3 Content Analysis

Transcript

Brief Introduction

Hello Friends. In our previous discussion, we discussed about the concept of blog and how you can develop your own blog for different purposes. I hope by now you must be motivated to have your own blog. Yes obviously you can, and you can create the class of your own functionaries, so who are having similar ideas. And you can exchange your ideas with the help of this creation of blog. And you can make a community of bloggers so that your ideas are exchanged amongst the groups.

So when we start writing for the blog. So huge amount of content is being generated. Maybe in whatever the language that what we are using. Maybe it is the regional language or a national language or the international languages. Now in this class we will be discussing about the analysis of this content. What is being generated by the professionals, individuals, researchers, by different professionals. For the purpose of its analysis and its betterment, keeping the target communities in view. So the topic is “Content Analysis”.

Definition

So to define this content analysis. “It is a research technique for the objective, systematic and quantitative description of the manifest content of communication”. The already generated content is there, but it has to be objectively evaluated. Should have the desired benefits in the society.

Content Analysis

• The content analysis attempts to convert the symbolic behavior into the scientific data. So through our writings we have expressed our contents, and in the form of our behavior, which reflects our behavior. So that now needs to be mathematically calculated. So that’s what is the basic purpose.
• Then content analysis is applied to the literature produced for research or the service purpose.
• Then the units of analysis include the words, themes, characters, items, space and time measures.

So these are all the essential features of this content analysis.

• Then all analysis are potentially quantifiable. Because we are coming out with some quantitative outcomes out of this content analysis.
• The computer has revolutionized the content analysis because the number of methods that have been developed. It has made the process more simple.
• The methodology is infrequently used in behavioral sciences. But the moment we start using that, there will be the quantum changes in the quality of the content.

Nature

Coming to the nature of this content analysis.

• So it can be viewed from both the views of the qualitative as well as the quantitative.
• So it will be quantitative if it deals with the occurrence of a particular concept. Then a trend of the coverage of the content, and the duration of an event and time. If we take up these variables, so obviously it is going to be quantitative.
• So it becomes qualitative if we deal with the information level of the content. Whether it is at the higher level or whether it is at the middle level or whether it is at the lower level. Or the direction of the content, in which direction it is going. And the motives behind the content, and the attitude behind the content, and values and other origination of the content. If you look at, so that becomes the qualitative analysis of the content

Strengths

Then coming to the strengths of this content analysis.

• It is suited for analyzing and mapping characteristics of the large bodies of text. So after creation of huge amount of content. So now it needs to be evaluated, so whether it is suitable for the public or not.
• Then it lends itself well to systematic charting of long term changes, and trends in media coverage, so that it can add on to qualities of that.
• Then compatible with the wider research projects as well as the qualitative enquiries.

So these are some of the strengths of the content analysis.

Content Analysis – Key Steps.

Now coming to the key steps that are involved in the process of content analysis. The first and foremost question is.

• What exactly is the research question with which that we are beginning with the content analysis.
• Then identification of various sources of the content.
• Then formulation of the objectives as well as hypothesis of the study for which that we are going for the content analysis.
• Then definition of the universe. So which are the sources of information or the content that we are touching about for the purpose of analysis.
• Then out of this universe we need to take out a sample. So that needs to be defined.
• Then once the sample is taken, it has to be categorized as well as subcategorized based on the procedure.
• Then decide on the units of analysis.
• Then develop the perfect procedure of coding as well as the analysis.
• Then ultimately you need to come out with the inferences as well as interpretations of the analysis based on the processes that what we have already done.

The Research Question

So to begin with, the research question. This is what is the first step of the content analysis. So it is basically the selection of an appropriate problem. So from where the research question starts. So the selection of the research problem solely depends upon the type of research question that has sparked the mind of the researcher. So with what research questions that he is beginning with this. So then he starts working on that particular thing. The first and foremost step is to develop the research questions for the purpose of content analysis.

Identification of Sources

Then the second step as we have seen is the identification of the source.

• Some of the appropriate sources of the content analysis include,
• The farm broadcast programs of All India Radio. All India Radio is coming out with number of programs, specially related to agriculture and allied sciences over a period of time. So we can start that okay after 1950 what is the nature of program or after 1960. Decade wise we can make analysis, or the year wise we can make the analysis, or month wise we can make the analysis. So these are all quantifying techniques, but we can take it as a content.
• Then the farm telecast programs by the televisions. So number of programs are being broadcast by number of channels, maybe it is govt owned channel or private owned channel. So we can take them.
• Then the agricultural magazines coming out with large number of articles related to agriculture and allied sciences. That can be identification of source.
• Then the newsletters, leaflets, pamphlets, bulletins.
• Films on agriculture
• Then nowadays after this ICT revolution in the post 1990’s, we can analyze the contents that are available in large number of websites as well as webportals. As we have already said. 1.5 billion websites are already there. So it means huge amount of content that is available, which needs to be analyzed.
• Then the folk songs and the dramas used for dissemination of agricultural information, can be another source of identification for the purpose of content analysis.

Formulation of Objectives and Hypothesis

Then based on the selection of the content, so then you need to formulate the objective as well as the hypothesis. So it totally depends on the research question that you are going to ask. So then the possible number of objectives are to be formulated as well as the hypothesis needs to be worked out for the purpose of analysis. So based on the objectives you will be coming out with the hypothesis also.

