writing textual analysis in research methodology

Textual Analysis: Definition, Types & 10 Examples

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

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textual analysis example and definition, explained below

Textual analysis is a research methodology that involves exploring written text as empirical data. Scholars explore both the content and structure of texts, and attempt to discern key themes and statistics emergent from them.

This method of research is used in various academic disciplines, including cultural studies, literature, bilical studies, anthropology , sociology, and others (Dearing, 2022; McKee, 2003).

This method of analysis involves breaking down a text into its constituent parts for close reading and making inferences about its context, underlying themes, and the intentions of its author.

Textual Analysis Definition

Alan McKee is one of the preeminent scholars of textual analysis. He provides a clear and approachable definition in his book Textual Analysis: A Beginner’s Guide (2003) where he writes:

“When we perform textual analysis on a text we make an educated guess at some of the most likely interpretations that might be made of the text […] in order to try and obtain a sense of the ways in which, in particular cultures at particular times, people make sense of the world around them.”

A key insight worth extracting from this definition is that textual analysis can reveal what cultural groups value, how they create meaning, and how they interpret reality.

This is invaluable in situations where scholars are seeking to more deeply understand cultural groups and civilizations – both past and present (Metoyer et al., 2018).

As such, it may be beneficial for a range of different types of studies, such as:

Studies of Historical Texts: A study of how certain concepts are framed, described, and approached in historical texts, such as the Bible.
Studies of Industry Reports: A study of how industry reports frame and discuss concepts such as environmental and social responsibility.
Studies of Literature: A study of how a particular text or group of texts within a genre define and frame concepts. For example, you could explore how great American literature mythologizes the concept of the ‘The American Dream’.
Studies of Speeches: A study of how certain politicians position national identities in their appeals for votes.
Studies of Newspapers: A study of the biases within newspapers toward or against certain groups of people.
Etc. (For more, see: Dearing, 2022)

McKee uses the term ‘textual analysis’ to also refer to text types that are not just written, but multimodal. For a dive into the analysis of multimodal texts, I recommend my article on content analysis , where I explore the study of texts like television advertisements and movies in detail.

Features of a Textual Analysis

When conducting a textual analysis, you’ll need to consider a range of factors within the text that are worthy of close examination to infer meaning. Features worthy of considering include:

Content: What is being said or conveyed in the text, including explicit and implicit meanings, themes, or ideas.
Context: When and where the text was created, the culture and society it reflects, and the circumstances surrounding its creation and distribution.
Audience: Who the text is intended for, how it’s received, and the effect it has on its audience.
Authorship: Who created the text, their background and perspectives, and how these might influence the text.
Form and structure: The layout, sequence, and organization of the text and how these elements contribute to its meanings (Metoyer et al., 2018).

Textual Analysis Coding Methods

The above features may be examined through quantitative or qualitative research designs , or a mixed-methods angle.

1. Quantitative Approaches

You could analyze several of the above features, namely, content, form, and structure, from a quantitative perspective using computational linguistics and natural language processing (NLP) analysis.

From this approach, you would use algorithms to extract useful information or insights about frequency of word and phrase usage, etc. This can include techniques like sentiment analysis, topic modeling, named entity recognition, and more.

2. Qualitative Approaches

In many ways, textual analysis lends itself best to qualitative analysis. When identifying words and phrases, you’re also going to want to look at the surrounding context and possibly cultural interpretations of what is going on (Mayring, 2015).

Generally, humans are far more perceptive at teasing out these contextual factors than machines (although, AI is giving us a run for our money).

One qualitative approach to textual analysis that I regularly use is inductive coding, a step-by-step methodology that can help you extract themes from texts. If you’re interested in using this step-by-step method, read my guide on inductive coding here .

