CONCEPTS TO BE INCLUDED non comparative Content analysis

CONCEPTS TO BE INCLUDED § (non comparative) Content analysis § Primary documents (a ‘codex’)

DATA-COLLECTION: NON-COMPARATIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS

AIM Introducing non-comparative content analysis

WHAT IS CONTENT ANALYSIS? A data collection method in which variables are constructed by coding a set of primary documents to say something about (a) unit(s) of analysis.

WHAT IS NON-COMPARATIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS? Not comparing units, but (a) developing variables, or (b) describing, analyzing one single unit of analysis: one person, a debate, an organization or an event Units of observations are experts, informants, NOT respondents No (respresentative) ‘sampling’ or ‘generalization to other cases’

EXAMPLE How did the Dutch government respond to the downing of MH 17? (and what lessons can be drawn? ) Non-comparative: one unit of analysis

TWO ASPECTS OF CONTENT ANALYSIS RQ Theoretical variable(s) ? ? ? Conceptualization Operationalization Measurement Unit(s) Gvt (context is MH 17) Data Coding

EXAMPLES OF ‘VARIABLES’ § Organizational structures (who does have which powers? ) § Organizational procedures (who should act first, report to who and who should respond? ) § Who had which information? § How did people act upon that info?

EXAMPLES OF PRIMARY DOCUMENTS • Unstructured and semi-structured interviews • Policy documents • Organizational schemes • E-mails • …

Models and schemes (‘variables’) c s i D a p re s e i nc Observations

Prime minister should be informed immediately after an incident Models and schemes Responsibilities for contacting other countries are not clear Prime minister was informed x hours after the incident Observations It was unclear who was responsible for contacting country X

MODELLING AND EVALUATING Two possible aims: - Updating ‘models’ to reflect the findings, or - Using discrepancies to evaluate the events

TRANSPARENCY AND TRACEABILITY Abstract statements (MP was at that time not adequately informed about topic X by person Y) Connected to concrete observations (Mentioned in interview 1 and 2 etc…’I did not receive that report …’)

WHAT IS CONTENT ANALYSIS? A data collection method in which variables are constructed by coding a set of primary documents to say something about (a) unit(s) of analysis.

THIS MICROLECTURE § (non comparative) content analysis § Primary documents (a ‘codex’)

IMAGES USED Photo MH 17: Tom Jutte https: //www. flickr. com/photos/121483302@N 02/14769436773