ABSTRACT
Like most research methods, content analysis is comparable to detective work. Content analysts examine evidence to solve problems and answer questions. Of course, they try to limit their examinations only to relevant evidence. The research design, measurement, and sampling decisions we discussed in chapters 3,4, and 5 (this volume) are, in effect, the content analyst's rules for determining what evidence is relevant and how to collect it, whereas the chapters on reliability and validity offer insights that can help the detective ensure that the evidence is of optimal quality. Ultimately, however, data collection ceases. After the evidence is collected, it must be reduced and summarized. Patterns within the evidence must be plumbed for meaning.
