Case studies and content analysis

• What is a content analysis? (2)

  • technique for analysing qualitative data of various kinds
  • data can be placed into categories and counted (quantitative) or can be analysed in themes (qualitative)
• Content analysis method:

  • Familiarise yourself with the data e.g. watching clips, reading data etc.
  • Identify potential categories which emerged from data.
  • Give examples of such categories
  • Re-analyse data to identify examples of each category e.g. counting number of examples which fell into each category to produce quantitative data
• Thematic analysis is a method for analysing communication (qualitative data) that involves identifying and reporting patterns within the material to be analysed.
• Thematic analysis analyses material such as diaries, Tv advertisements or interview transcripsts.
• Thematic analysis method:

  • Once data is transcribed (when necessary) data is reviewed repeatedly so that the researcher can identify trends in the meaning conveyed by language
  • The themes identified are re-analysed so that they become more refined and relevant and given short hand codes
  • The researcher uses coding to initially analyse the data
  • Review codes looking for emergent themes/ideas that might be linked to research aim