1. Chapter 13 Quantitative Analysis of Text
Study of texts or messages is central to the communication discipline
Two data collection and analytical methods
Content analysis -- quantitative
Interaction analysis -- quantitative

2. Content Analysis Both data collection and analytical technique
Allows researchers to make inferences by identifying specific characteristics of messages
Manifest content
Latent content

3. Content Analysis Objective Systematic Generality
Carried out according to rules and procedures
Systematic
Identifying content to be coded
Coding and interpreting content
Generality
Findings should have theoretical relevance

4. Basic Principles of Content Analysis
A number of messages can be classified into a set of categories
Elements classified together have similar meanings
Categories produce frequency counts to allow for comparisons
Researcher addresses the relevance of frequencies to the theoretical propositions supporting the study

5. What Content Can Be Analyzed?
Any message or aspect of a message that can be captured
Sources, senders, or recipients of messages
Reasons for sending messages
Channels messages are sent through
Content of messages
Message effects
Nonverbals, visual cues, sounds

6. Content Analysis Process
Develop hypothesis or research question that calls for content analysis
Select messages to be analyzed
Select categories and units for coding
Develop procedures for resolving coding decision differences
Select a sample if all messages cannot be coded
Code messages into categories
Interpret the results of the coding

7. 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

8. Developing Content Categories
Based on theoretical premise or can emerge from the data
What was said
How message was said
Categories must be
Exhaustive
Equivalent
Mutually exclusive
Be careful of using “other” as a catchall category

9. Unit of Analysis Discrete element that is coded and counted
Rules for identifying the unit should be explicit
Typical units of analysis in communication
Words or phrases
Complete thoughts or sentences
Themes
Paragraphs
Characters or speakers
Communicative acts, behaviors, or processes
Television programs or scenes

10. 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

11. Coding Reliability and Validity
Intercoder or interrater reliability
Unitizing reliability
Coding reliability
Validity – appropriateness and adequacy of coding scheme for this set of messages

12. Interpreting Coding Results
Analysis must be relevant to hypothesis or research question
Frequencies
Differences
Trends
Patterns
Standards

13. Strengths and Limitations of Content Analysis Research
Data close to the communicator
Unobtrusive
Applicable to a variety of text or message structures
Limitations
If message cannot be captured, it cannot be coded
Coding scheme may not reveal nuances of messages
Selection process may not be representative

14. Interaction Analysis
Researcher codes content of ongoing communication between two or more individuals
Identifies verbal or nonverbal features or functions of the stream of conversational elements
Allows complex analyses
Intent and function of messages
Effect of messages
Examines messages relative to one another over time

15. Preparing and Coding Interaction
Interaction is audio or videotaped and then transcribed
Coders trained
Interaction must be unitized
Unitizing reliability calculated
Interaction coded according to coding scheme
Coding reliability calculated
All coding differences resolved

16. Analyzing and Interpreting the 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

17. Example of Interaction Analysis Coding
Unit
Speaker
Complete Thought
Coding
335
Tom
I say it’s better to go to Harvard.
Proposition
336a
Terry
You guys really think if he goes to school and he flunks out he can’t go for a degree anywhere?
336b
He can.
Assertion
336c
He can still go to the other place and still get his degree there.
Elaboration

18. Strengths and Limitations of Interaction Analysis
Elements before and after a coded element are considered
Places emphasis on relative position
Several coding schemes have been developed and validated over time
Limitations
Limited by validity and representativeness of coding scheme
Ongoing streams of conversation are not neat and tidy – can be difficult to code
Time consuming