Step by Step Guide to Content Analysis for Study Abroad Research

Nobue Inoue
Niigata University of Management 
Volume 13, No. 2; December 2020
https://doi.org/10.37546/JALTSIG.SA.JOWE13.2-4
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Abstract
This paper intends to show four practical steps for content analysis; one of the most common data reduction approaches in qualitative analysis for applied linguistics. Although content analysis can help to draw conclusions from textual data by interpreting them effectively, the available literature lacks detail on how to conduct content analyses, especially in the context of study abroad research. In this paper, each of the four steps of content analysis (segmenting data, formulating codes, developing categories, and identifying main themes) is explained by utilizing actual sample data related to studying abroad; the sample study investigated a single participant’s perceptions of a general English language course in the United Kingdom.

Keywords: content analysis, study abroad, qualitative analysis, applied linguistics