Content Analysis, Definition of

Content analysis is a widely used method in communication research and is particularly popular in media and popular culture studies. Content analysis is a systematic, quantitative approach to analyzing the content or meaning of communicative messages. Content analysis is a descriptive approach to communication research, and as such is used to describe communicative phenomenon. This entry provides an overview of content analysis, including the definition, uses, process, and limitations of content analysis.

Definition and Uses of Content Analysis

Content analysis is a quantitative process for analyzing communicative messages that follow a specific process. In many communication studies, scholars determine the frequency of specific ideas, concepts, terms, and other message characteristics and make comparisons in order to describe or explain communicative ...

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