[Air-L] Content Analysis for Web Discussion Boards

[Jennifer Stromer-Galley]

Folks have already recommended some useful references. I, too, am quite fond of the Krippendorff book. I also rely fairly heavy on a book by Neuendorf titled The Content Analysis Guidebook. It's a bit more elemental than Krippendorff and tackles many of the same issues.

I've developed a code scheme to measure several aspects of deliberation in chat that I'll be applying to message boards very soon. You can see a paper of the coding scheme at the Journal of Public Deliberation (a great site, BTW): http://services.bepress.com/jpd/vol3/iss1/art12/.
That paper also cites a number of other attempts at coding online talk and discussion that might be useful. 

Much of the research, though, focuses on the processes of deliberation. So, you may need to invent your own categories -- but that's the fun of content analysis!

Good luck,
~Jenny

Assistant Professor
Department of Communication, SS 340
University at Albany, SUNY
Albany, NY 12222
518-442-4873
jstromer at albany.edu
http://www.albany.edu/~jstromer



-----Original Message-----
From: air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org on behalf of Laura B Nielsen
Sent: Wed 2008.02.13 09:12
To: air-l at listserv.aoir.org
Subject: [Air-L] Content Analysis for Web Discussion Boards
 
Dear Colleagues,
I am looking for reference material for use in my work at EPA. We 
are planning to launch a discussion board with a limited number of 
comment fields. But we also want to analyze discussion content in 
order to better understand the needs and interests of our 
customers--in particular those who come to EPA seeking 
environmental information. 
 
1) Have any of you been teaching about content analysis methods 
lately? If so, what's your favorite reference?
 
2) Has anyone been working on content analysis of discussion 
boards as a research method? 
 
Laura B. Nielsen, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor of Public Policy  
Georgetown Public Policy Institute
3520 Prospect Street, Suite 308F
Washington, DC  20007
WEB http://www.georgetown.edu/faculty/lbn4/            

Program Analyst
Environmental Analysis Division, MC 2842T
Office of Information Analysis and Access
Office of Environmental Information
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(202) 566-0621


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