ABSTRACT
The systematic study of the communications for research purposes is called content analysis, and while it may seem easier to carry out than many other types of research, its validity relies almost entirely on the care with which the analysis is done. This chapter explores how content analysis is used to examine these sources and systematically analyze them. Before modern computers and the availability of so many public records in electronic format, content analysis required a lot of time and resources. Compared to most of the techniques discussed in other chapters, the results of content analysis may seem less compelling. Instead of measuring behaviors or attitudes, researchers are simply looking at what people say or write. The goal of content analysis in the social sciences is normally to determine something about the underlying of the communicators, rather than the communications themselves. Researchers want to know why people join militias, not what members of militias say about why they joined.
