Content Analysis (Research Technique or Method?):A Systematic Narrative Review

As research is the building block of education development, the study of research methods is important for improving the quality of research. Among different research methods, content analysis has gained particular significance; however, it has not yet been clearly examined in terms of its features and techniques. To fill this gap, the present article was an attempt to seek experts’ views on this issue.

This study was a non-systematic narrative review article. First, books and searches of previous studies were used in scientific information databases abroad: PubMed, Scopus Web of Science, Science Direct Google scholar, between 1940 and 2022 with the keywords Content, Analysis, Qualitative content analysis, Quantitative content analysis and also used, Keyword content analysis, qualitative method, qualitative content analysis, quantitative content analysis in databases, MagIran, SID, Iranmedex, Irandoc. Then, 21 related articles were identified and reviewed.

Based on the findings of the current study, there are particular techniques for conducting content analysis research distinguishing it from other research methods. Besides, findings of the study revealed that challenges among experts about the content analysis research method is partly due to its history and its evolution over the time and also it is related to the very highly flexible nature of this research method.

Content analysis is an independent scientific research method in which the researcher makes use of qualitative processes to describe and summarize data for making inferences and finding a conceptual framework and finally formulating a theory.