CHAPTER 3-
CONTENT AND
CONTEXTUAL
ANALYSIS
Content Analysis- research method
for studying documents and
communication artifacts from various
formats, picture, audio or video
Quantify patterns in communication
in applicable and systematic manner
6 QUESTIONS
ADDRESSED IN EVERY
CONTENT ANALYSIS
1. Which data are analyzed?
2. how are the data defined?
3. from what population are data drawn?
4. What is the relevant content?
5. What are the boundaries of the
analysis?
6. What is to be measured?
Dictionary-based Approach- list of
categories from frequency list of words
and control the distribution of words and
respective categories over text
Quantitative Approach- transform
categories into quantitative statistical data
5 types of text in content analysis
1. Written text such as books and papers
2. Oral text such as speech and theatrical
performance
3. iconic text like drawing, painting, icon
4. audio-visual text- TV programs,
movies, videos
5. hypertexts-found on internet
TYPES OF CONTENT
ANALYSIS
1. Conceptual Analysis- existence and
frequency of context in a text
2. Relational Analysis- examining the
relationship among concepts in a text
CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS
Concept is chosen for examination and
number of occurrences text recorded
Identifying research question and
choosing sample
After choosing, text must be coded to
categories
Process of coding is selective reduction-
The central idea of content analysis
Breaking the contents of materials to
meaningful and pertinent information
RELATIONAL ANALYSIS
First decide which concept will be
explore for the analysis
Time consuming
Maintain high degree of statistical rigor
without losing richness of detail
HOW TO USE CONTENT
ANALYSIS
1. Prepare a coding schedule consist
of a table where each row is a unit
which data is being collected
2. Coding manual is produced to
accompany coding schedule; listing
code for each category
3. Elements of content are describe
And organized using these categories;
this process is called coding
4. Categories are used to describe
information emerge from data; data is
analyzed and findings reported
5. Coded content is analyze for trends,
patterns, relationship, similarities
ISSUES OF RELIABILITY
AND VALIDITY
Reliability- stability or consistency of date
over a period of time
Reproducibility- tendency for a group of
coders to classify categories membership
in the same way
Accuracy- classification of text
correspond to standards or norm
statistically
ADVANTAGE OF
CONTENT ANALYSIS
1. looks directly at communication via
text or transcript
2. allow both quantitative and
qualitative operations
3. provide valuable historical insights
over time
4. allow closeness to text that can
alternate specific categories and
relationship
5. interpret text for purposes like
development of expert system
6. analyze interactions
7. provide insight to human thought
and language use
8. Relatively exact research method
DISADVANTAGE
1. time consuming
2. subject to increase error
3. Attempts liberally to draw
meaningful inferences
4. reductive
5. too often to simply word counts
6. disregard the context that produce
the text
7. difficult to automate or computerize
CONTEXTUAL ANLYSIS
Analysis of text to assess text within
context of historical setting
textuality- qualities that characterize
the text as text
Combine features of formal analysis
with features of cultural archeology
Systematic study of social, political,
economic, philosophical, religious and
aesthetic condition that were in place
at time and place when text was
created
HOW TO USE
CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS?
1. what does the text reveal about
itself as a text?
Describe the language and rhetoric.
Primary components of style
2. what does the text tell us about its
apparent intended audience?
What sort of reader the author
envision? Is there more than one
intended audience?
3. what seems to have been author’s
intention?
4. What is the occasion for this text?
Particular, specific contemporary
incident or event
5. Is the text intended as some sort of
call to- or for-action?
What action does the author want the
reader to take?
6. Is the text intended rather as some
sort of call to- or for-reflection or
consideration rather than direct action?
What does the author seem to wish the
reader to think, conclude, decide?
7. can we identify any non-textual
circumstances that affected the creation
and reception of the text?
Include historical/political events,
economic factor as well as particular
circumstances of author’s own life
IMPORTANCE OF
CONTEXT IN ANALYSIS
AND INTERPRETATION
Historical context- social, religious,
economic and political condition
existed during certain time and place
Details of time and place a situation
occurs
Gives better understanding and
appreciation of narrative
Help understand what motives
people to behave as they did
Give meanings to details
Cause- action creates an outcome
Context- environment which action
and outcome occurs
SUBTEXT
Refers to secondary and implied
meanings
Embrace emotional or intellectual
message implied by document or
object
