Content And Thematic Analysis Flashcards
What is content analysis?
Researchers systematically examine and categorise qualitative data like speech to identify patterns within the content
Used to study communication patterns and draw conclusions about the data
What types of data are analysed in content analysis?
Interview transcripts, written documents, speeches etc
How does content analysis differ from other methods like observation or experiments?
It analyses existing communication artefacts like texts, images, videos without directly interacting with participants or manipulating variables
Content analysis is non-invasive that focuses on describing patterns within the content rather than establishing causal relationships like an experiment does
What is a coding frame?
A structure system used in qualitative research to categorise and interpret data by assigning specific codes to different themes or elements within the data
It is developed by either a deductive approach (using existing literature and theory to create a code book before coding starts) or using an inductive approach (using the data itself as a basis for creating the code book)
How can researchers ensure that the results of a content analysis are reliable and valid?
Select a representative sample- use a pilot test- design data collection strategies that are able to adequately solicit the representations
What is the difference between a content and thematic analysis?
Content analysis can handle large datasets due to its quantitative nature but thematic analysis is more qualitative and interpretive is often better suited for smaller datasets where you can delve deeper into the nuances of the data
Content analysis focuses on systematically identifying and counting the occurrence of specific words, phrases or concepts within a text to analyse patterns and themes but thematic analysis takes a more interpretive approach
What is the abstract?
Normally around 200 words
Gives us an overview
Tells us what we are about to read
We can judge its relevance
What is the introduction?
Sets the scene
Review of literature/current research
Set out aims of this research
What is the method?
How the research was done (participants, data collection, data analysis)
Justified- why and what we did
What are the results?
Present the findings and briefly report them
Show in a format that is understandable
What is the discussion (critical evaluation)?
Discuss the findings, impact and their relevance
Assess against current research/litertuare
What are the conclusions/limitations?
Tells us the key findings and implications
Methodology- impact on validity and generalisability
Ways that the research may not be perfect
