Content analysis

Question 1

Content analysis is used to turn _________ data into ____________ data

Answer 1

Qualitative –> Quantitative

Question 2

What type of data can content analysis analyse?

Answer 2

Qualitative

Question 3

What are the steps to content analysis?

Answer 3

1. Read through the data (familiarisation)
2. Identify themes/key words which arise (exactly the same as thematic analysis)
3. count up how many times those themes occur.
4. Summative content analysis - you look at themes about when and where those themes occur (who said them in different instances).
5. Produce final report

Question 4

What type of things could you conduct a content analysis on?

Answer 4

Newspaper articles, interviews, books, open question answers on questionnaires

Question 5

Give 3 strengths of content analysis

Answer 5

• Content analysis produces quantitative data which you can then analyse statistically so you can establish if the results are due to chance
• The process is standardised so it can be re done to test for reliability.
• Multiple researchers can do it to test for inter rated reliability
• Ethical as it uses secondary data

Question 6

Give 3 weaknesses of content analysis

Answer 6

• Can be subjective as the researcher is selecting themes and there could be bias which reduces validity
• The findings may lack internal validity owing to this subjectiveness
• One weakness of content analysis is that it reduces complex information down to a simpler form. This is a weakness as important information may be loss and therefore may reduce the validity.