Wilfried Bos

Content analysis in empirical social research

Abstract An overview of the development of empirical content analysis is presented. Its development relevant to educational research from classical to computer-aided content analysis is traced. The history of hermeneutic text interpretation is included as well as the early developments in the analysis of manifest content of communication. The controversy between quantitative and qualitative schools of research is discussed. A theoretically grounded, practicable model of content analysis is introduced, which fulfills the criteria of empirical social research.

University faculty members' and students' perceptions of university academic systems

Abstract There are no provisions for routine evaluations or rankings of the universities in the Federal Republic of Germany. Consequently, it has become a matter of magazines to carry out inquiries into the opinions of students and faculty members in order to assess the quality of education at German universities. One of the first studies of this type was carried out by one of Germanys most respected magazines, Der Spiegel. The results of this study, particularly the questionnaires and validity of the given response categories, were subject to vehement criticism. In this context the exploratory study described in this chapter was conceived. Students and faculty were asked to give their personal and individual views about the academic system at their given universities. In order to guarantee the subjectivity of each individuals frame of reference, the responses of students and faculty were recorded, analyzed, and compared by means of computer-assisted content analysis. The results will be used to validate quantitative instruments of inquiry and to formulate proposals for their improvement.