MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow. Understandings and Uses of Public Health Research (UUPHR) Programme Dr Shona Hilton Social Media Analysis: Methods and Ethics 25 th April 2014

MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow. Research Understanding emerging health debates Media Representations Audience Reception Much of our work takes its theoretical bearings from literature on: media studies risk communication health literacy science communication

MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow. Publications Hilton S, Wood K, Patterson C, Katikireddi SV. Implications for alcohol minimum unit pricing advocacy: what can we learn for public health from UK newsprint coverage of key claim-makers in the policy debate?. Social Science & Medicine 2014;102:157–164 Patterson C, Hilton S. Normalisation and stigmatisation of obesity in UK newspapers: a visual content analysis. The Open Obesity Journal 2013;5:82-91 Wood K, Patterson C, Katikireddi SV, Hilton S. Harms to ‘others’ from alcohol consumption in the minimum unit pricing policy debate: a qualitative content analysis of UK newspapers ( ). Addiction 2013;109:578–584 Hilton S, Patterson C, Teyhan A. Escalating coverage of obesity in UK newspapers: the evolution and framing of the ‘obesity epidemic’ from 1996 to Obesity 2012;20: Hilton S, Hunt K. UK newspapers' representations of the outbreak of swine flu: one health scare not over-hyped by the media?. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health 2011;65:941-6 Hilton S, Hunt K, Langan M, Petticrew M. Newsprint media representations of the introduction of the HPV vaccination programme for cervical cancer prevention in the UK ( ). Social Science & Medicine 2010;70: Hilton S, Hunt K. Coverage of Jade Goody's cervical cancer in UK newspapers: a missed opportunity for health promotion?. BMC Public Health 2010;10:386

MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow. Using Manifest and Latent Content Analysis Media Representations

MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow. Why do content analysis? Identify content and framing of communication Disclose differences in communication content between individuals, groups, institutions or societies Audit communication content against objectives Describe trends in the content or framing of messages over time Indicate pertinent features such as comprehensiveness of coverage Detect the existence of propaganda, prejudices or intentions of authors Provide an empirical basis for monitoring shifts in public opinion and making inferences about the effects of communication on public opinion / behaviour- see case studies

MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow. Two types of content analysis Manifest analysis Latent analysis quantitative qualitative physically present and countable hidden meaning

MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow. Manifest content analysis: One Definition “a research technique for the objective, systematic, and quantitative description of manifest content of communications" (Berelson, 1952)

MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow. Features Content is inherent in the text Messages are quantifiable using a systematic approach Measured objectively (aim to limit the subjectivity) A message has but one content, all other meanings being deviant, wrong or subjective- hence excluded Reductionist approach with its roots in the positivism paradigm (establishing and discovering objective facts) Manifest content analysis

MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow. Manifest coding frame

MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow. “a research method that uses a set of procedures to make inferences about the sender(s) of the message, the message itself, or the audience of the message” (Weber, 1990) Latent content analysis: One Definition

MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow. Features The meaning of the message only emerges with interpretation (high level of interpretation) A message may have different meanings A message is socially constructed Roots are in the constructivist paradigm (science is constructed not discovered from the world) Latent content analysis

MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow. Example

MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow. Could content analysis be used to analyse dynamic social media data? If so how?