CONTENT AND

CONTEXTUAL
ANALYSIS

CHAPTER 3
RIPH
 TODAY’S
WHAT WE’LL DISCUSS

TOPICS
• Content/Textual Analysis
• Contextual Analysis
Importance of Context in
Analysis and
Interpretation
by Grace Fleming
• Subtext
Study the past if you
will define the future.
- Confucius
 CONTENT/TEXTUAL ANALYSIS
CONTENT ANALYSIS
is a research method for studying documents and
communication artifacts, which can be texts of various formats,
picture, audio or video.

Practices and philosophies of content analysis vary between scholarly

communities.

Computers are increasingly used in content analysis, to automate the

labeling of documents.
A. Goals of Content Analysis

According to Klaus Krisppendorff, 6

questions must be 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 context?
5. What are the boundaries of the analysis?
6. What is to measured?
The simplest and most objective form of content
analysis considers unambiguous characteristics of
the text.

Dictionary-based approaches set up a list of

categories derived from the frequency list of word
and control the distribution of words and their
respective categories over texts.

Qualitative content analysis focuses more on the

intentionality and its implications.
B. Kinds of 1. Written text

Texts 2. Oral text

3. Iconic text

4. Audio-visual text

5. Hypertexts
 C. Types of Content
Analysis
Can be thought of as
establishing the existence
and frequency of concepts in
CONCEPTUAL a text.
ANALYSIS

Builds on conceptual
analysis by examining the
relationships among
concepts in a text.
RELATIONAL ANALYSIS
 D. How to Use Content
Analysis
1 2 3 4 5

Prepare a Produce coding Coding Analyze data Quantitatively

coding manual to - Use of and report analyze the
coded content
schedule. accompany the categories to findings. for trends,
coding schedule describe and patterns,
that will list the organize relationships,
codes for each elements of the similarities,
differences and
 Reliability refers to:
E. Issues of Stability of content analysis or the tendency
Reliability for coders to consistently recode the same
data in the same way over a period of time
and Validity
Reproducibility or tendency for a group of
coders to classify categories membership in
the same way

Accuracy or extent to which the

classification of text corresponds to a
standard or norm statistically
 F. Advantages of Content Analysis
Looks directly at communication Can be used to interpret text for
via texts or transcripts, and purposes such as the
hence gets at the central aspect development of expert systems
of social interaction
Is an unobtrusive means of
Can allow for both quantitative
analyzing interactions
and qualitative operations

Can provide valuable historical/ Provides insight into complex

cultural insights over time models of human thought and
through analysis of texts language use

Allows a closeness to text which When done well, is considered

can alternate between specific as relatively “exact” research
categories and relationships and method
also statistically analyzes the
 e. Tends too often to simply consist
a. Can be extremely time consuming
of word count

b. Is subject to increased error f,. Often disregards the content

g. Can be difficult to automate or

c. Is often devoid of theoretic base
computerize

d. Is inherently reductive, particularly

when dealing with complex texts

G. Disadvantages of Content Analysis

 It is an analysis of a text that
helps us to asses the text within
the context of its historical and
cultural setting , and also in terms
of its textuality.

CONTEXTUAL
ANALYSIS
Combines features of formal
analysis with features of
“cultural archeology”.
A. How to Use Contextual
Analysis
1. What does the text reveal about itself as a text?
2. What does the text tell us about its apparent intended audiences?
3. What seems to have been the author’s intention?
4. What is the occasion for this text?
5. Is the text intended as some sot of call to – or for – action?
6. Is the text intended rather as some sort of call to – or for – reflection
or consideration rather than direct action?
7. Can we identify any non textual circumstances that affected the
creation and reception of the text?
 Importance of Context in
Analysis and Interpretation
Historical Context
is an important part of life and
literature and without it, memories,
stories and characters have less
meaning.

it is essentially the details that

surround an occurrence.

Context is what gives meaning to the details.

By Grace
Fleming
 Is the action that creates an
“Cause” outcome.

Is the environment in which that

“Context” action and outcome occurs.
The subtext of a document
or object refers to its
Subtext
secondary and implied
meanings.

It embraces the emotional

or intellectual messages
embedded in, or implied
by the document or object.
SUMMARY
TEXT
• What is visible/readable, i.e., what
information is provided by the source?

CONTEXT
• What was going on during the time
period? What background information do
you have that helps explain the
information found in the source?

SUBTEXT
• What is between the lines? Ask questions
about the following:
▪ Author
▪ Audience
▪ Reason
 THANK YOU!

GOD BLESS US
ALL