Qualitative content analysis in research tradition: nature, stages and validity of the results

Although qualitative content analysis used in major of qualitative methods, yet there is no clear explanation of this method. In this paper, qualitative content analysis is examined in the context of qualitative research methods. This method against quantitative content analysis and instead of account apparent words, deals with latent themes and templates. Overall, the qualitative content analysis search concepts, terms, and relationships between these concepts, try to the infer and reveal hidden patterns in the interviews, observations and written documents. First, present a definition of the content and content analysis and then examine applications, processes, procedures, sampling, and validity of results (credibility, dependability, transferability, conformability). Also answer to this question that content analysis is method or technique. Content analysis can be generally divided into two main modes of inductive and deductive and perform in three steps preparation, organization and made a report.