Basic Content Analysis (Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences)

Weber gives a clear and concise introduction to content analysis, with a deliberate emphasis on recent advances which have not been covered or stressed elsewhere. Interest in content analysis has been renewed by the introduction of cheaper microcomputers and cost-effective devices for making text machine-readable, and the general reduction of computer costs. Addressing human and computer modes of content classification, the book covers the reliability and validity of these coding procedures and their associated category schemes. A step-by-step procedure for developing, testing, and applying a set of content categories is presented. The concluding chapter addresses some unresolved problems, and shows an example of an experimental, artificial intelligence system for text understanding.