Lingua Technica: Journal of Digital Literary Studies
Vol. 2 No. 1 (2026): Literature and computation: mapping, modeling, and mediation

Mapping thematic patterns in Indonesian novels through concept mining and computational linguistics

Kun Andyan Anindita (Universitas PGRI Yogyakarta)
Susan Hockey (University of Virginia)
Tomi Wahyu Septarianto (Universitas PGRI Yogyakarta)



Article Info

Publish Date
30 Jan 2026

Abstract

Background: The expansion of Indonesian novels across historical periods has produced complex and overlapping thematic formations that remain difficult to map systematically using conventional close-reading approaches. Objective: This study aims to identify dominant themes, trace their temporal shifts, and examine conceptual overlap among Indonesian novels through a computational framework. Method: Employing a digital humanities approach, the study analyzes a corpus of 30 Indonesian novels (1920-2022) using concept mining, CF-IDF weighting, semantic similarity measurement, and network analysis. Results: The findings reveal dominant thematic clusters centered on social inequality, nationalism, gender, religion, and modernization; clear temporal shifts in thematic emphasis across literary periods; and dense conceptual overlap, with social inequality functioning as a central thematic hub. Theme–theme projection and betweenness centrality analysis further demonstrate that thematic meaning emerges through relational structures rather than isolated categories. Implication: These results strengthen empirical literary analysis by integrating computational rigor with interpretive criticism. Novelty: This study introduces a replicable, network-based thematic mapping model for Indonesian novels, advancing computational literary studies in the Indonesian context.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

lingtech

Publisher

Subject

Arts Humanities Computer Science & IT Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media

Description

This journal covers a wide range of fields, including digital literature, e-poetry, and the relationship between language, literature, and technology in diverse ...