research methods: content analysis

Question 1

What is content analysis?

Answer 1

An indirect study of behaviour by examining communications that people produce
- e.g. text, emails, recordings, TV, film or other media

Question 2

What type of data can analysis be done on?

Answer 2

Any type of qualitative data

Question 3

What examples of data can analysis be done on?

Answer 3

diaries/letters, TV programmes, interviews, case studies, unstructured observations

Question 4

What is step 1 to content analysis

Answer 4

1. Decide what your research question is
   -> What you’re going to analyse and how you will collect this

Question 5

What is step 2 to content analysis?

Answer 5

2. Decide how the content will be analysed or coded
   -> Develop a list of coding categories (BEFORE viewing content)

Question 6

What is step 3 to content analysis?

Answer 6

3. Complete a pilot study. Make any changes needed

Question 7

What is step 4 to content analysis?

Answer 7

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

Question 8

What is step 5 to content analysis?

Answer 8

5. Check the reliability of the content analysis by correlating the researcher’s scores with another

Question 9

What is thematic analysis?

Answer 9

A qualitative approach to analysis that involves identifying explicit or implicit ideas within the data
- themes will often emerge once the data has been coded

Question 10

What is step 1 to thematic analysis?

Answer 10

1. The analysis of qualitative data often starts with collecting the data and transcribing it

Question 11

What is step 2 to thematic analysis?

Answer 11

2. The researcher familiarises themselves with it - reading it several times

Question 12

What is step 3 to thematic analysis?

Answer 12

3. Code the data and put into categories (AFTER viewing content)

Question 13

What is step 4 to thematic analysis?

Answer 13

4. The researcher looks for recurring themes and patterns which run through and link the data

Question 14

What is step 5 to thematic analysis?

Answer 14

5. Provide examples to illustrate the themes. Write a report