Content Analysis

Ginnie Bushong
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.
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.
 Appropriate use
• Educational Research
• Problem Insight

• Reasons:
– Obtain descriptive information
– Analyze observable/interview
data
– Test hypothesis
– Check other research findings
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.
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
Importance of categorization
• All studies must convert
(code) descriptive
information into
categories:
1. Researcher determines
categories before analysis
begins.
2. Researcher becomes
familiar with the descriptive
information collected and
allows the categories to
emerge as analysis
continues.
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.
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.
Data Analysis
• Frequencies
• Proportions of an specific
occurrence to a total
occurrences.
• Themes
• Computer Analysis
Advantages & Disadvantages
• Advantages
– Unobtrusive
– Easy
• Disadvantages
– Limited to analysis of
communications
– Difficult to establish validity
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
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.
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