Lecture Communication research: Asking questions, finding answers (4e) Chapter 12: Quantitative analysis of text

Chapter 12

QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF TEXT
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

Study of texts or messages is central to the
communication discipline



Two data collection and analytical methods
 Content

analysis
 Interaction analysis

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CONTENT ANALYSIS





A data collection and
analytical technique



Can make inferences by
identifying specific
characteristics of
messages






Manifest content
Latent content

Objective


Systematic






Carried out according to
rules and procedures
Identifying content to be
coded
Coding and interpreting
content

Generality


Findings should have
theoretical relevance
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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

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WHAT CAN BE ANALYZED?








Sources, senders, or
receivers of messages
Functions or types of
messages
Message channels
Content of messages

Message effects








Nonverbals cues or behaviors
Sounds
Visual images
Webages
Text messages, tweets
Topics

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CONTENT ANALYSIS PROCESS
1.

Develop hypothesis or research question that calls for
content analysis

2.

Select messages to be analyzed

3.

Select categories and units for coding

4.

Develop procedures for resolving coding differences

5.

If all messages cannot be coded, select sample

6.

Code messages into categories

7.

Interpret the results of the coding
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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

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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

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UNITS OF ANALYSIS
Complete thoughts or
sentences
 Themes
 Paragraphs
 Characters or speakers
 Communicative acts,
behaviors, or processes
 Television programs or
scenes
 Advertisements




Discrete element that is
coded and counted


Rules for identifying the
unit should be explicit
Typical units of
analysis in
communication

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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

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CODING RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY


Intercoder or interrater reliability
 Unitizing
 Do

we identify the same thing to code?

 Coding
 Do



reliability

reliability

we code it in the same way?

Validity – appropriateness and adequacy of
coding scheme for this set of messages

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INTERPRETING CODING RESULTS


Analysis must be relevant to hypothesis or
research question
 Frequencies
 Differences
 Trends
 Patterns
 Standards
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STRENGTHS

LIMITATIONS

Data close to the
communicator



If message cannot be

captured, it cannot be coded



Unobtrusive



Coding scheme may not
reveal nuances of messages



Applicable to a variety of text
or message structures



Selection process may not be
representative



STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS
OF CONTENT ANALYSIS


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

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PREPARING AND CODING INTERACTION


Interaction is recorded and then transcribed



Coders trained



Interaction must be unitized




Interaction coded according to coding scheme




Unitizing reliability calculated
Coding reliability calculated

All coding differences resolved
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ANALYZING AND INTERPRETING 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

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EXAMPLE OF INTERACTION ANALYSIS

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STRENGTHS

LIMITATIONS

Elements before and after
a coded element are
considered



Limited by validity and
representativeness of coding
scheme



Places emphasis on
relative position





Several coding schemes

have been developed and
validated over time

Ongoing streams of
conversation are not neat
and tidy – can be difficult to
code



Time consuming



STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS
OF INTERACTION ANALYSIS