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content analysis

Definition of Content Analysis

(noun) Systematic analysis of forms of communication to identify and study patterns and themes.

Examples of Content Analysis

  • Analyzing birthday cards to understand age norms.
  • Reading men’s fitness magazines to discover patterns in their portrayals of men.
  • Recording conversations between physicians and patients to discern the relations of power between the two parties.
  • Watching various television shows from different eras to determine how minorities are depicted.

Content Analysis Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: con·tent a·nal·y·sis

Audio Pronunciation

– American English
– British English

Phonetic Spelling

  • American English – /kAHn-tent uh-nAl-uh-sis/
  • British English – /kOn-tent uh-nAl-i-sis/

International Phonetic Alphabet

  • American English – /ˈkɑntɛnt əˈnæləsəs/
  • British English – /ˈkɒntɛnt əˈnæləsɪs/

Usage Notes

  • Plural: content analyses
  • Content analysis provides a way to investigate what people say, see, hear, and write.
  • Content analysis can help identify underlying biases, intents, and meanings.
  • Any form of communication can be analyzed and are referred to as artifacts. Examples include art, books, magazines, movies, television shows, textbooks, and websites.
  • There are numerous specialized types of content analysis such as ethnographic content analysis and qualitative content analysis.

Additional Information

Related Terms

Works Consulted

Andersen, Margaret L., and Howard Francis Taylor. 2011. Sociology: The Essentials. 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Babbie, Earl. 2013. The Practice of Social Research. 13th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

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Oxford University Press. (N.d.) Oxford Dictionaries. (https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/).

Ravelli, Bruce, and Michelle Webber. 2016. Exploring Sociology: A Canadian Perspective. 3rd ed. Toronto: Pearson.

Schaefer, Richard. 2013. Sociology: A Brief Introduction. 10th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.

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Wikipedia contributors. (N.d.) Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. (https://en.wikipedia.org/).

Wiley. (N.d.) Wiley Online Library. (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/).

Cite the Definition of Content Analysis

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “content analysis.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved October 3, 2023 (https://sociologydictionary.org/content-analysis/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

content analysis. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/content-analysis/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “content analysis.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed October 3, 2023. https://sociologydictionary.org/content-analysis/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“content analysis.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 3 Oct. 2023. <https://sociologydictionary.org/content-analysis/>.