Introduction
One of the advantages of conducting a content analysis research is that it is unobtrusive in that it enables the researchers to obtain data from documents rather than from interviewing the people who were involved in an event (“The Advantages and Disadvantages of Content Analysis,” 2013). This allows the researchers to obtain accurate information as opposed to interviewing people who may no longer have an accurate recollection of the event or who may intentionally or unintentionally leave out some information. For example, looking at police reports may help researchers gain accurate details about a crime more than by interviewing witnesses.
Another advantage is that it is possible for researchers to systematically evaluate large files of data from various periods of time. It enables them to retrieve the information that they need in a consistent manner. Moreover, the data can be corroborated by other researchers, which makes it possible for the data to be reproduced. An example would be that in determining the trending topics in American newspapers during the last 3 decades of the 20th century, researchers will just need to gather all of the available newspapers during that time and begin their research.
On the other hand, one disadvantage of this method is that it would require a significant amount of time to conduct. It would also require the strict application of criteria in the sorting of data. In the example of determining the trend in newspaper topics, the search for all of the available newspapers during a particular time will take a lot of time and so will the process of sorting through all the publications collected. Since not all of the publications collected may qualify for use in the research, the researcher must be able to consistently use the criteria for determining which publications qualify and which do not. This can be a tedious process.
Still another disadvantage of the content analysis research method is that the data is subject to misinterpretation. It’s also possible for researchers to have different interpretations of a particular text. For example, when coding the behavior of an autistic child under observation, it is possible for the coders to come up with different results. Similarly, the context behind written txt may not be readily obvious, which can result in their meaning being misinterpreted. Moreover, although this method is generally inexpensive, the use of multiple coders in order to ensure the validity of the data can make it time-consuming and expensive.
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References
Human Dimensions. (2009, January 20). Retrieved from http://www.hd.gov/
HDdotGov/detail.jsp?ContentID=327.
Smith, C. P. (n.d.). Content analysis and narrative analysis. Retrieved from
https://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~jglynch/Ba591/Session02/Smith%202000%20Handbook
%20Content%20Analysis.pdf.
The advantages and disadvantages of content analysis. (2013). Retrieved from
http://www.contentanalysis.org/Advantages-and-Disadvantages-of-Content-
Analysis.html.References
