ABSTRACT
Content analysis is the systematic counting, assessing, and interpreting of the form and substance of communication. Content analysis provides people with a set of methods by which people can rigorously examine direct physical evidence of the behaviors of and relationships among many types of political actors. This chapter explains when it is appropriate to use content analysis, how the technique is applied, and how the results of content analysis should be interpreted, as well as some of the limits of content analytic procedures. The unit of analysis for content analysis is the particular element or characteristic of a given communication that we shall choose to observe. A disadvantage of software-aided content analysis is that computers cannot easily code and analyze latent content, such as meaning or bias. Content analysis is a widely applicable technique with advantages in cost, sample size, and, often, access to data.