Definition of the Universe

Then define the universe. So the universe of content or the population of the content analysis to be analyzed. So that has to be clearly defined. As I said, so whether we are analyzing the radio programs, which are being broadcasted in the last one year, in the last two years, in the last five years, ten years. Like that we need to establish perfect unit of time. So that we can make it as the universe. Or the newspapers which are carrying issues related to agriculture, maybe newspapers of one month, or one year, or ten years. Like that we can define the universe.

Sampling of the Universe

Then sampling of this universe.

• After selecting the universe, now sampling has to be done in order to make the analysis of the content more comprehensive.
• So this depends on the nature of the objective as well as the universe. If you are selecting the newspaper, so then whether we are selecting only the news related to agriculture, or whether we are going to select the news related to development in general, wherein agriculture is one component. Like that we need to have the sample.
• Then in some cases the entire universe may have to be taken, just like the census method. So that depends on the objective. That depends on your objective.

Categorization

Then categorization of the universe,

• It is the division of content for the purpose of easy analysis.
• Then it indicates the variables of this analysis. Wherein we are coming out with the possible variables for the purpose of analysis.
• Then the formation of categories is achieved after going through the content material, which is same as that of the actual content analyzed. Because now we are coming out with the sample out of the universe. So then it needs to be classified.
• Then the categories must be exhaustive, so that it must represent the entire universe. Then they should not overlap. They should be free from ambiguity. And the major categories can be further categorized into sub categories. That depends on the issue that you are analyzing.

Units of Analysis

Then the units of analysis are to be defined.

• So when we are talking of the text, so it might be
  o   The length of the sentence
  o   It might be the difficult words that appear in a particular sentence. The number of difficult words that the sentence has.
  o   Then the pictures as well as the tables that the particular content has in a particular article.
  o   Then the newspaper, or the frequencies, the lines or pages. The time devoted or the space devoted for that particular topic etc are the units of analysis.
  o   Then the kind of content. The articles, the interviews, the feature stories, the success stories etc etc. So we can go on justifying these units of analysis based on the objectives.

Coding and Analysis

Then now coming to the coding and analysis,

• Formulation of the suitable codes is very very essential based on units of analysis
• Then coding refers to working out of procedure, by which the units chosen for the analysis are quantified in an orderly way.
• Coding categories have many forms depending upon the unit– the number of occurrence of an item during a particular period. For example if we talk of the environmental hazards, because of the agricultural operations. The use of plant protection chemicals. How many number of times this has occurred in a unit of time. Maybe in one year or in one decade. So number of times, so that’s how we are coding them.
• Then working out suitable index – the readability index that needs to be developed. So now there are software applications for this. We can use the Gunning Fog index. And as well as there are a number of other indexes that are available. Just you can select the content and put it in this App so that you will get the readability index of that particular thing. So that is another way of coding your content.

Coding Sheet

So here is a model of the coding sheet,

1. wherein it begins with the date when you are starting with this analysis.
2. The nature of news whether it is hard or soft or the environment, the agriculture, various issues, that is based on your objective.
3. Then the mode of presentation, whether it includes the pictures or various other aspects or not. What is the headline?
4. So the space divided for the headline,
5. the number of words that we find in a headline,
6. the length of the text
   Because these are the indicators, the publishers are giving weightage to these issues. So whether they
   are giving due weightage or not, so that can be interpreted from these things.
7. Then the number of words in each text.
8. Page that the news is appearing
9. And the position of the news, in a page maybe it is the front page or the upper part or lower part or 2nd page, 3rd page. The importance of news that we can analyze.
10. Then what is the source of news whether it is quoted or not.
11. Then what is the readability index—as I said the Gunning Fog index that we will be using and based on that whether the content is readable or it is suitable to the general public or not whether it is highly qualified people can only read it. The graduates and above or the postgraduates and above. Or the people who are primary educated, whether it is suitable for them or not, or high school educated, whether it is suitable for them or not. So all this interpretations that we can derive out of this readability.
12. Then what are the total number of pages.

So this is only an indicative list. So you can have the units of analysis based on your objectives as well as the hypothesis that you have.

Inferences and Interpretations
Then coming to, based on this data, so now it needs to be analyzed. So then the inferences are to be drawn as well as interpretations are to be drawn. The data obtained through such coding procedure, now it needs to be analyzed. And based on the results we can interpret the data that whether this particular newspaper or broadcasting channel or radio channel is providing importance to such news, or it is providing such amount of space, then it is giving due weightage to this, whether it should have considered these aspects. Like that we can go on interpreting the things.

Conclusion

• To conclude we can say that content analysis is an instrument to develop the quality content over a period of time. The moment we understand the concept of content analysis, automatically we can develop the best possible content for our end-users.
• Then evaluation of the existing content and improving the content based on the outcomes of evaluation is an opportunity that the service providers are having.
• Then provide need based content to various stakeholders is another interpretation that we can make out of this discussion.

And with this we will be coming to an end of the discussion on content analysis. In the next discussion we will be talking of the social media. And how we can make the best use of social media for the purpose of delivering extension services.

Thank You.