Quantitative Analysis of Text

1. Quantitative Analysis of Text Study of texts or messages is central to the communication discipline Two data collection and analytical methods Content analysis Interaction analysis

2. Content Analysis • Both data collection and analytical technique • Can make inferences by identifying specific characteristics of messages • Manifest content • Latent content

3. Content Analysis • Objective • Carried out according to rules and procedures • Systematic • Identifying content to be coded • Coding and interpreting content • Generality • Findings should have theoretical relevance

4. Basic Principles of Content Analysis • Messages can be classified into a set of categories • Elements classified together have similar meanings • Categories produce frequency counts to allow for comparisons • Evaluate the relevance of frequencies to the theoretical propositions supporting the study

5. What Content Can Be Analyzed? • Any message or aspect of a message that can be captured • Sources, senders, or recipients of messages • Reasons for sending messages • Channels messages are sent through • Content of messages • Message effects • Nonverbals, visual cues, sounds

6. Content Analysis Process • Develop hypothesis or research question that calls for content analysis • Select messages to be analyzed • Select categories and units for coding • Develop procedures for resolving coding differences • If all messages cannot be coded, select sample • Code messages into categories • Interpret the results of the coding

7. Selecting What to Code Are the messages available or must they be created? Narrow the data set for the elements of interest May still need to sample elements Messages may have structural characteristics that need to be considering in sampling

8. Developing Content Categories • Theoretical or emergent • What was said • How message was said • Categories must be • Exhaustive • Equivalent • Mutually exclusive • Be careful of using “other” as a catchall category

9. Unit of Analysis • Discrete element that is coded and counted • Rules for identifying the unit should be explicit • Typical units of analysis in communication • Complete thoughts or sentences • Themes • Paragraphs • Characters or speakers • Communicative acts, behaviors, or processes • Television programs or scenes

10. Training Coders All coders must be trained Increases coding agreement Commit coding system and rules to paper Practice on similar texts or messages Once sufficient degree of reliability is established, coders then work independently

11. Coding Reliability and Validity • Intercoder or interrater reliability • Unitizing reliability • Coding reliability • Validity – appropriateness and adequacy of coding scheme for this set of messages

12. Interpreting Coding Results • Analysis must be relevant to hypothesis or research question • Frequencies • Differences • Trends • Patterns • Standards

13. Strengths and Limitations of Content Analysis Research Strengths Data close to the communicator Unobtrusive Applicable to a variety of text or message structures Limitations If message cannot be captured, it cannot be coded Coding scheme may not reveal nuances of messages Selection process may not be representative

14. Interaction Analysis • Researcher codes content of ongoing communication between two or more individuals • Identifies verbal or nonverbal features or functions from the stream of conversation • Allows complex analyses • Intent and function of messages • Effect of messages • Examines messages relative to one another over time

15. Preparing and Coding Interaction • Interaction is audio or videotaped and then transcribed • Coders trained • Interaction must be unitized • Unitizing reliability calculated • Interaction coded according to coding scheme • Coding reliability calculated • All coding differences resolved

16. Analyzing and Interpreting the Coded Data Return to the research question or hypothesis Compare to theoretical position Frequency analysis is common Look for patterns that simple frequency analyses cannot illuminate

17. Example of Interaction Analysis Coding

18. Strengths and Limitations of Interaction Analysis Strengths Elements before and after a coded element are considered Places emphasis on relative position Several coding schemes have been developed and validated over time Limitations Limited by validity and representativeness of coding scheme Ongoing streams of conversation are not neat and tidy – can be difficult to code Time consuming