1. Chapter 10 Content Analysis
Content analysis is used to describe the content of artifacts created by human beings such as texts and audio/visual content

2. Content Analysis
As an empirical methodology, must adhere to the three basic principles of the scientific method. It must be:
Objective
Systematic
The results must be generalizable

3. Content Analysis
This method analyzes the permanent record of a phenomenon, such as:
Texts (e.g., newspaper articles, speeches, love letters)
Audio/visual content (e.g., television shows, recorded interpersonal interactions, songs)
We describe by observing and counting selected characteristics of the content under study (the sources of “data” are referred to as texts)

4. Conceptualization Identify and define which text will be analyzed:
Which data are analyzed?
How are they defined?
What is the population from which they are drawn?

5. The Unit of Analysis The thing that is actually observed or counted
Selecting the unit of analysis is extremely important because it is used to identify what we will be observing and coding in our study

6. Units
In content analysis, part of the conceptualization process is selecting the appropriate text for the study
Unit of observation: the units through which the data are collected

7. Units
Sampling unit: the whole independent message used for the basis of sampling
Separable by physically identifiable boundaries
Completely independent of each other
Recording unit: components of the message that can be divided into separate components or categories

8. Sampling
In content analysis, sampling is influenced by the type of text we have selected to observe
Target universe: the group of things we are interested in studying (similar to the population in survey and experimental research)
Sampling is a process used to create a sub-group of the target population or universe

9. Coding Scheme
Coding scheme: the classification system used to classify messages; provides instructions on how to code or observe the text
Coding: the process by which researchers convert unobserved texts into a form that allows for comparison by statistical analysis

10. Coding Scheme Variables
Variables must be:
Mutually exclusive: the variables must have responses that correspond to the data and allow the researcher to categorize the data into one and only one category
Relatively exhaustive: the categories must be inclusive enough for the researcher to be able to record (nearly) all observations

11. Two Types of Variables
Manifest variables: can be easily observed and tend to be more objective and reliable
Latent variables: are more subjective and are more challenging to code but can be more valid (represent the concept more accurately) than manifest variables

12. Intercoder Reliability
The extent to which independent coders ( the people who observe and categorize the data) evaluate a a characteristic of a message or artifact and reach the same conclusion as the other independent coders

13. Computer-aided Coding
There are numerous computer-aided content analysis programs
The most common type is Computer Aided Text Analysis (CATA)
Pros: automated searches; process data quickly and more cheaply than human coders; removes subjective judgments
Cons: not as useful for coding complex concepts or visual samples; failure to recognize multiple meanings and context can contribute to measurement error