Quantitative Content Analysis

There are numerous useful definitions of the quantitative research method of content analysis as it pertains to the examination of media messages. One brief and particularly useful definition describes content analysis as a research methodology in which media messages are systematically examined, summarizing their characteristics by using procedures to categorize the content into carefully constructed types or groups. K. A. Neuendorf, a social scientist well-known for his work in this area, defines the method of content analysis as a summarizing, quantitative analysis of media messages that relies on the standards and procedures of the scientific method, which should not be limited either by the context in which messages are produced or distributed or by the types of variables that can be easily measured. Neuendorf's definition pays particular attention to the scientific method and the specific concerns that should be addressed when using the method of content analysis, with careful attention paid to determining the presence of specific message content in the categorized data. These aspects are crucial for conducting an analysis that is considered both credible and worthy of scholarly attention.

Another detailed definition of the method that should be considered when conducting research using this methodology includes the notion that quantitative content analysis should be both systematic and replicable in its examination of media messages. This is done through the assignment of numeric values to specific representations, which allows for the analysis of relationships using those values for statistical analysis. This procedure allows for the ability to describe the media messages and draw inferences about their meaning within the context in which the messages are produced and consumed. This definition addresses the necessity of relying on aspects of the scientific method and also emphasizes the importance of categorizing the data prior to analysis. Most notably, this definition includes the potential purposes or goals of conducting research using the method of content analysis. Not only is it necessary to offer a description of the content that is being examined, but also it should be the intent of researchers who rely on this method to make inferences about the meaning and potential impact of the content. This is a particularly important aspect of this definition, as one of the main criticisms of content analysis is its lack of theoretical grounding. This definition attempts to address such critiques and emphasizes the need for the inclusion of formal theorizing in relation to content analysis research. Quantitative content analysis differs from more qualitative methods of communication research in part because of its attempt to meet the standards of the scientific method, although qualitative research is also considered by many to be social scientific.

Objectivity-intersubjectivity is central to any research methodology attempting to meet the criteria for scientific research. Content analysis attempts to meet this requirement by providing descriptions of content that avoid bias by the researcher. Although objectivity would be the ultimate goal of [Page 294]such research, true objectivity is an impossible feat. According to this perspective, all social research is inherently subjective, making it all the more important to strive for consistency between researchers. Neuendorf uses the term intersubjectivity to describe the scholarly standard of agreement among researchers attempting to conduct scientific research. One way researchers meet the scientific requirement of objectivity-inter subjectivity is through an a priori research design. This requires that all decisions about the variables and the their measurement as well as the rules for coding must be decided and agreed upon before the observations of the media content can begin.

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