Content Analysis: A Method in Social Science Research

Content Analysis : A Method in Social
Science Research
Dr.Jisu Ketan Pattanaik
Assistant Professor in Sociology
National University of Study and Research in
Law(NUSRL),Ranchi,Jharkhand
Structure of Presentation
What is Content Analysis
Importance of Content Analysis
Application of Content Analysis
How to do Content Analysis
Method and Procedure of Content Analysis
Example-DOWRY RELATED VIOLENCE
What is Content Analysis
Content Analysis is described as the scientific study of content of
communication.
It is the study of the content with reference to the meanings,
contexts and intentions contained in messages.
Content analysis is a method for analyzing textual content.
The term content analysis is 75 years old
The development of content analysis as a full-fledged scientific
method took place during World War II when the U.S
government sponsored a project under the directorship of
Harold Lasswell to evaluate enemy propaganda.
Who says what to whom and with what effect?
Definition and Purpose of Content
Analysis
Kerlinger (1986) defined content analysis as a method of studying
and analyzing communication in a systematic, objective and
quantitative manner for the purpose of measuring variables.
Max Weber (1985) it is a research methodology that utilizes a set
of procedures to make valid inferences from text.
Broadly content analysis may be seen as a method where the
content of the message forms the basis for drawing inferences and
conclusions about the content.
Content analysis is a way of measuring by examining the cultural
artifacts of what people write, say, see and hear.
The researcher studies not people but the communications the
people produce as a way of creating a picture of their society.
The Materials for the Content Analysis
Letters
Diaries
Newspaper content
Folk songs
Short stories
Message of Radio, Television
Documents
Texts
Principles of Scientific Method
Objectivity: Which means that the analysis is pursued on the
basis of explicit rules, which enable different researchers to
obtain the same results from the same documents or
messages.
Systematic: The inclusion or exclusion of content is done
according to some consistency applied rules where by the
possibility of including only materials which support the
researchers ideas-is eliminated.
Generalizability: The results obtained by the researcher can
be applied to other similar situations.
The Purpose of Content Analysis
Purpose Questions
To describe the What?, How?,To Whom?

Characteristics of Content
To make inferences about Why?, Who?

the causes of content?
To make inferences about With what effect?

the effect of content?
Application of content analysis
It is most widely used in social science(Psychology, Sociology,
Political Science, History and Language studies) and mass
communication research.
THEMES FOR CONTENT ANALYSIS
Social Change
Cultural symbols
Changes in the mass media content
Nature and coverage of social issues or social problems such
as atrocities against women, dowry harassment, Social
movements, ascertaining trends propaganda, election issues,
violence in North Eastern States etc
Doing Content Analysis or How to do
Content Analysis
Content Analysis begins with a specific statement of the
objectives or research questions to be studied.
The researcher asks the question what do I want to find

out from this communication content and frames the
objectives for study.
The researcher must therefore locate a source of

communication relevant to the research question and ask
questions that can be solved by content analysis.
Steps in Content Analysis
Formulation of the research question or objectives
1,2 Selection of communication content and sample
Developing content categories

3,4 Finalizing units of analysis
Preparing a coding schedule, Pilot testing and checking

inter coder reliabilities
5,6 Analyzing the collected data
Research Topic: Dowry Related
Violence
Research Objectives
To examine the frequency and Uniformity
of the occurrence of certain
characteristics of dowry related death or
abuse.
To understand the nature and variety of

dowry cases reported in the newspapers.
Selection of Communication Content
and Sample
Depending upon the nature of the communication content-
whether it is a new item, editorial, short story or a TV serial- the
sampling techniques differ.
The newspapers, when reporting dowry-related news, present a
variety of facts about the incident: the background of the victim,
persons involved in the conflict, possible causes of conflict, and
the nature of victims abuse or death.
A purposive sample consisting of three English daily
newspapers (Indian Express, The Hindu and Deccan Chronicle)
and Six regional languages were selected.
The prime consideration in the selection of the newspapers was
prominence, as reflected in their circulation and regional
representation.
Developing Content(subject) categories
Victims background-age, education and occupation
Background of the victims husband
Nature and patterns dowry giving
Duration of marriage at the time of incident
Location where the incident took place
Type of abuse/nature of death
Nature of demands leading to the conflict
Persons participating in the abuse of the women
Types of endings/outcomes
Reporting the endings/outcomes
Units of Analysis
Four types of news items, the new story, the human interest
story, the editorial and other(which includes a news photo or
a letter to the editor, that may answer any of the six basic
questions that a news story covers ) were chosen as units of
analysis.
Analyzing the collected data
Distribution of various Means and Methods adopted for committing Murder
of the Women
Method Percentage
Pouring Kerosene and 46
setting fire to her
Poisoning 14
Beating to death 9
Strangling 7
Drowning 5
Educational Background of the Victims
SL No Background Number(%)
1 HSC
2 +2
3 Graduation
4 Post Graduation
5
Distribution of Victims on the Basis of
Age
SLNO Age Category Number(%)
1 20-25
2 26-30
3 31-35
4 35-40
Advantages of Content Analysis
It is both qualitative and quantitative
Provides insights analysis of texts
Textual analysis
Reveal differences in communication content
Disadvantages
It is time consuming
Lacks theoretical base

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Content Analysis : A Method in Social

To describe the What?, How?,To Whom?

To make inferences about Why?, Who?

To make inferences about With what effect?

The researcher asks the question what do I want to find

The researcher must therefore locate a source of

Developing content categories

Preparing a coding schedule, Pilot testing and checking

To understand the nature and variety of

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