See more Qualitative Research Approaches Here

Textual Analysis Examples

Title: “Discourses on Gender, Patriarchy and Resolution 1325: A Textual Analysis of UN Documents” Author: Nadine Puechguirbal Year: 2010 APA Citation: Puechguirbal, N. (2010). Discourses on Gender, Patriarchy and Resolution 1325: A Textual Analysis of UN Documents, International Peacekeeping, 17 (2): 172-187. doi: 10.1080/13533311003625068

Summary: The article discusses the language used in UN documents related to peace operations and analyzes how it perpetuates stereotypical portrayals of women as vulnerable individuals. The author argues that this language removes women’s agency and keeps them in a subordinate position as victims, instead of recognizing them as active participants and agents of change in post-conflict environments. Despite the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which aims to address the role of women in peace and security, the author suggests that the UN’s male-dominated power structure remains unchallenged, and gender mainstreaming is often presented as a non-political activity.

Title: “Racism and the Media: A Textual Analysis” Author: Kassia E. Kulaszewicz Year: 2015 APA Citation: Kulaszewicz, K. E. (2015). Racism and the Media: A Textual Analysis . Dissertation. Retrieved from: https://sophia.stkate.edu/msw_papers/477

Summary: This study delves into the significant role media plays in fostering explicit racial bias. Using Bandura’s Learning Theory, it investigates how media content influences our beliefs through ‘observational learning’. Conducting a textual analysis, it finds differences in representation of black and white people, stereotyping of black people, and ostensibly micro-aggressions toward black people. The research highlights how media often criminalizes Black men, portraying them as violent, while justifying or supporting the actions of White officers, regardless of their potential criminality. The study concludes that news media likely continues to reinforce racism, whether consciously or unconsciously.

Title: “On the metaphorical nature of intellectual capital: a textual analysis” Author: Daniel Andriessen Year: 2006 APA Citation: Andriessen, D. (2006). On the metaphorical nature of intellectual capital: a textual analysis. Journal of Intellectual capital , 7 (1), 93-110.

Summary: This article delves into the metaphorical underpinnings of intellectual capital (IC) and knowledge management, examining how knowledge is conceptualized through metaphors. The researchers employed a textual analysis methodology, scrutinizing key texts in the field to identify prevalent metaphors. They found that over 95% of statements about knowledge are metaphor-based, with “knowledge as a resource” and “knowledge as capital” being the most dominant. This study demonstrates how textual analysis helps us to understand current understandings and ways of speaking about a topic.

Title: “Race in Rhetoric: A Textual Analysis of Barack Obama’s Campaign Discourse Regarding His Race” Author: Andrea Dawn Andrews Year: 2011 APA Citation: Andrew, A. D. (2011) Race in Rhetoric: A Textual Analysis of Barack Obama’s Campaign Discourse Regarding His Race. Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection. 120 . https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/ugtheses/120

This undergraduate honors thesis is a textual analysis of Barack Obama’s speeches that explores how Obama frames the concept of race. The student’s capstone project found that Obama tended to frame racial inequality as something that could be overcome, and that this was a positive and uplifting project. Here, the student breaks-down times when Obama utilizes the concept of race in his speeches, and examines the surrounding content to see the connotations associated with race and race-relations embedded in the text. Here, we see a decidedly qualitative approach to textual analysis which can deliver contextualized and in-depth insights.

Sub-Types of Textual Analysis

While above I have focused on a generalized textual analysis approach, a range of sub-types and offshoots have emerged that focus on specific concepts, often within their own specific theoretical paradigms. Each are outlined below, and where I’ve got a guide, I’ve linked to it in blue:

