1. Tags ,Content Analysis, Looking for Meaning behind our Ememory Collection
Live Seminar 3 CMST 275

2. Greetings!
How has your week been?

3. Documenting and Tagging
How many ememories total do you think you may have at this point?
Please answer in the chat window.
(check your computer) How many tags do you have at this point?

4. Questions
Any general questions about the work, software or process?

5. Content Analysis
You were asked last week to read up on Content Analysis.
Can someone tell me in a nut shell what content analysis is? (please raise your hand)

6. Content Analysis
Content analysis is a way to assess motivation of action(s) and thoughts through the examination of language words, phrases and silences.
Content Analysis is both quantitative and qualitative.

7. Quantitative Analysis
Content Analysis is Quantitative (quantity) because we look at the amount of times certain words, tags or codes occur in a text(s): such as a formal presidential speech or our ememories.

8. Qualitative Analysis
Content Analysis is qualitative (quality) in that we DECIDE what tags, codes and terms we will examine. Because we decide what code is important, this analysis is more subjective than absolutely objective.

9. Content Analysis Goals
To understand or uncover the motivations of thoughts, speech and actions.
Why are we saying what we are saying?
Are we trying to cover up true motivation for action?
Why do we act the way we do?
What influences are occurring that may be affecting our motivation or actions?

10. Content Analysis
We are able to see a narrative of motivation and reasons for why someone says or does something.
But we must remember that our conjecture regarding motivation might be wrong the more data we collect, the better chance we have of being correct regarding our conclusions.

11. Content Analysis How it works!
Theory and rationale:
The helpful flow chart taken from:
http://academic.csuohio.edu/kneuendorf/content/resources/flowc.htm
what content will be examined and why?
We develop research questions and a hypothesis:
Example research questions for Total Recall:
Why do I save homework for the last minute?
(Hypothesis: I do not like doing homework)
Why do I not communicate well with my family?
(Hypothesis: I have too much work to do)

12. Research Questions you will try to answer for this class!
Considering my ememory data:
Where is the focus of my life presently (school, work, family, friends)? List priorities in conjunction to how many times a tag is mentioned in evernote!
What is missing from my life and why (more time spent with school, family, friends, work, a dream you wish to accomplish)?
Looking at the data collected, what can I do to make the changes I want to make in my life?

13. Conceptualization Decisions
what variables will be used in the study, and how do you define them?
In our case, variables = the data we have collected (our ememories) and the tags we have used (remember, the more tags you use, the better).

14. Coding (for us, this is thematic tagging)
Normally done by computer these days but we are doing our own coding - this is the tagging we are doing.
Each piece of code (tagging) must be defined. So, have strong definitions for your tags.
For tags, include place, time, people you were with, theme of the event (birthday), focus of the event (home life, work, school, etc.), and emotions (happy, sad, angry, joyful, confused, content, ect.)

15. Sampling
Formal social science projects would include sampling or examining a random sample of the data and the codes we will be skipping this process for this class.

16. Practice Makes Perfect!
Lets Practice! - lets look at potential questions our ememories present us, and what our tags say about those questions.
Why do I save homework for the last minute?
(Hypothesis: I do not like doing homework)
Tags:
Homework theme appears 15 times.
Work theme appears 25 times.
Jonathan theme (best friend) 35 times.
Spouse Theme appears 12 times
To do lists - appears 3 times
Karaoke appears 8 times
What can we assess from this list of tags in relation to the research question?

17. Objective or Subjective Analysis?
Content analysis can be objective like digital memories but also subjective because of OUR editing approaches (what we include and do not include). This should be part of your data.
Consider what you decided not to include and why?
Will what you decided not to include affect the outcome of your analysis?

18. Is this true?
Biological memory is subjective. Digital memory is objective, dispassionate, prosaic and unforgiving accurate" p. 56.

19. Editing
How do we edit our ememories?
Please list ways in which you might consciously or unconsciously edit your ememories.

20. Final Questions?
Do you have final questions about the material we covered this evening?
A recoding of tonight's seminar will be emailed to you!

21. Thanks and good night!