1. DOCUMENT ANALYSIS

2. WHAT DO WE ANALYZE? Material that existed prior to the research such as: Previous test scores Classroom newsletters Teacher notes and Data gathered by the researcher, but not through interviews or observations such as: Student work Photographs Blogs

3. WHEN DO WE ANALYZE IT? If it is relevant to research If it informs the problem we are trying to solve If it is valid

4. HOW DO WE DO IT? Find relevant material Keep an open mind Assess authenticity Conduct a content analysis Record your findings

5. SO, WHAT IS CONTENT ANALYSIS Content analysis is a technique where the content of a document is examined for patterns and themes. There are no agreed upon procedures for content analysis. It requires the ability to recognize patterns It is a creative task

6. HOW DO I CONTENT ANALYZE A DOCUMENT? Often, two people work separately on the same documents, to reach consensus Search for recurring words, phrases or images Create categories with these words, phrases or images Name these categories Interpret what these categories represent Regroup and rename these categories until it makes sense. Use what you learned from fieldwork to help you make this determination Name your final categories as themes

7. CONTENT ANALYSIS SOUNDS A LITTLE SCARY. Jump in and give it a try Find a partner and analyze each other’s documents Get feedback from your peers Be creative