Content Analysis : Content analysis is similar to textual analysis, and I would consider it a type of textual analysis, where it’s got a broader understanding of the term ‘text’. In this type, a text is any type of ‘content’, and could be multimodal in nature, such as television advertisements, movies, posters, and so forth. Content analysis can be both qualitative and quantitative, depending on whether it focuses more on the meaning of the content or the frequency of certain words or concepts (Chung & Pennebaker, 2018).
Discourse Analysis : Emergent specifically from critical and postmodern/ poststructural theories, discourse analysis focuses closely on the use of language within a social context, with the goal of revealing how repeated framing of terms and concepts has the effect of shaping how cultures understand social categories. It considers how texts interact with and shape social norms, power dynamics, ideologies, etc. For example, it might examine how gender is socially constructed as a distinct social category through Disney films. It may also be called ‘critical discourse analysis’.
Narrative Analysis: This approach is used for analyzing stories and narratives within text. It looks at elements like plot, characters, themes, and the sequence of events to understand how narratives construct meaning.
Frame Analysis: This approach looks at how events, ideas, and themes are presented or “framed” within a text. It explores how these frames can shape our understanding of the information being presented. While similar to discourse analysis, a frame analysis tends to be less associated with the loaded concept of ‘discourse’ that exists specifically within postmodern paradigms (Smith, 2017).
Semiotic Analysis: This approach studies signs and symbols, both visual and textual, and could be a good compliment to a content analysis, as it provides the language and understandings necessary to describe how signs make meaning in cultural contexts that we might find with the fields of semantics and pragmatics . It’s based on the theory of semiotics, which is concerned with how meaning is created and communicated through signs and symbols.
Computational Textual Analysis: In the context of data science or artificial intelligence, this type of analysis involves using algorithms to process large amounts of text. Techniques can include topic modeling, sentiment analysis, word frequency analysis, and others. While being extremely useful for a quantitative analysis of a large dataset of text, it falls short in its ability to provide deep contextualized understandings of words-in-context.

Each of these methods has its strengths and weaknesses, and the choice of method depends on the research question, the type of text being analyzed, and the broader context of the research.

See More Examples of Analysis Here

Strengths and Weaknesses of Textual Analysis

When writing your methodology for your textual analysis, make sure to define not only what textual analysis is, but (if applicable) the type of textual analysis, the features of the text you’re analyzing, and the ways you will code the data. It’s also worth actively reflecting on the potential weaknesses of a textual analysis approach, but also explaining why, despite those weaknesses, you believe this to be the most appropriate methodology for your study.

Chung, C. K., & Pennebaker, J. W. (2018). Textual analysis. In Measurement in social psychology (pp. 153-173). Routledge.

Dearing, V. A. (2022). Manual of textual analysis . Univ of California Press.

McKee, A. (2003). Textual analysis: A beginner’s guide. Textual analysis , 1-160.

Mayring, P. (2015). Qualitative content analysis: Theoretical background and procedures. Approaches to qualitative research in mathematics education: Examples of methodology and methods , 365-380. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9181-6_13

Metoyer, R., Zhi, Q., Janczuk, B., & Scheirer, W. (2018, March). Coupling story to visualization: Using textual analysis as a bridge between data and interpretation. In 23rd International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces (pp. 503-507). doi: https://doi.org/10.1145/3172944.3173007

Smith, J. A. (2017). Textual analysis. The international encyclopedia of communication research methods , 1-7.

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Textual Analysis: Definition, Approaches and Examples

Dive deep into Textual Analysis: use cases meaning and more

writing textual analysis in research methodology

In the digital age where information is plentiful, Textual Analysis has emerged as a critical tool to decode the abundance of data surrounding us. It breaks down complexity and brings clarity to implicit meanings hidden within various forms of text, be it books, web articles, social media posts, client reviews, or script dialogues. The practice of Textual Analysis does more than just skim the surface; it dives deep into the content, dissects it, and uncovers valuable insights embedded within.

Textual Analysis encompasses not only the understanding of what is explicitly stated in the text but also the implicit messages that remain unstated. It offers a systematic approach to interpreting how language is used to communicate and convey unique cultural contexts and meanings.

Definition of Textual Analysis

Textual Analysis is a research method that involves closely and critically examining written, spoken, or visual messages. It refers to the process of deconstructing text and its underlying themes, messages, and symbols - to understand the intentions, motivations, and perspectives of its creators.

