


Almost all work in this field involves in-depth analysis of texts – in this context, usually novels, poems, stories or plays.īecause it deals with literary writing, this type of textual analysis places greater emphasis on the deliberately constructed elements of a text: for example, rhyme and meter in a poem, or narrative perspective in a novel. Textual analysis is the most important method in literary studies. Some common methods of analyzing texts in the social sciences include content analysis, thematic analysis, and discourse analysis. For example, a researcher might investigate how often certain words are repeated in social media posts, or which colors appear most prominently in advertisements for products targeted at different demographics.

Textual analysis in the social sciences sometimes takes a more quantitative approach, where the features of texts are measured numerically. Social scientists use textual data to draw empirical conclusions about social relations. In the social sciences, textual analysis is often applied to texts such as interview transcripts and surveys, as well as to various types of media. See editing example Textual analysis in the social sciences Researchers seek to illuminate something about the underlying politics or social context of the cultural object they’re investigating. Textual analysis in this context is usually creative and qualitative in its approach. They might analyze many different aspects of the text: Usually working within a particular theoretical framework (for example, using postcolonial theory, media theory, or semiotics), researchers seek to connect elements of their texts with issues in contemporary politics and culture. Researchers in these fields take media and cultural objects – for example, music videos, social media content, billboard advertising – and treat them as texts to be analyzed. In the fields of cultural studies and media studies, textual analysis is a key component of research. Textual analysis in cultural and media studies While textual analysis is most commonly applied to written language, bear in mind how broad the term “text” is and how varied the methods involved can be.

A text can be a piece of writing, such as a book, an email, or a transcribed conversation. The term “text” is broader than it seems. Textual analysis in the social sciences.Textual analysis in cultural and media studies.
