Understandings and Uses of Public Health Research
(UUPHR) Programme
Dr Shona Hilton
Social Media Analysis: Methods and Ethics 25th April 2014
MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow.
Research
Understanding
emerging
health debates
Much of our work
takes its theoretical
bearings from
literature on:
Media
Representations
media studies
risk communication
health literacy
science
MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of
Glasgow.
communication
Audience
Reception
Publications
Hilton S, Wood K, Patterson C, Katikireddi SV. Implications for alcohol minimum unit pricing advocacy: what
can we learn for public health from UK newsprint coverage of key claim-makers in the policy debate?. Social
Science & Medicine 2014;102:157–164
Patterson C, Hilton S. Normalisation and stigmatisation of obesity in UK newspapers: a visual content
analysis. The Open Obesity Journal 2013;5:82-91
Wood K, Patterson C, Katikireddi SV, Hilton S. Harms to ‘others’ from alcohol consumption in the minimum
unit pricing policy debate: a qualitative content analysis of UK newspapers (2005-2012). Addiction
2013;109:578–584
Hilton S, Patterson C, Teyhan A. Escalating coverage of obesity in UK newspapers: the evolution and
framing of the ‘obesity epidemic’ from 1996 to 2010. Obesity 2012;20:1688-1695
Hilton S, Hunt K. UK newspapers' representations of the 2009-2010 outbreak of swine flu: one health scare
not over-hyped by the media?. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health 2011;65:941-6
Hilton S, Hunt K, Langan M, Petticrew M. Newsprint media representations of the introduction of the HPV
vaccination programme for cervical cancer prevention in the UK (2005-2008). Social Science & Medicine
2010;70:942-50
Hilton S, Hunt K. Coverage of Jade Goody's cervical cancer in UK newspapers: a missed opportunity for
health promotion?. BMC Public Health 2010;10:386
MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow.
Media
Representations
Using
Manifest and Latent Content Analysis
MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow.
Why do content analysis?
•
Identify content and framing of communication
•
Disclose differences in communication content between individuals,
groups, institutions or societies
•
Audit communication content against objectives
•
Describe trends in the content or framing of messages over time
•
Indicate pertinent features such as comprehensiveness of coverage
•
Detect the existence of propaganda, prejudices or intentions of
authors
•
Provide an empirical basis for monitoring shifts in public opinion and
making inferences about the effects of communication on public
opinion / behaviour- see case studies
MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow.
Two types of content analysis
quantitative
Manifest analysis
physically present
and countable
MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow.
qualitative
Latent analysis
hidden meaning
Manifest content analysis: One Definition
“a research technique for the objective, systematic, and
quantitative description of manifest content of
communications"
(Berelson, 1952)
MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow.
Manifest content analysis
Features
• Content is inherent in the text
• Messages are quantifiable using a systematic approach
• Measured objectively
(aim to limit the subjectivity)
• A message has but one content, all other meanings
being deviant, wrong or subjective- hence excluded
• Reductionist approach with its roots in the positivism
paradigm (establishing and discovering objective facts)
MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow.
Manifest coding frame
MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow.
Latent content analysis: One Definition
“a research method that uses a set of procedures to make
inferences about the sender(s) of the message, the
message itself, or the audience of the message”
(Weber, 1990)
MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow.
Latent content analysis
Features
• The meaning of the message only emerges with
interpretation (high level of interpretation)
• A message may have different meanings
• A message is socially constructed
• Roots are in the constructivist paradigm
constructed not discovered from the world)
MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow.
(science is
Example
MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow.
Could content analysis be used to analyse
dynamic social media data? If so how?
MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow.