RM - Content and Thematic Analysis

Question 1

What is a thematic analysis? (2 marks)

Answer 1

Method of analysing qualitative data by identifying emergent themes (MP1). Done by identifying meaningful codes that can be counted enabling us to present data in a graph/table

Question 2

How to carry out a thematic analysis? (4 marks)

Answer 2

• watch video/listen to recording + create transcript (CONTEXT) if data in scenario isn’t already a transcript
• read and re-read transcript
• identifying coding categories (give 1 example)
• combine these codes to ↓ no of codes into 3/4 themes that are linked to topic

Question 3

What is content analysis? (2 marks)

Answer 3

Changing large amounts of qualitative data into quantitative (MP1). Data can be presented in a qualitative format (MP2)

Question 4

What is meant by coding? (1 mark)

Answer 4

Process of content analysis where qualitative data is being placed into meaningful categories (MP2 = CONTEXT)

Question 5

How to assess concurrent validity of content analysis?

Answer 5

• compare the results of new content analysis
• with results from another similar, pre-existing, pre-established content analysis
• if the results from both are similar, can assume test is valid
• the correlation of results gained from an appropriate stats test should exceed +0.8

Question 7

How to assess face validity of content analysis?

Answer 7

• independent psychologist in same field
• sees if a coding category looks like it measures what it intends to
• at first sight/face value
• if they say YES, the content analysis is valid

Question 8

How to use inter-observer reliability to assess reliability of content analysis?

Answer 8

1. 2 raters read through the qual data separately + create coding categories together
2. 2 raters read exactly the same content but tally/record the occurrences of the categories separately
3. They compare the tallies from both raters
4. Which are then correlated using an appropriate stats test
5. Strong +ve correlation of above +0.8 shows high reliability

Question 9

How to use test retest to assess reliability of content analysis?

Answer 9

1. Researcher completes content analysis by creating a series of coding categories and tallying each time it occurs within qual data
2. Same researcher repeats the content analysis with the same qualitative data, tallying every time coding category occurs
3. Compare the results from each content analysis
4. Correlate the results from each content analysis using an appropriate stats test
5. Strong +ve correlation of above +0.8 shows high reliability