TRƯỜNG ĐẠI OF

HANOI UNIVERSITY HỌCSCIENCE

BÁCH KHOAAND
HÀ NỘI
TECHNOLOGY
School of Foreign Languages

A course of Research Methodology – FL3080

Lecture
9
CONTENT ANALYSIS

Tran Hong Thuy, MA

School of Foreign Languages, HUST
LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

1 Understand what content analysis is

2 Describe the uses of content analysis

Apply steps to conduct a content

3 analysis research

Interpret the pros and cons of content

4 analysis

Content Analysis Lecture 9 2

LECTURE OUTLINE

1 Overview of content analysis

2 Uses of content analysis

3 Steps to conduct content analysis

Advantages and disadvantages of content

4 analysis

Content Analysis Lecture 9 3

1.1. OVERVIEW OF CONTENT ANALYSIS

• Content analysis is any technique for making

inferences by objectively and systematically identifying
specified characteristics of messages. (Holsti, 1969)

• It focuses on the characteristics of language as

communication with attention to the content or
contextual meaning of the text. (McTavish & Pirro, 1990;
Tesch, 1990).

Content Analysis Lecture 9 4

1.1. OVERVIEW OF CONTENT ANALYSIS

- The goal of content analysis is “to provide knowledge

and understanding of the phenomenon under study”
(Downe-Wamboldt, 1992).

- Content analysis can be both quantitative (focused on

counting and measuring) and qualitative (focused on
interpreting and understanding). In both types, you
categorize or “code” words, themes, and concepts within
the texts and then analyze the results.

Content Analysis Lecture 9 5

1.2. DATA SOURCES OF CONTENT ANALYSIS

Content analysis is a research method that uses written,

visual and spoken materials as data.

Data might be in verbal, print, or electronic form

+ narrative responses + books

+ open-ended questions + manuals
+ interviews + articles, newspapers
+ focus groups + films
+ observations + television, documentaries

Table 1. data sources of content analysis. (Kondracki & Wellman, 2002)

Content Analysis Lecture 9 6

2. USES OF CONTENT ANALYSIS

Possibilities for the uses of content analysis

● Reveal international differences in communication
content
● Detect the existence of propaganda
● Identify the intentions, focus or communication trends of
an individual, group or institution
● Describe attitudinal and behavioral responses to
communications
● Determine psychological or emotional state of persons or
groups

Content Analysis Lecture 9 7

2. USES OF CONTENT ANALYSIS

Possibilities for the uses of content analysis

- Researchers use content analysis to find out about the
purposes, messages, and effects of communication
content. They can also make inferences about the
producers and audience of the texts they analyze.
- Content analysis can be used to quantify the occurrence
of certain words, phrases, subjects or concepts in a set
of texts.

Content Analysis Lecture 9 8

2. USES OF CONTENT ANALYSIS

Examples of researches applying content analysis

• the visual images (as well as the text) of women’s

and men’s magazines to examine the degree to which
messages about bodily appearance are gendered
(Malkin et al., 1999).
• the lyrics of popular songs to reveal changes in the
representation of women (Marcic, 2000).

Content Analysis Lecture 9 9

2. USES OF CONTENT ANALYSIS

Examples of researches applying content analysis

• Newspapers: measure the amount of space allocated to
different sections (sports, world news, local news, real
estate, the economy, advertising , and so on.
•TV programs: measure the number of viewers, the
amount time allocated to the reporting of different fields
such as sports; highlight of music, technological
applications or inventions, talkshows, gameshows, etc.
=> An analysis like this will give indication of the issues
relevant to particular newspapers or TV programs.

Content Analysis Lecture 9 10

2. USES OF CONTENT ANALYSIS

Examples of researches applying content analysis

• Books, novels: quantify the occurrence of certain types of
words, phrases, sentences; make qualitative inferences by
analyzing the meaning and semantic relationship of words
and concepts.

