Content Analysis

Question 1

What is content analysis

Answer 1

A type of observational research where people are studied indirectly from communications they have produced (diary entries, emails, media, conversation)

Question 2

How is content analysis used for quantitative data?

Answer 2

Coding - information categorised into multiple units and tallied (e.g. number of times certain word appears)

Question 3

How is content analysis used to interpret qualitative data?

Answer 3

• Thematic analysis = more general recurrent themes identified
• researchers familiarise themselves with text, then count how many times these appear

Question 4

What are strengths of content analysis?

Answer 4

~ able to circumnavigate ethical issues, often uses material already in public domain
~ high external validity, real communications
~ flexible, produces both qualitative and quantitative data

Question 5

What are the limitations of content analysis?

Answer 5

~ indirect study means communications produces are taken out of context; may attribute opinions/views to speaker not intended
~ lack of objectivity especially in thematic analysis