content and thematic analysis

• content analysis


  a technique used to analyse qualitative data and convert it into quantitative data
• what is content analysis

  an indirect form of observational study and involves analysing materials produced by people.
• procedure for content analysis

  research question

  sampling

  common themes --> coding categories

  Pilot study.

  Take a sample and tally/ count number of times the categories occur.

  compare
• a strength of content analysis is that it has high reliability as the data is analysed systematically
• a limitation of content analysis is that it simplifies the data by turning qualitative data into quantitative meaning it looses validity.
• thematic analysis

  qualitative content analysis which summarises data descriptively.
• how to conduct thematic analysis

  ·       Collect the data and write it out

  ·       Read and re-read the data transcripts and break the data into meaningful units

  ·       Code the data and put it into categories

  ·       Combine codes into larger themes and look for recurring themes and patterns which run through and link the data.

  ·       Provide examples to illustrate the themes. Write a report
• a strength of thematic analysis is that it is good for analysing large amounts of qualitative data
• A limitation of content analysis can be affected by observer bias - it is subject to observers interpretation and the researcher may choose what stays in the data and coding categories
• how to conduct a content analysis:

  decide on research question

  decide what you are going to analyse and how you will collect this

  decide how the content will be analysed or coded. develop list of coding categories

  pilot study. make necessary changes.

  take sample and tally/ count number of times categories occur

  check reliability by correlating researchers scores with anothers
• content analysis can be represented using descriptive statistics and graphs
• a strength of content analysis is that it is easily replicable if the same categories and coding procedures are used
• thematic analysis aims to identify underlying themes in data, allow them to emerge and maintain the participants' perspectives.
• in thematic analysis the researcher looks for themes that recur in narratives and summarises the main themes using quotations from the evidence as support
• a limitation of thematic analysis is that it is affected by observer bias as the researcher chooses categories
• a limitation of thematic analysis is that it is time consuming
• a limitation of thematic analysis is that it is free to interpretation