Content Analysis Lecture 9 11

3. STEPS TO CONDUCT CONTENT ANALYSIS

1. Select the
content 2. Define the 3. Develop a set
units of of rules for
to be analysis coding
analyzed

5. Analyze the
results and 4. Code the
draw text according
conclusions to the rules

Luo (2019)

Content Analysis Lecture 9 12

3. STEPS TO CONDUCT CONTENT ANALYSIS
Sample:
Strategies for Translating Relative Clauses from
English into Vietnamese in Chemical and
Environmental Science documents
Research questions:
1. What are Relative Clauses Defined in English and in
Vietnamese?
2. What are common translation strategies used for translating
English into Vietnamese?
3. What are the most suitable translation strategies to translate
English relative clauses into Vietnamese in the selected Source
text?
Adapted from A Graduation Paper by SOFL students

Content Analysis Lecture 9 13

3. STEPS TO CONDUCT CONTENT ANALYSIS

Sample
STEP 1: Select the content to be analyzed

- Published by the Institute of Strategy and

Policy on Natural Resources and
Environment of Viet Nam.
- Provide an overview of climate changes .
- Three chapters:
1. Overview of global climate change;
2. Climate change and scenarios in VN
3. Climate change impacts and strategy,
options to cope with climate change in VN

Content Analysis Lecture 9 14

 3. STEPS TO CONDUCT CONTENT ANALYSIS

STEP 2: Define the units of analysis

- Types of relative clauses (RC)

- Translation strategies

Content Analysis Lecture 9 15

3. STEPS TO CONDUCT CONTENT ANALYSIS

STEP 3: Develop a set of rules for coding

- explain the method of observing the content in given text
- detail out how the content should be categorized
- focus on the categories for specific words and patterns
that answer the questions of the researchers, which
means define the rules for what will and won’t be
included to ensure that all texts are coded consistently

Content Analysis Lecture 9 16

 3. STEPS TO CONDUCT CONTENT ANALYSIS

STEP 3: Develop a set of rules for coding

Types of relative Translation strategies

clauses (RC) - Word for word
- Restrictive RC - Omission
- Non-Restrictive RC - Paraphrase
- Reduced RC - Using hyphens or

- Connective RC brackets
- Splitting into
Independent Clauses

Content Analysis Lecture 9 17

3. STEPS TO CONDUCT CONTENT ANALYSIS

STEP 4: Code the text according to the rules

- Coding will identify important characteristics, frequency,
direction, intensity, and space.
- In coding process, you go through each text and record
all relevant data in the appropriate categories. This can be
done manually or aided with computer programs to speed
up the process of counting and categorizing words and
phrases

Content Analysis Lecture 9 18

3. STEPS TO CONDUCT CONTENT ANALYSIS

STEP 4: Code the text according to the rules

Table 2. Frequency of translation strategies for types of RCs

Content Analysis Lecture 9 19

3. STEPS TO CONDUCT CONTENT ANALYSIS

STEP 4: Code the text according to the rules

Table 3. Frequency of relative clause types

Content Analysis Lecture 9 20

 3. STEPS TO CONDUCT CONTENT ANALYSIS

STEP 4: Code the text according to the rules

Table 4: Frequency of translation strategies for relative clause

Content Analysis Lecture 9 21

3. STEPS TO CONDUCT CONTENT ANALYSIS

STEP 5: Analyze the results and draw conclusions

- The collected data is examined to find patterns and draw

conclusions in response to your research question.
- Use statistical analysis to find correlations or trends,
- Discuss your interpretations of what the results mean,
- Make inferences about the creators, context and
audience of the texts.

Content Analysis Lecture 9 22

3. STEPS TO CONDUCT CONTENT ANALYSIS

STEP 5: Analyze the results and draw conclusions

In the sample study:
- The collected data from the chosen document are examined
and analyzed to find out the appropriate translation strategies
applied to translate different types of relative clauses.
- From the results, discuss, make inferences and draw
conclusion of the most suitable translation strategies that are
used for translating the certain types of relative clauses from
English into Vietnamese in the field of the chosen document.

