Content/Thematic/Meta Analysis & Types of Data Flashcards
What is the method for conducting content analysis?
1~ Secondary QUALITATIVE data collected - if audio recording, it’s TRANSCRIBED.
2~ Researcher reads through / examines S data and FAMILIARISES themselves with it.
3~ Coding units are created / refined - (give EXAMPLES, e.g. no. of times the word ‘woman’ appears)
4~ S data is ANALYSED and coding units are APPLIED.
5~ Frequency table is made from TALLYING or counting the no. of times a coding unit EMERGES / appears.
6~ Conclusions are DRAWN.
(refer to before & after change or how qualitative data is converted into quantitative)
What is the method for conducting thematic analysis?
1# Secondary qualitative data is collected OR audio recordings are transcribed.
2# Researcher reads / examines secondary data and becomes FAMILIAR with it.
3# Researcher identifies THEMES - GIVE EXAMPLES of themes.
4# S data analysed by applying themes.
5# Conclusions are DRAWN.
NO SUCH THING AS CODING UNITS - we refer to them as THEMES.
What are the key differences in content and thematic analysis?
Content =
Uses coding units
Data converted from qualitative to quantitative.
Thematic =
Uses themes
Data remains qualitative.
What is content analysis?
Observational technique studying people indirectly through studying qualitative data in the form of WRITTEN communications.
What are the strengths of using content analysis?
= Unethical & Impractical =
Can conduct research that’s unethical / practical in experiments - consent isn’t needed as it’s already published in articles - allows high quality data to be collected even in difficult scenarios.
= Quantitative data collected =
Easier to analyse - can draw firm, concrete & robust conclusions.
How is qualitative data converted into quantitative data in content analysis?
Using coding units and then tallying.
What is the success criteria for a 4/5 mark question on content/thematic analysis?
1 para
1# Logical > step by step (firstly…)
2# Tentative language (may)
3# Contextualise > refer directly / indirectly in EVERY sentence.
4# Draw conclusions > refer to before & after.
What are the weaknesses of content analysis?
= Lacks reliability =
If 1 person analyses - investigator bias threatens reliability & coding units not fully operationalised - interpret data subjectively - need more than 1 person to verify.
= Time consuming =
= Lacks rich detail =
Lacks detail of human experience - no explanations - just identifies trends / patterns.
Suggest a way a researcher can use to improve the validity of content analysis.
> Operationalise coding units clearly.
> Double-blind > employ someone who doesn’t know aims - avoids investigator bias.
What are 2 ways of assessing reliability?
Test-retest
Inter-rater reliability (DON’T FORGET)
Suggest a way the researcher can use to improve the reliability of content analysis.
> Have more than 1 researcher to verify the data - increase inter-rater reliability - can do training beforehand.
> Operationalise coding units.
> Standardisation - same coding units and researcher.
> Use multiple sources of evidence.
What is thematic analysis?
Observational technique studying people indirectly through studying qualitative data in the form of WRITTEN communications.
Thematic identify THEMES / patterns in data.
What are the strengths of both content and thematic analysis?
= High ecological validity =
Data are observations from real-life behaviour, written & visual communications - shows natural behaviour - can be generalised.
= Can be replicated easily =
Since data/sources remains - replication can be conducted analysing similar scripts.
What is meta analysis?
Reviewing existing research on a particular topic.
Uses secondary data.
What are the strengths of meta analysis?
= Trends / patterns =
Can observe general trends/patterns in existing literature.
= Large sample =
Analysis uses many studies - conclusions drawn from larger sample - increases statistical power- can be generalised - increases population validity.
