What are the various limitations of content analysis?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers will vary. Content analysis can be very labor intensive, especially if a project is ambitious. In one study, the researchers examined the amount and intensity of violence in children's animated movies that were released between 1938 and 1999 (Yokota and Thompson, 2000). It took several years to code one or more of the major characters' words, expressions, and actions.A second disadvantage is that the coding may be subjective. Having several researchers on a project can increase coding objectivity, but only one researcher often codes the content.A third limitation is that content analysis often reflects social class bias. Because most books, articles, speeches, films, and so forth are produced by people in upper socioeconomic levels, content analysis rarely captures the behavior or attitudes of working-class people and the poor. Even when documents created by lower-class individuals or groups are available, it is difficult to determine whether the coding reflects a researcher's social class prejudices. Finally, content analyses cannot always tell people why people behave as they do. People would have to turn to studies that use different data collection methods-like surveys and field research-to understand why, for example, people buy stereotypically feminine or masculine birth announcements or produce video games that portray men, but not women, as competitive and aggressive.