메타버스 연구동향 및 대중인식 비교분석: 토픽모델링을 활용하여

Research on the metaverse, which has been in the spotlight since the outbreak of COVID-19 as a stage for non-face-to-face interaction, is still active in the post-coronavirus era. In this study, we examined the trends of metaverse research in the post-coronavirus era compared to public opinion to determine whether and to what extent there is a gap between academic research and public opinion. As data, we used social media data and academic research paper data from 2021 and 2022, the post-corona period, and as methodology, we used LDA and BERTopic, a type of topic modeling technique, respectively, considering the characteristics of the data. As a result of the analysis, academic research trends and public opinion of the metaverse showed commonalities in that they focused on 'a method to utilize the metaverse' and 'possible side effects in the metaverse world.' However, there were differences in their detailed orientations. In terms of 'a method to utilize the metaverse', academic research focused on replacing daily life, while the public focused on introducing new technologies and innovation. In terms of 'possible side effects', academic research focused on economic issues such as copyright, while the public focused on ethical issues such as sexual crimes. Through this study, we expect to expand the perspectives of metaverse research and contribute to exploring new research opportunities that reflect the public's needs and concerns.