Content + Thematic Analysis

• What is content analysis used for?

  To analyze qualitative data
• How does content analysis transform qualitative data?

  It converts it into quantitative data
• What types of data formats can content analysis be applied to?


  Interview transcripts, film, and audio recordings
• How does content analysis differ from observational studies?

  It observes indirectly through artifacts
• What design decisions must a researcher make in content analysis?

  • Sampling method
  • What to look at (e.g., pages in a book)
  • How to select sources (e.g., comparing books)
  • How to sample behaviors (e.g., television adverts)
• What does coding the data in content analysis involve?

  Using behavioral categories
• What are the two ways to represent data in content analysis?

  Count instances or describe examples
• What was the focus of Manstead and McCulloch's (1981) study?

  Portrayal of men and women in TV adverts
• What are the strengths and limitations of content analysis?

  Strengths:

  • High ecological validity
  • Can be replicated for reliability

  
  

  Limitations:

  • Observer bias affects objectivity
  • Likely culture biased due to interpretation
• According to evolutionary theory, what do women look for in partners?

  Resources, protection, parenting ability, compatibility
• What do men look for in partners according to evolutionary theory?

  Females displaying signals of femininity
• What is the aim of the proposed study on dating adverts?

  To investigate if evolutionary theory is correct
• What is a challenge of summarizing qualitative data?

  It is difficult to summarize effectively
• What are the main intentions of thematic analysis?

  • Impose order on the data
  • Ensure order emerges from the data
  • Summarize extensive data
  • Identify themes and draw conclusions
• What is the first step in the research process described?

  Formulate research questions
• What should you determine when formulating research questions?

  What you want to discover from the diaries
• When selecting content for research, what should you choose?

  Specific diary entries relevant to research questions
• What is the purpose of familiarizing yourself with the data?

  To get a general sense of themes and patterns
• What should you create based on your research questions and initial impressions?

  A list of categories for coding
• What are coding categories based on?

  Themes, emotions, behaviors, or specific phrases
• What is a coding scheme?

  A set of clear rules for classifying content
• What does systematic coding involve?

  Categorizing text according to coding rules
• What should you do after coding the content?

  Tally the frequencies of each category
• What is the purpose of identifying patterns in the data?

  To find significant themes or trends
• How do you draw conclusions from the data?

  Use quantitative data to answer research questions
• What is inter-rater reliability?

  Checking if another researcher codes similarly
• What does test-retest reliability involve?

  Re-coding the same data later for consistency
• What is the purpose of defining research questions and objectives?

  To clarify what you want to find out
• What might you want to understand from diary entries?

  A person's emotional state or themes in experiences
• What should you do after developing a hypothesis?

  Select and prepare the relevant diary entries
• What is the first step in selecting data for analysis?

  Choose relevant diary entries
• What does preparing diary entries for analysis involve?

  Transcribing or formatting them into digital format
• What are coding units in research analysis?

  Elements to analyze like words or phrases
• What should categories in coding represent?

  Specific themes like "feelings of anxiety"
• What is a coding frame?

  A set of rules for applying categories
• What is the purpose of pilot testing the coding scheme?

  To ensure validity and consistency of coding
• What should you do after pilot testing the coding scheme?

  Adjust the coding frame as needed
• How do you code the diary entries?

  Read and systematically apply the coding scheme
• What should you do with the categories during coding?

  Tally how many times each category appears
• How can qualitative data be converted into quantitative data?

  By using tallies to identify patterns