Content Analysis

Question 1

What is content analysis?

Answer 1

• a type of observation where behaviour is observed indirectly in written materials

Question 2

What type of sample is used in content analysis?

Answer 2

• artefacts
• It must be analysed and representative

Question 3

What are the two types of content analysis?

Answer 3

• quantitative (coding)
• qualitative (thematic analysis)

Question 4

Quantitative

Question 5

Qualitative

Question 6

Describe the main features of content analysis

Answer 6

• Content analysis is an indirect observation of artefacts which can be used to produce both quantitative and qualitative data. It can also be used to analyse primary and secondary resources.
• The researcher has to create a coding system, which breaks down the information into categories and a tally is taken each time the material fits a theme.

Question 7

Give one advantage of content analysis

Answer 7

• One advantage of Content analysis is that it has high ecological validity. This is because it’s based on observations of what people do such as real communications what are current and relevant due, for example, to recent newspapers.
  Because the artefact exists, there cannot be demand characteristics which increases validity.