Content Analysis

1
Content Analysis

• Ginnie Bushong

2
Objectives

1. Define content analysis.
2. Describe when it is appropriate to use content
   analysis.
3. List the steps involved in content analysis.
4. Describe the importance of categorization in
   content analysis.
5. Describe the two major coding categories.
6. Identify how reliability and validity is
   established in content analysis research.
7. Describe how data is analyzed in content analysis
   research.
8. Identify two major advantages and disadvantages
   of content analysis.
9. Examine a journal article written about research
   that uses content analysis.

3
Define content analysis

• Analysis of the contents of communication.
• Technique that allows us to study human behavior
  indirectly through analyzing communications.
• Textbooks, Newspapers, Essays, Magazines,
  Articles, Cookbooks, Songs, Political Speeches,
  Novels, Advertisements, and Pictures.

4
Appropriate use

• Educational Research
• Problem Insight
• Reasons
• Obtain descriptive information
• Analyze observable/interview data
• Test hypothesis
• Check other research findings

5
Example

• Counting the number of times that the words dog,
  pickup truck, and broken heart occur in the
  number one country songs for the past year.
• Identify student activities on homecoming weekend
  using Facebook.

6
Steps

1. Develop rational
2. Define important terms
3. Determine method of sampling
4. Determine unit of analysis
5. Formulate coding categories
6. Analyze data
7. Conclude Report

7
Importance of categorization

• All studies must convert (code) descriptive
  information into categories
• Researcher determines categories before analysis
  begins.
• Researcher becomes familiar with the descriptive
  information collected and allows the categories
  to emerge as analysis continues.

8
Major coding categories

• Manifest
• Refers to the specific, clear, surface contents
  words, pictures, images, and such that are easily
  categorized.
• Latent
• Refers to the meaning underlying what is
  contained in a communication.
• Both
• Combination.

9
Reliability and Validity

• Reliability
• Commonly checked by comparing the results of two
  independent scorers.
• Validity
• Commonly checked by comparing data obtained from
  manifest content to that obtained from latent
  content.

10
Data Analysis

• Frequencies
• Proportions of an specific occurrence to a total
  occurrences.
• Themes
• Computer Analysis

11
Advantages Disadvantages

• Advantages
• Unobtrusive
• Easy
• Disadvantages
• Limited to analysis of communications
• Difficult to establish validity

12
Journal Article

• Implications of Performance Measures and
  Standards for Evaluation and Assessment in
  Agricultural Education
• Prolific Authors in the Journal of Agricultural
  Education A Review of the Eighties
• An Examination of Selected Preservice
  Agricultural Teacher Education Programs in the
  United States

13
Objectives

1. Define content analysis.
2. Describe when it is appropriate to use content
   analysis.
3. List the steps involved in content analysis.
4. Describe the importance of categorization in
   content analysis.
5. Describe the two major coding categories.
6. Identify how reliability and validity is
   established in content analysis research.
7. Describe how data is analyzed in content analysis
   research.
8. Identify two major advantages and disadvantages
   of content analysis.
9. Examine a journal article written about research
   that uses content analysis.

14
References

• Frankel, J. R. Wallen, N. E. (2006). How to
  design and evaluate research in education, sixth
  edition. Boston McGraw Hill.
• Journal of Agricultural Education