Content Analysis

Question 1

What is content analysis

Answer 1

A indirect observational method that is used to analyse human behaviour, investigating through studying human artefacts (the things ppl make)

Question 2

How is content analysis written up

Answer 2

In word (qualitative data) or write up of spoken word (transcripts) which is transformed into quantitive data

Question 3

How do u perform analysis

Answer 3

1. Decide a research questions
2. Select a sample, from a larger quantity of all possible data
3. Coding, researcher decides on categories/coding units to be recorded, based on research question
4. Work through data, read sample and tally the number of times te pe determined categories appear
5. Data analysis, can be performed on the quantitive data to look for patterns

Question 4

How do you assess consistency

Answer 4

Test-retest reliability = run the content analysis again on the same sample and compare the 2 sets of data

Inter-rate reliability = a second rater also performs the content analysis with the same set of data and same behavioural categories, compare 2 sets of data

Test for correlation such as spearmens rho, 0.8 or stronger is accepted showing data is reliable

Question 5

Strengths of content analysis

Answer 5

• the ‘artefacts’ are not usually created for research but are taken from the real world, high external validity and finings should be generalisable to other real world situations
• easy to gather sample, as artefacts come from real world
• researchers should be able to replicate a content analysis using same behavioural categories and easy to access sample

Question 6

Weaknesses of content analysis

Answer 6

• researcher/observer bias, as researcher will need to interpret subjective text , may interpret text in a way their pre existing views
• lacks validity, data not created under controlled condition and data is created for purposes other than data eg diaries

Question 7

What is thematic analysis

Answer 7

Researcher starts by attempting to identify the deeper meaning of the text by read-in it first and allowing themes to emerge

Question 8

How do u perform thematic analysis

Answer 8

1. Material to be analysed is read watched or listened to throughly to get to know it well
2. Pattern and themes are identified and given names
3. Material is ordered and grouped into themes
4. A written summary is produced that focus on key thems

Question 9

What is it important to make clear about themes

Answer 9

• they are not pre determined by researcher by come from text

Question 10

Strengths of thematic analysis

Answer 10

• stops researcher bias, as theories come after discovery of themes
• high external validity
• easy to gain sample
• easy to replicate

Question 11

Weaknesses of thematic analysis

Answer 11

• subjective of interpretation
  -data not created in controlled conditions