A Temporal Text-Mining Analysis of 20 Years of Web4All (W4A) Papers from 2004 to 2023
23rd International Web for All Conference, W4A 2026, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 13 - 14 April 2026, pp.51-65, (Full Text)
- Publication Type: Conference Paper / Full Text
- Doi Number: 10.1145/3800424.3800591
- City: Dubai
- Country: United Arab Emirates
- Page Numbers: pp.51-65
- Keywords: citation analysis, co-word analysis, correlation analysis, hierarchical clustering, temporal analysis, text mining
- Middle East Technical University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
This paper presents a temporal text-mining analysis of the Web4All (W4A) conference proceedings from 2004 to 2023, coinciding with the conference's 20th anniversary. Using co-word analysis, hierarchical clustering, citation analysis, and correlation analysis, we examine how research topics have emerged, evolved, and influenced the intellectual landscape of web accessibility. We address three questions: (1) What research trends have characterised W4A over time? (2) Which trends have been most impactful? (3) What, if any, is the relationship between research trends and their impact? Our findings reveal substantial shifts in research focus across 20 years of publications, reflecting technological change and evolving accessibility needs. This work provides the first systematic, data-driven review of W4A papers, offering insights into the progression of web accessibility research. The results serve as a resource for researchers and practitioners seeking to understand how the field has developed and where future opportunities for innovation may emerge.