The goal of Textual Analysis is to go beyond a mere descriptive stance and explore the hidden structures and intricate relations within a text. It encompasses a holistic comprehension of the content, wherein the text is read, understood, and interpreted in context to its larger sociocultural, historical, or political framework.

Importance of Textual Analysis in Different Fields

In today's interconnected and diverse world, Textual Analysis holds a significant position across several fields due to its ability to decode the complexities within a text.

In social sciences, scholars use Textual Analysis to understand human behavior, societal trends, and cultural narratives. It enables them to draw conclusions based on the textual evidence available for study.

In business and marketing, Textual Analysis has become an invaluable tool. Firms extensively utilize it to analyze consumer feedback, understand their audience's preferences, manage reputation, and make informed decisions. It can also help businesses comprehend market trends, understand competitor strategies, and shape their products or services accordingly.

Similarly, in media and communication studies, Textual Analysis is employed extensively to study media content, audience reception, and the socio-political aspects of media representation. Media critics and analysts often utilize this method to understand the subtext in advertising, news, TV shows, films, and digital media narratives.

In literature, textual analysis allows critics to delve deep into the text in search of hidden meanings, themes, or symbols. It enables them to interpret the author's perspectives, historical contexts, or implicit messages conveyed through the text.

The applications and the importance of Textual Analysis extend far beyond these examples, making it an integral part of the research toolkit in many fields. Its ability to help us decode and understand the complex world of text makes it an indispensable method in our ever-changing, increasingly text-saturated world.

Understanding the Concept of Textual Analysis

Textual analysis is a multidimensional research method that provides tools for researchers to gain deep insights into various types of texts. The core of textual analysis lies in the interpretation, comprehension, and contextual understanding of the text. It focuses on understanding the formation of the text, the language used the delivery of information, the audience's interpretation, and the overall impact created by the text.

Textual analysis is not limited to written texts. It embraces multiple forms of communication including spoken words, images, symbols, and multimedia content. This versatility makes textual analysis a preferred method for diverse fields, from literary studies to communication research, from cultural studies to marketing strategists.

Process Involved in Textual Analysis

The process of textual analysis can be divided into several stages.

Descriptive Stage : This involves a thorough reading and summarization of the text. Understanding the broader context, author's perspective, and intended audience form an integral part of this stage.
Analytical Stage : Drawing inferences and interpreting meanings comes under this stage. The occurrences of specific terms, recurrent themes, and patterns are analyzed here.
Interpretive Stage : Unraveling underlying meanings and implicit messages that the text represents, and understanding symbolism, metaphorical representations, and other linguistic nuances fall under this stage.
Evaluative Stage : The text is judged against certain pre-set standards or criteria. Questions like how engaging or persuasive the text is, how well the argument is built, or how impactful the delivery was can be answered here.

What does Textual Analysis entail?

Textual analysis entails looking beyond the surface level of the text and diving into its deeper levels. It seeks to understand the creator's intention, the message delivered, the language and style used, the audience response, and the cultural and socio-political context in which the text exists.

Textual analysis also entails understanding the power dynamics and ideologies prevalent in the text. For instance, gender roles, racial stereotypes, socio-political biases, or cultural norms can also be revealed through a careful analysis of the text.

From a business context, textual analysis also involves tracking customer reviews, social media comments, and customer queries to recognize brand perception, customer sentiment, trending topics, and areas for product improvement.

In a nutshell, textual analysis entails capturing the essence of the text, separating the explicit from the implicit, the said from the unsaid, and uncovering the hidden layers of context and meaning contained within the text.

Approaches to Textual Analysis

Textual analysis is an umbrella term that is composed of various methodologies, each affording a different perspective and understanding of the text. Mainly, these approaches can be categorized into qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods.

The Qualitative Textual Analysis

Qualitative textual analysis, as the name suggests, focuses on the quality rather than the quantity of the information present in the text. This approach is more interpretative and subjective in nature. It attempts to explore the text’s meanings, themes, motifs, or symbols in depth.