Content Analysis Lecture 9 23

4. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF CONTENT ANALYSIS

4.1. ADVANTAGES
● looks directly at communication via texts or transcripts,
and hence gets at the central aspect of social interaction
● can allow for both quantitative and qualitative operations
● can provides valuable historical/cultural insights over
time through analysis of texts
● allows a closeness to text which can alternate between
specific categories and relationships and also statistically
analyzes the coded form of the text

Content Analysis Lecture 9 24

4. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF CONTENT ANALYSIS

4.1. ADVANTAGES
● can be used to interpret texts for purposes such as the
development of expert systems (since knowledge and rules
can both be coded in terms of explicit statements about the
relationships among concepts)
● is an unobtrusive means of analyzing interactions
● provides insight into complex models of human thought
and language use

Content Analysis Lecture 9 25

4. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF CONTENT ANALYSIS

4.2. DISADVANTAGES
● can be extremely time consuming
● is subject to increased error, particularly when relational
analysis is used to attain a higher level of interpretation
● is often devoid of theoretical base, or attempts too
liberally to draw meaningful inferences about the
relationships and impacts implied in a study
● is inherently reductive, particularly when dealing with
complex texts

Content Analysis Lecture 9 26

4. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF CONTENT ANALYSIS

4.2. DISADVANTAGES
● tends too often to simply consist of word counts
● often disregards the context that produced the text, as
well as the state of things after the text is produced
● can be difficult to automate or computerize

Content Analysis Lecture 9 27

 LECTURE SUMMARY

OVERVIEW
OF CA USES OF CA

CONTENT ANALYSIS
(CA)

ADVANTAGES & STEPS TO

DISADVANTAGES CONDUCT CA
OF CA

Content Analysis Lecture 9 28

 GLOSSARY
1. Content analysis is any technique for making inferences by
objectively and systematically identifying specified characteristics of
messages
2. Unit of analysis is the basic unit of text to be classified, “the specific
segment of content that is characterized by placing it in a given
category” (Holsti, 1969). In other words, it is the major entity that you
are analyzing in your study.
3. Coding in content analysis is to organize large quantities of text into
much fewer content categories. Coding will identify four important
characteristics: frequency, direction, intensity, and space.
4. Frequency describes the number of times a particular code occurs.
5. Direction is the way in which the content appears, positive, negative,
opposite, support etc.

Content Analysis Lecture 9 29

GLOSSARY

6. Intensity denotes the amount of the strength towards a

particular direction.
7. Space refers to the amount of space assigned to the text or
the size of the message.
8. Coding scheme in content analysis is to guide coders to
make decisions in the analysis of content.
- There are two main elements of the coding scheme: a coding
schedule and a coding manual.
9. Coding schedule is a form onto which all the data relating to
an item being coded will be entered
10. Coding manual is a statement of instructions to coders that
also includes all the possible categories for each dimension
being coded, and a guidance about how to interpret the
dimensions.
Content Analysis Lecture 9 30
REFERENCES:
Bryman, A. (2012). Social Research Method. Oxford University Press Inc.,
New York.
Colostate University [@CSU]. (n.d.). An Introduction to Content Analysis.
Writing Guide.
https://writing.colostate.edu/search/index.cfm?q=an%20introduction%20to%
20content%20analysis
Downe-Wamboldt, B. (1992). Content analysis: Method, applications, and
issues. Health Care for Women International, 13, 313-321.
Hayllar, B., Veal, T., & Sherval, M. (1996). Pathways to Research. Melbourne:
Rigby Heinemann.
Holsti, O. R. (1969). Content Analysis for the Social Sciences and
Humanities. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Kieu, N.H.G., Le, B.D., Tran, A.K., Nguyen, L.H., (2016). Strategies for
Translating Relative clauses from English into Vietnamese in Chemical and
Environmental Science Documents. Unpublished Graduation Paper. Hanoi
University of Science and Technology.

Content Analysis Lecture 9 31

REFERENCES:
Kondracki, N. L., & Wellman, N. S. (2002). Content analysis: Review of
methods and their applications in nutrition education. Journal of Nutrition
Education and Behavior, 34, 224-230.
Luo, A. (2019). What is content analysis and how can you use it in your
research?. https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/content-analysis/
McTavish, D.G., & Pirro, E.B. (1990). Contextual content analysis. Quality
and Quantity, 24, 245-265
Malkin, A. R., Wornian, K., and Chrisler, J. C. (1999). ‘Women and Weight:
Gendered Messages on Magazine Covers’, Sex Roles, 40, 647– 55
Marcic, D. (2000). Respect: Women and Popular Music. New York: Taxere
Tesch, R. (1990). Qualitative research: Analysis types and software tools.
Bristol, PA: Falmer.

Content Analysis Lecture 9 32

 School of Foreign Languages
Hanoi University of Science and Technology

Thank you for watching the lecture.

Content Ânalysis Lecture 9 33