research methods: content analysis Flashcards
What is content analysis?
An indirect study of behaviour by examining communications that people produce
- e.g. text, emails, recordings, TV, film or other media
What type of data can analysis be done on?
Any type of qualitative data
What examples of data can analysis be done on?
diaries/letters, TV programmes, interviews, case studies, unstructured observations
What is step 1 to content analysis
- Decide what your research question is
-> What you’re going to analyse and how you will collect this
What is step 2 to content analysis?
- Decide how the content will be analysed or coded
-> Develop a list of coding categories (BEFORE viewing content)
What is step 3 to content analysis?
- Complete a pilot study. Make any changes needed
What is step 4 to content analysis?
- Take a sample and tally/count the number of times the categories occur
What is step 5 to content analysis?
- Check the reliability of the content analysis by correlating the researcher’s scores with another
What is thematic analysis?
A qualitative approach to analysis that involves identifying explicit or implicit ideas within the data
- themes will often emerge once the data has been coded
What is step 1 to thematic analysis?
- The analysis of qualitative data often starts with collecting the data and transcribing it
What is step 2 to thematic analysis?
- The researcher familiarises themselves with it - reading it several times
What is step 3 to thematic analysis?
- Code the data and put into categories (AFTER viewing content)
What is step 4 to thematic analysis?
- The researcher looks for recurring themes and patterns which run through and link the data
What is step 5 to thematic analysis?
- Provide examples to illustrate the themes. Write a report
