gender identity confusion. The present study effectively derives information needs from real-world concerns about sexual identity by employing topic modeling techniques, and by comparing the advantages of exact match and tf-idf-based information retrieval methods extends methodology of Library and Information Science. Further, it has contributed to the academic maturity of the study of information behavior by observing the information needs or information-seeking behaviors of online community users with specific interests.