Content analysis

Question 1

What is content analysis?

Answer 1

A technique used to quantify qualitative data. The researcher analyses written, verbal and visual communication numerically (into categories).

Question 2

What is the first step?

Answer 2

A sample of materials is examined by at least two separate researchers.

Question 3

What is the second step?

Answer 3

Reading over the materials leads to identification of suitable categories.

Question 4

What is the third step?

Answer 4

The categories are then agreed on and clearly operationalised.

Question 5

What is the fourth step?

Answer 5

Coding then occurs by two different researchers separately reading back over the material and counting the frequency with which each category occurs.

Question 6

What is the fifth step?

Answer 6

The frequencies tallied by each researcher are compared and checked.

Question 7

Strengths

Answer 7

• Reliability is easy to establish because it can be easily replicated using the same coding unites and qualitative data.
• Any data gathered has high ecological validity as the participant is talking about real life experiences.
• Useful tool in gathering data from a wide range of areas.

Question 8

Weaknesses

Answer 8

• Sometimes difficult to arrive at objectively operationalised coding units.
• Can be time consuming to carry out
• Transforming qualitative data into numbers appears to be scientifically vigorous but the system may be biased by the researcher.