CONTENT ANALYSIS

CONTENT ANALYSIS

1. Definition

   • A study of recorded human communications
   • A research that does not collect data directly from people
   • A research tool used to determine the presence of certain words or concepts within text or sets of texts

2. Types of Content Analysis

   • Conceptual Analysis
     • Analyze the existence and frequency of concepts in human communication
   • Relational Analysis
     • Analyze the relationship of concepts in human communication

3. Types of Content

   • Manifest content (observable content)
   • Latent content (underlying the manifest content)

4. How to conduct?

   • Text is coded or broken down into manageable categories on a variety level of words

5. Uses of Content Analysis, as adapted from Berelson, 1952

   • Reveal international differences in communication content
   • Detect the existance of propaganda
   • Identify the intentions, focus or communication trends of an individual, group or institution
   • Describe the attitudinal and behaviorial responses to communication
   • Determine the psychological or emotional state of persons or groups

6. Advantages & Disadvantages

   • Advantages
     • Looks directly at communication via texts or transcripts
       • Allow both of quantitative and qualitative operations
         • Provide valuable historical or culture insights over time through the text analysis
           • Provide insight into complex models of human thought and language use
             • High in reliability as it follows systematic procedure to be replicated
   • Disadvantages
     • Can be extremely time consuming
       • Is subject to increased error (particularly when doing relational analysis)
         • if the coding is inaccurate then the findings are invalid
           • The researcher can ignore the context that the words are used in