Exam 9: Document Analysis: Using the Written Record

Correct Answer:

Verified

Among the drawbacks of content analysis are the time involved and the need to avoid mistakes when analyzing a large collection of written records. Suppose, for example, you wanted to see how the use of political symbols had changed over the last fifty years. You might take a sample of presidential addresses or campaign speeches and simply count the number of occurrences of certain phrases, such as "it is not the role [job, responsibility, etc.] of government to." You might then calculate and plot the proportion of such ideas over time. Doing so, though, requires that you-or, preferably, a coder or coders-read the material, look for phrases that meet the selection criteria, and make tallies. This is a time-consuming process; if a coder becomes fatigued, he or she might overlook instances that should be recorded or count phrases twice, or make other mistakes.

Correct Answer:

Verified

The key to this answer is that the content being coded must fit into a category and into only one category. A coding scheme that is not exhaustive will fail to serve the purpose of recording all of the data creating a systematic bias. A coding scheme that does not have exclusive categories will leave a researcher trying to determine which category should be used for data that fits two or more categories.

Correct Answer:

Verified

Data from archival sources are usually nonreactive. Human subjects often consciously or unconsciously establish expectations or other relationships with investigators, which can influence their behavior in ways that might confound the results of a study. But those writing and preserving the records are frequently unaware of any future research goal or hypothesis or, for that matter, that the fruits of their labors will be used for research purposes at all. Record keeping is not always completely nonreactive, however. Record keepers are less likely to create and preserve records that are embarrassing to them, their friends, or their bosses; that reveal illegal or immoral actions; or that disclose stupidity, greed, or other unappealing attributes. Furthermore, many record-keeping agencies employ paper shredders to ensure that a portion of the written record does not endure. Researchers must be aware of the possibility that the written record has been selectively preserved to serve the record keepers' own interests.