Content Analysis

• What is content analysis?

  A research technique that allows for the indirect study of behaviour by examining communications that people produce. E.g. In texts, films, emails or any other form of media.
• What are the two ways to deal with and analyse data as part of content analysis?

  Coding and thematic analysis
• What is coding in the analysis of data?

  The stage of content analysis in which the communication to be studied is analysed by identifying each instance of the chosen categories (may be words, phrases, etc)
• What are the steps for carrying out coding to analyse data?

  Categorise data into meaningful units

  By counting up the number of times a word / phrase appears in a text

  E.g. no. of times a newspaper refers to cats.
• What is thematic analysis in the analysis of data?

  An inductive and qualitative approach of analysis that involves identifying implicit or explicit ideas within the data. These will often occur after the data has been coded
• Summarise the steps involved in thematic analysis in analysing data.

  Identify the themes.

  Give examples of themes.

  Develop them into broader categories.

  New data is used to validate themes.

  Use qualitative data to write a general written report which includes direct quotes.