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Methodology of Social Research Jayatee Bhattacharya, Lovely Professional University

notes unit-22: content analysis

CoNteNts
objectives
introduction
22.1 Definition and Characteristics of Content Analysis Technique
22.2 importance of Content Analysis technique
22.3 Limitations of Content Analysis technique
22.4 summary

22.5 Keywords
22.6 review Questions
22.7 further readings

objectives

After studying this unit students will be able to:
y Know the meaning of content analysis.
y Know the importance of content analysis technique.

introduction

everyone accepts this fact that in comparison to material incidences, social incidences are more
complex, dynamic, shapeless and qualitative, because of which social sciences have a problem in
finding their own inferences and formulating rules. In the direction to reduce this difficulty, content
analysis technique has an important contribution because with the help of it, quantitative and objective
description becomes possible. some investigators divide the contents of facts related to study subject,
and consider only their objective analysis as “content analysis”.
this technique was started nearly 75 years from today, in year 1926, Malcolm Willey had used it
through his study of newspapers. After that in 1930, Boodland etc. had done under a study titled,
“Foreign News in American Morning Newspaper”. in this study, by analysing the languages of newspapers,
some important inferences were taken out. in these studies, content analysis technique was only used.
Although at that time this technique being at its initial stage had not attained any definite character or
base because the ones doing these studies were not any trained social researchers but were personnel
related to newspapers only. in a similar manner, other personnel related to various newspapers also
presented analytical study of the contents of the information or news printed in the newspaper, related
to subjects like household matters, politics, labour, crime, divorce, sports etc. following then, some
authors also used this technique in study of literature genres. slowly this technique was started to be
used in political science and public-opinion studies also in the period of 1930-1940, Harold Lasswell
and other knowledgeable men, in their studies related to propaganda and public opinion, tried to
further develop the content analysis technique. After the second World War, investigators started to
use this technique a little less. Now again, its use has increased and in the study of content of music,
education, literature, radio programmes, newspapers etc, this technique is becoming popular.

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