content analysis and coding

• Content analysis

  • A type of observational research - people are studied indirectly via communications they have produced
  • May include = spoken interaction, written forms, examples from the media (eg magazines)
  • Coding = first stage of content analysis
  • Relative coding units are identified and operationalised
  • Allows for large sets of information to be categorised into meaningful units - to produce quantitative data
  • Eg = number of times a particular word or phrase appears in the text
  • Thematic analysis
  • Similar to content analysis but more qualitative and aims to produce themes rather than eg word counts
  • Themes are more descriptive than the coding units
• content analysis evaluation

  • Strength = many ethical issues may not apply
  • Material to study may already be in the public domain (eg TV adverts) so there is no issue with obtaining consent for example
  • Strength = flexible method
  • Content analysis can produce both quantitative and qualitative data as required
  • => flexible approach that can be adapted to suit the aims of the research
  • Limitation = communication is studied out of context
  • researcher may attribute motivations to the speaker or writer that were not intended
  • => likely to reduce validity of conclusions drawn
  • Limitation = may lack objectivity
  • May lack objectivity, especially when more descriptive forms of thematic analysis are used
  • Such bias ,at threaten the validity of the findings and conclusions
  • BUT = reflexivity is a method of addressing the lack of objectivity
  • Personal viewpoints are seen as an important part of the data collected