Content analysis and case studies

Question 1

Content analysis

Answer 1

A type of observational study in which behaviour is observed indirectly in written or verbal material such as interviews, conversations, books, diaries or TV programmes.

Question 2

Content analysis - advantages

Answer 2

Content analysis has high ecological validity.
It’s based on observations of what people actually do: real communications which are current and relevant.
When sources can be retained or accessed by others findings can be replicated.

Question 3

Content analysis - disadvantages

Answer 3

Observer bias reduces the objectivity and validity of findings.
Different observers may interpret the meaning of the behavioural categories differently.

Question 4

Case study

Answer 4

A research investigation that involves a detailed study of a single individual, institution or event.

Question 5

Case studies - advantages

Answer 5

Case studies offer rich, in-depth data so information that may be overlooked using other methods is likely to be identified.
It’s especially useful as a means of investigating instances of human behaviour and experience that are rare.
For example:
Investigating cases of people with brain damage or how people responded to the London riots of 2011.
It wouldn’t be ethical to generate such conditions experimentally.
The complex interaction of many factors can be studied, in contrast with experiments where many variables are held constant.

Question 6

Case studies - disadvantages

Answer 6

On the other hand, it’s difficult to generalise from individual cases as each one as unique characteristics.
Case studies also often involve the recollection of past events as part of the case history and such evidence may be unreliable.
Case studies are also only identified after a key event has occurred.
We therefore can’t be sure that the apparent changes observed actually weren’t present originally.