The importance of qualitative textual analysis lies in its ability to capture the complexities and nuances of the text. It provides the researcher with in-depth knowledge and understanding of the content, its socio-cultural construction, its ideological nuances, and the impact it could have on the readers.

An example of qualitative textual analysis could be studying the speeches of a political leader. The analysis would decipher the use of language, rhetoric, recurrent themes, values promoted, ideological stances, and the potential influence on the target audience.

The Quantitative Textual Analysis

Quantitative textual analysis deals with the quantifiable elements of the text such as word frequency, length of sentences, repetition of certain phrases etc. This method employs statistical or computational tools to interpret large volumes of text and identify patterns, trends or associations.

The significance of quantitative textual analysis lies in its ability to manage huge sets of textual data and give empirical evidence to the findings. It offers a more objective and generalized understanding of the text.

An example of quantitative textual analysis could be a brand analyzing its customer reviews. The repetition of specific words or phrases, the mention of particular product features, positive or negative language patterns could be valuable for the brand to understand customer sentiment and improve their services.

The Mixed-Methods Approach in Textual Analysis

The mixed-methods approach is a combination of both qualitative and quantitative analyses. It aims to reconcile the depth of the qualitative analysis with the breadth of quantitative analysis.

This approach is critical as it provides a comprehensive understanding of the text by capturing both the explicit and implicit meanings, the countable and the abstract elements of the text.

For example, a mixed-methods approach in textual analysis might be applied in analyzing a novel. The quantitative analysis could explore the frequency of certain themes or symbols, while the qualitative analysis would delve into the interpretation and impact of these themes or symbols on the overall storyline, character development and reader's understanding.

Ultimately, the choice between qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods approaches in textual analysis depends on the research questions, the nature of the text, and the researcher’s personal epistemological and methodological standpoint.

Practical Examples of Textual Analysis in Different Sectors

Textual analysis in marketing.

In the marketing domain, textual analysis provides valuable insights into consumer feelings and sentiments about products, brands, and services. Marketers analyze text data from various sources including customer reviews, social media posts, surveys, and feedbacks. This analysis helps ascertain the marketing virtues of a product or a brand, uncover new market opportunities, detect problems early, and improve user experiences. Determining the frequency of certain phrases, for example, can help detect emerging market trends or changing consumer preferences.

Textual Analysis in Literary Criticism

Textual analysis forms the bedrock of literary criticism, enabling critics to probe deeper into the text and unearth implicit meanings, themes, and symbols. It gives an in-depth understanding of the characters, motives, conflicts, author's style, and perspective. Textual analysis in literature can also reveal the sociopolitical and historical contexts that influenced the text.

Textual Analysis in News Media

In news media, textual analysis is used to investigate the framing of events, portrayal of personalities, ideologies reflected in the news reports, and its impact on public opinion. By analyzing the media text, researchers can identify trends, biases, and preferences in news reporting.

Case Studies of Successful Application of Textual Analysis

The benefits of textual analysis can be illustrated through numerous case studies across fields. In the business sector, for instance, there have been cases where companies used textual analysis of social media conversations to inform product development. Similarly, in academia, researchers utilized textual analysis to explore the feminist themes in Alice Munro's writings, revealing subtleties that were missed in straightforward readings.

Common Challenges and Misconceptions in Textual Analysis

While textual analysis offers rich insights, it is not without its challenges and misconceptions. One common challenge involves the handling of large volumes of data in quantitative textual analysis, which necessitates sophisticated tools and expertise. A common misconception about textual analysis is that it is purely objective. In reality, researchers' backgrounds and perspectives can inevitably influence their interpretations of the text.

Conclusion: The Future of Textual Analysis

The importance and relevance of textual analysis are set to grow in the future with the explosion of textual data in the digital age. As businesses, researchers, and policymakers strive to navigate this vast textual landscape, the techniques of textual analysis will continue to evolve. Organizations, scholars, and developers who can leverage these strategies will gain a critical edge in understanding and interpreting the world of text around us.