Content Analysis Service: Quantitative and Qualitative Coding of Text and Documents
Turn documents, media items and open-ended answers into structured, defensible findings. We design the coding frame, code your material, check reliability and report both what appears and what it means.
What this service covers
- Design of a coding frame with categories, definitions and decision rules
- Conventional (inductive), directed (deductive) and summative content analysis
- Manifest content (what is said) and latent content (what is implied)
- Frequency counts and cross-tabulations of categories by group, time or source
- Inter-coder reliability with Cohen’s kappa or Krippendorff’s alpha
- Analysis of policy documents, reports, news and social media, interviews and open-ended survey answers
- Charts and tables that present categories clearly
What content analysis is good for
Content analysis answers questions such as: What topics dominate this set of documents? How has the language in policy reports changed over time? Which concerns do respondents mention most? Because it is systematic and transparent, it suits studies that need to show how conclusions were reached, and it can combine qualitative interpretation with simple quantitative summaries.
Building a reliable coding frame
The coding frame is the heart of content analysis. We define each category clearly, add inclusion and exclusion rules and example extracts, and pilot the frame on a sample before applying it to the full dataset. Where more than one person codes, we measure agreement and revise unclear categories until coders interpret them consistently. The result is a frame that another researcher could apply and get comparable results.
Content analysis alongside other methods
Content analysis often sits beside other qualitative approaches. If you want to interpret meaning and build themes rather than count categories, see thematic analysis. Frequency tables from coded categories can be tested statistically, for example with the chi-square tests in our hypothesis testing service. Our free word frequency counter is a useful first look at which words dominate your text.
How the work runs
- You describe your material, sampling and the questions you want answered.
- We draft and pilot the coding frame with you.
- We code the full dataset, check reliability and refine categories.
- You receive the coded results, tables, charts and an interpretation.
What you receive
- The final coding frame with definitions and decision rules
- Coded dataset or project file
- Frequency tables and charts for each category
- A reliability statement with agreement statistics
- A written summary of findings and a methods paragraph
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between content analysis and thematic analysis?
Content analysis is more systematic and often counts how often categories appear. Thematic analysis is more interpretive and builds themes that capture patterns of meaning. Some projects use both.
What is manifest versus latent content?
Manifest content is what is explicitly stated. Latent content is the underlying meaning or implication. We tell you which level your frame addresses.
Do you need two coders?
Not always, but a second coder on a sample strengthens credibility. We can code and double-code, or work with your own second coder and compute agreement.
Can you analyse social media or news content?
Yes, provided you have the right to use the material. We can code a sample manually or combine manual coding with text analytics for larger volumes.
Is a minimum sample size required?
It depends on the variation in the material and what you want to claim. We advise on sampling before coding starts.
Can the results be tested statistically?
Yes. Once content is coded into categories, we can run chi-square or other tests to compare groups, sources or time periods.
Related qualitative data analysis services
Thematic Analysis
Systematic coding and well-defined themes for interviews and open-ended data.
Grounded Theory
Constant comparison, coding and theory development from qualitative data.
MAXQDA Analysis
Code systems, memos, visual tools and mixed-methods features in MAXQDA.
Qualitative Data Analysis Services
See every qualitative method and software we support.
Also related: Keyword and word frequency analysis · Text classification