IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication Dec 2010

Quantitative Content Analysis: Its Use in Technical Communication

Ryan K. Boettger University of North Texas ; Laura A. Palmer Southern Polytechnic State University

Abstract

Quantitative content analysis can enrich research in technical communication by identifying the frequency of thematic or rhetorical patterns and then exploring their relationship through inferential statistics. Over the last decade, the field has published few content analyses, and several of these applications have been qualitative, diluting the method's inherent rigor. This paper describes the versatility of quantitative content analysis and offers a broader application for its use in the field. This discussion frames two original case studies that illustrate the design variability that content analysis offers researchers.

Journal
IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
Published
2010-12-01
DOI
10.1109/tpc.2010.2077450
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Topics
rhetorical criticism technical communication
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (8)

  1. Smith (2020)
    A Content Analysis of Figure Captions in Academic Journals from Four Disciplines
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  1. Canavero et al. (2014)
    Impact of Journals and Academic Reputations of Authors: A Structured Bibliometr…
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  2. Boettger et al. (2013)
    An Overview of Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Research in Technical Commun…
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  3. Carliner et al. (2011)
    What Does the Transactions Publish? What do Transactions' Readers Want to Read?
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Cites in this index (11)

  1. Thayer et al. (2007)
    Content Analysis as a Best Practice in Technical Communication Research
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  2. Groot et al. (2006)
    A Corpus Analysis of Text Themes and Photographic Themes in Managerial Foreword…
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  3. Benbunan-Fich et al. (2005)
    Web Presence Transformations in the 1990s: An Analysis of Press Releases
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  4. Abbott et al. (2005)
    How Academics and Practitioners Evaluate Technical Texts
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  5. Barker et al. (2004)
    Family Business Members' Narrative Perceptions: Values, Succession, and Commitment
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Show all 11 →
  1. Blythe (2004)
    Exploring Uses of IText in Campus-Community Partnerships
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  2. Coppola et al. (2004)
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    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
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    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
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Also cites 6 works outside this index ↓
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CrossRef global citation count: 96 View in citation network → Build reading path →

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