CONTENT ANALYSIS

• WHAT IS CONTENT ANALYSIS?

  • Used to analyse qualitative data and turn it into quantitative data
  • Form of indirect observation 
  • Used to analyse data in many formats e.g. books, songs, paintings, film, audio
• How does content analysis work?

  • Person reads through / examines content
  • Researcher identifies coding units (e.g behavioural categories)
  • Data is analysed again using the coding units
  • A tally is made- number of times a coding unit appears
• Key Point: 

  • Sampling method must be chosen: 
  • How frequently will you sample the data?
• Strengths:

  • High ecological validity- real, current communications e.g. recent newspapers 
  • Sources can be easily retained / accessed by others- findings can be replicated 
  • Many ethical issues may not apply- sources already public, no need to get consent 
• Weaknesses:

  • Observer bias- may reduce validity / objectivity- different observers may interpret the meaning of the categories differently 
  • Only describes the data- causality cannot be established