Content Analysis & its practical application

Question 1

How do we move from research idea to research question?

Answer 1

• Start out with a general idea
• Look at the relevant theories and literature, identifying a gap which out research can address
• Research questions guide the research and should be clear, concise, researchable and connected to relevant theory

Question 2

What is content analysis?

Answer 2

• Systematically seeks to quantify content in term of pre-determined categories
• This can include looking at words, images, phrases etc and can be on any medium
• ‘A research technique for the objective, systematic and quantitative description of the manifest content of communication’ where only the actual ‘signs’ (text/images) are counted

Question 3

What are the advantages of content analysis?

Answer 3

• Transparent research method
• Easy for students
• Highly Flexible

Question 4

What are the disadvantages of content analysis?

Answer 4

• Adheres to a false pretence of objectivity
• Highly categorical: acks in-depth interpretive analysis
• Struggles to answer any ‘why’ questions
• Therefore beneficial to pair analysis with qualitative approaches: e.g. discourse analysis

Question 5

What is disclosure analysis?

Answer 5

• Discourse analysis elicits a more in-depth understanding of the texts, more intensive than extensive
• Is the study of text and dialogue, concentrating on the users of language in a social context
• It allows for the study of meaning and uses interpretation as the main tool of analysis
• It deconstructs the language within the texts rather than purely counting terms, images or phrases