Chapter 11

Content analys is seen as being coding operation and data interpreting process. There are many different ways to analyze content collected in your research, in example we have interpretative approach which uses the data to uncover patterns of human activity and meaning. We also can use the social anthropological approach by setting information down in field notes and applying interpretive style of treating information as text. Researcher who use this type of method are interested in the behavior irregularities of everyday life. We can also use the collaborative social research approach which is where the researcher is attempting to gain a change or action they have participants as a stakeholder. The analytic part of this research is conventional, directed, summative. Conventional analysis involves coding in order to generate theories. Directed is the use of more analytic codes and categories and use the themes emerged from categories. Summative analysis draws existing words or phrases in the text and counts them, then explores latent meaning and themes.

Standard way of analyzing it a) data collected needs to be organized and transcribed into text; b) codes are analytically developed; c) codes are transformed into categorical labels ; d) sort materials into categories; e) examine the the sorted materials, and select meaningful patterns; f.) identify patterns are considered in light of pervious research.

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In content analysis a criteria of selection needs to be used in any given analysis . We must find what is important to include in our data. When doing content analysis you aren't not bound by qualitative or quantitative research, you can do a mixture by using counting or narrative analysis. Most research project will use both in the analysis. Many want to know if we should use manifest or latent content analysis. Manifest describes the the content and latent seeks disern meaning.Communication components may be analyzed in terms of message, the senders and the audience. There are seven major elements in writing, word count, theme count, chapter count, paragraph count, items count, concept count and semantic count. There are three major procedures used to identify and develop cases, first it common cases, secondly special cases, and thirdly theoretical cases. We lastly need to know how to code, which is done by ask the data a specific and consists set of questions, second analyze the data minutely , thirdly frequently interrupt the coding to to write a theoretical note, and lastly never assume the analytic relevance of any traditional variable such as age, sex, social class, and so on until the data show it t be relevant.