Content Analysis

Question 1

What is content analysis?

Answer 1

Process of converting qualitative into quantitative data by converting data into categories or themes and counting the frequencies of the occurrences or categories in the data

Question 2

How to conduct a content analysis?

Answer 2

Read data, identify themes, count how many times those themes occur

Question 3

What is one strength of content analysis regarding quantitative data?

Answer 3

You can analyse the data statistically to test for significance so you can assess whether the results are due to chance or not

Question 4

What is one weakness of content analysis regarding subjectivity?

Answer 4

Subjectivity may be involved when the researcher is selecting themes and deciding how it fits the data so there may be researcher bias

Question 5

What is one strength of content analysis regarding standardisation?

Answer 5

Process is standardised so you can redo the analysis to test for the reliability of results

Question 6

What is one weakness of content analysis regarding validity?

Answer 6

Issues with internal validity as we don’t know for sure that the categories are measuring what they claim to measure so lacks validity

Question 7

What is one strength of content analysis ethically?

Answer 7

Unobtrusive method of analysis as it typically uses secondary data so no ethical issues involved

Question 8

What is one weakness of content analysis regarding reductionism?

Answer 8

Reduces complex information down to a simpler form so important information may be lost, reducing validity