In my opinion, qualitative content analysis and discourse analysis are so different that it is difficult to compare them at all. One key point is that there are at least two form of discourse analysis, one of which is more like conversation analysis, and the other of which is frequently called critical discourse analysis.

In terms of qualitative content analysis, the usual approach is build a codebook that allows you to mark and retrieve codes from the text. This differs from quantitative content analysis, which relies on counting codes.

Thank you!

Qualitative content analysis and discourse analysis are two distinct approaches used in qualitative research to analyze textual data. While they share some similarities, there are also key differences between the two.

Similarities:

Differences:

Level of Interpretation: In qualitative content analysis, the interpretation is often based on the explicit content or surface meanings of the text. It seeks to capture what is explicitly stated by the participants.

qualitative content analysis and discourse analysis are similar in that they both involve qualitative data analysis. However, they differ in terms of their analytical focus, level of interpretation, and theoretical frameworks. Qualitative content analysis is primarily concerned with coding and categorizing content, while discourse analysis delves deeper into the discursive aspects of language and the social construction of meaning.

Discourse analysis focuses on examining the language used/ practice in social interactions, such as conversations, interviews, speeches, or written texts. It aims to uncover the underlying meanings, power dynamics, social constructs, and ideologies that shape communication. Discourse analysis pays attention to the context, social structures, and cultural influences that contribute to the production and interpretation of language. Discourse analysis explores how language constructs social realities and shapes individual and collective identities.

Content analysis, on the other hand, involves the systematic analysis of the content of various forms of communication, such as written documents, media texts, speeches, advertisements, or social media posts. Content analysis typically involves developing coding categories or a coding framework to systematically analyze and categorize the content based on predefined criteria. Thi.s method allows researchers to quantify and summarize data, identify trends, and draw statistical or descriptive inferences from the analyzed content.

In sum, content analysis is deductive, whereas discourse analysis is inductive.

And here is my all-time favourite piece:

Hardy, C., Harley, B., & Phillips, N. (2004). Discourse analysis and content analysis: Two solitudes. Qualitative methods, 2(1), 19-22.

I combine content analysis and discourse analysis and explain what each method does in this paper:

Kuteleva, A., & Vasiliev, D. (2021). China’s belt and road initiative in Russian media: Politics of narratives, images, and metaphors. Eurasian Geography and Economics, 62(5-6), 582-606.

Anna Kuteleva thank you for detailed explanation and suggested literature. Do you distinguish between qualitative content analysis and (quantitative) content analysis?

Eriks Varpahovskis, I think that the qualitative vs. quantitative distinction does not apply quite well to content analysis. In my experience, content analysis done with a relatively concise and focused coding generated by a researcher is usually labeled as qualitative, whereas content analysis where a code book is generated automatically with an algorithm is usually labeled as quantitative. Usually, the scope of the dataset also influences the decision to classify the methodology as either quantitative or qualitative. However, for me, what is more important is that content analysis is a deductive method of textual analysis. It always starts with a hypothesis, and the key analytical conclusions are built upon the frequency of words (e.g., "in this text, we will find X and Y -- let's count how many times X and Y appear in this text").

Thanks!

The analysis is done on different material by certain different methodology.Not every content is necessarily discourse.The term " content analysis" may even involve non-linguistic material or aspects

Qualitative content analysis and discourse analysis are both methods used in qualitative research to analyze text data. While they share some similarities, they also have distinct characteristics and approaches. Let's explore their similarities and differences:

Similarities:

Differences:

In summary, while qualitative content analysis and discourse analysis are both qualitative research methods used to analyze textual data, they differ in their scope, analytical framework, unit of analysis, and epistemological foundations. Qualitative content analysis focuses on the content itself, while discourse analysis explores the broader social and cultural contexts and the role of language in constructing meaning and power relations.

Hi Eriks Varpahovskis,

This link may help you in finding related info.

Article Nursing Student's Experiences of Meditation on Twin Hearts D...

Qualitative content analysis (QCA) and discourse analysis (DA) are both used in qualitative research to analyze textual data. They have similarities but also differences. QCA focuses on identifying patterns and themes in the content, while DA examines language use in broader social contexts. QCA smaller units, while DA looks at larger units of text. Content analysis uses structured coding schemes, while discourse analysis takes an interpretive approach. They can be used together in research.

Qualitative research, assist to identify analyze the data collected and used the difference coding and interpretate the data collected and provide solutions.

@Husam Ma'Ayah I share your contribution but would like you to throw more light on how Discourse Analysis (DA) examines language use in broader social contexts to avoid inappropriate interpretations especially to beginning researchers. Thank you

定性分析是相对定量分析的一种分析方法，

话语分析方法一般用于文本分析，

两者不一样