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All about Content Analysis

Minjuan WangED 690EDTEC

SDSU

What Analysis?What Analysis?

A technique that enables researchers to study human behavior in an indirect way through an analysis of their communications

The analysis of the Written contents of a communication. Examples?? Review resumes from job applicants Dream analysis

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Steps for Conducting CA Define terms

Knowledge construction, socializing, presence

Specify unit and analysis Words, sentences,

phrases, paintings, audio, video

Find data and sampling

Generate coding scheme P. 488

Interrater reliability

Analyze!!!

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Let’s look at examples Corporate Blog study Blog study: collaboration Socialization online study Let’s code together!

Choose one entry from one of the classblogs

Copy-paste to Word and then Code it together

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Quantitative Content Analysis

Identify categories

Count frequencies of word occurrence & run statistical analysis

The frequency of occurrence of “people” and “taxes” in this campaign speech

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Qualitative Analysis

Content Analysis Identifying, Coding, Categorizing the primary

patterns in the data Interaction styles in online discussion: Complexity of response Question type Levels of argumentation & negotiation Socializing Coding Scheme

Creates a scheme which clusters words and phrases into conceptual categories for purposes of counting

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Adolescent Writings of Napoleon Bonaparte

Analysis of verbal behavior scores on scales for on depression,

anxiety, & preoccupation with sickness coincide with the available

biographical evidence (childhood)

Computerized Content Analysis

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Study of Blogs

Miranda: school use Loret: corporate use

Support: Word of Mouth Jonathan's Blog Learning Circuit's Blog Coding Scheme

Mike and Nelly’s MySpace Collaboration in educational blogs John and Melisse: high ed use

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Study of Online Dating

40 Matchmaker.com profiles 20: lesbian females: 26-35; 56-65 20: gay males, 26-35, 56-65

Word count and content of descriptions Political inclination Religious inclination Photograph

Codes: Personality: use of “I”; hobbies, solo or group serious about finding a match trends in political and religious preferences

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Unit of Analysis?

Words Phrases Sentences Paragraphs Blog entires Video segments Picture… Smile…

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Sample Topics

Researching the "y2k" event

Assessing feeling of guilt or pride in discourse

Emoticons Automated Movie

Analysis

Analysis of cable news network http://www.pbs.or

g/newshour/media/cablenews/analysis_highlights.html

Use of colors in hotel brochures

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Samples

Personal Ad Content Analysis Undergraduates analyzed newspaper

personal advertisements Used ANOVA and correlation

techniques How could you do? The cultural differences Gender, SES

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More Real Studies

Seaworld.org Evaluation criteria for ???

Analysis of Pre-service teacher education programs

Analysis of Social Presence online Analysis of articles published in a

journal (p. 490)

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Challenges Content Analysis in Online Communication Webcast Text, audio, and video

important interactive and design features as well as content features

Design and implementation of coding procedures To assess the distinctive features of online

communication

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Practice Coding in Class

Look at the following sites and pick some texts

Generate one question Code the texts Look at the codes to address your

questions

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Suggested Sites:

Blog: http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/edtec296/ http://amandaklein.blogspot.com/

Match.com Myspace.com (if you have an

account)