Quantitative content analysis, in which analysts consistently categorize content according to rules and examine the relationships of those categories, is one of the best ways to find patterns and detect trends in a variety of media. When properly designed and executed it determines the effect of certain sorts of communication over time, such as in propaganda, or under certain circumstances such as the behavior of broadcast and cable reporters in the first hours of the events of 9/11. The authors examine content analysis as a social science tool and describe the process of designing a project, taking measurements and sampling, establishing reliability and validity, and conducting the data analysis necessary, including using computer programs to assess and evaluate content and perform calculations. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Analyzing Media Messages provides a comprehensive and comprehensible guide to conducting content analysis research. It establishes a formal definition of quantitative content analysis; gives step-by-step instruction on designing a content analysis study; and explores in depth research questions that recur in content analysis, in such areas as measurement, sampling, reliability, data analysis, validity, and technology. This Second Edition maintains the concise, accessible approach of the first edition while offering an updated discussion and new examples. The goal of this resource is to make content analysis understandable, and to produce a useful guide for novice and experienced researchers alike.
Accompanied by detailed, practical examples of current and classic applications, this volume is appropriate for use as a primary text for content analysis coursework, or as a supplemental text in research methods courses. It is also an indispensable reference for researchers in mass communication fields, political science, and other social and behavioral sciences.
