Looking back at the entire course, there are several things which I would like to point out:
1) It was breaking grounds for myself, in terms of opening up entirely new field of studies, which I did not have any idea about. It was a great learning experience, because I had to leave the comfort zone of mine and actually plunge into the material which I have not necessarily understood :))) But I guess the class discussion really helped me in grasping the major ideas of the readings. After the class I always felt that finally I had a clearer perspective of the class readings. All unlcear moments were either discussed throughly or mentioned so it provided me with enough information to construct the final concepts related to the readings.
2) The readings in generally were very diverse. Some of the them easy to follow, some very tecnical and thus challenging. But I guess it followed the logic of the class - " leave your comfort zone," "try some new ideas." So, all the reading contributed to that final goal of the course:))) I especially liked the dissertation section - it gives really good examples of how to write dissertation. I think it would be useful to have those links as well as all class reading available after the course!!!
3) Class discussion. I found it fascinating to actually meet the author of one of the books we were reading online, it was very useful and insighful. I guess it is to our great advantage to read a book, to discuss it in class and then to ask questions to its author!
4) Field methods. Dr. Rickly asked us to give our own definition of the fields method. I would probably point out that the major element in the fields method would be observation of the users and how they use a certain artifact in their own natural environment, whether it is a workplace, online, etc. While doing research we should not try to impose any of our stereotypes or pre-defined categories. Althgough, i have to admit it is one of the major challanges for any researcher. All of us have some kind of ideas before we start research. To avoid or to decrease the amount of bias, we should try to triangulate our methods!
5) Triangulation. I guess that it is one of the key ideas which i took from this class! To ensure the reliability of the results we should always try to find the way to look at the data from different perspectives, asking other people to help us, or using different methods to cross check the findings. Spinuzzi talked a lot about that.
6) My own research. The project which I completed for this class, teh results of it, will be used for teh follow up study. I will continue to look at how finanacial blogs use their blogs. IN the future study i plan to triangulate the methods. One of the ideas is to conduct interviews (online, or interview) to ask bloggers themselves about how they use thier blogs. It will be very interesting to see what they think about it and if the data from the blog posts is the same or different.
Due to the short of time I could not do it for this class, but I will use in the future project.
One of teh biggest challanges in the project was to do teh data collection. It took most of the time. But it was a good learning experience for me, especially working with a second coder and trying to explain things to him:)
7) INformation managment. I found this type of task very useful. It was the first online course for me and it was interesting to observe the class dynamic and try to lead any type of discussion :)))) So i guess if i do it second time, it would be much better.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Dissertation Method Readings
The method section of Ross dissertation begins with the revision of the main purpose of the project. It was interesting for me to actually see this description in the method section. Usually, we primarily see how the researcher jump into explaining the methods without talking about purpose, but I guess, dissertation sections (chapters) , as we talked last time are supposed to be stand alone pieces.
If it is the case, the author did a great job of providing us with information about the goals as well as went into detailed discussion of the theories at the beginning of the method section, which also seemed a little bit out of place for me.
What I liked about the introduction part was how the author differentiated his research from other types of studies, which analyze persuasive messages or arguments created by media or other institutions. This kind of research is usually done in the mass communications departments. The purpose of the current research is to study the major themes, or as the author calls them commonplaces, recurring thematic elements, tropes or phraseology. Eventually as we saw the author came up with the 12 categories of response, which are the most prevalent and therefore viable in current environmental argumentation.
From my standpoint, it is a very valuable study, because we can analyze media and institution messages but never really know what works for the audience. Knowing those major themes, professionals in PR departments could create even more convincing and effective messages, I am not sure if that would be for good or bad???
I wonder who would be the potential audience for this particular study besides academic community?
The author spends a lot of time explaining and discussing the theories he is using in the study, clearly identifying where he is planning to fill the gap in the literature. It seems like that it is the first study which actually looked at the themes used by the audience in relation to environmental discourse and argument.
He lists several theories (p. 58) stating that none of those theories are actually applicable to his study. When I was reading his explanation of the purpose of the study and how it differs from other studies, I thought that framing theory (mass communications theory) does look at media frames and audience frames. By frames we mean major recurring themes, which I think would be appropriate to call commonplaces. The list of 12 themes, which is the result of the study, is exactly what the media scholars, who study audience frames, produce as a result of the research. Looking at audience frames within framing theory, we may use experiment as well as interview methods. The purpose of the study would be: to identify the major thematic categories employed by the audience. So while reading this part of the method section, I thought that framing theory might be an interesting theory to explore in the context of this particular study.
The author discusses main theoretical paradigms employed in his research. First is feminist methodology. I found his explanation very useful. The author clearly points out that neither his data nor his interpretation is a purely feminist approach. Although, some of the respondents talked about power hierarchy and complex communication strategies, where the feminist methodology may provide some guidance.
Another approach used by the author is a popular culture approach. As the author points out it should not be confused with contextualized inquiry. Popular culture approach looks not at the “real use” or intent of an artifact, but at social circumstances and beliefs that have created a certain phenomenon. In other words, this approach helps us answer the “why” question. By this I mean that, if we as researchers look at recurring themes used by the audience, it would be useful to find the roots of those themes. One of the possible “roots” could be the societal and cultural values, hold by the people. I have not read the results and discussion section, so I don’t know if the researcher actually employed this approach in discussing the results.
But to elaborate on this, I have a question: if we look at the 12 themes, identified by the research, which of those themes reflect the values of the western developed societies? For the sake of a comparison, which themes would be commonplace for the primitive societies?
The third methodological approach is the idea of popularization discourse. From my perspective, it is probably not the best fit to the goals of the current study, since the research does not really look at how the scientific messages are presented. The author does not analyze the representation of information, which according to previous studies, play a major role in rejection or acceptance of scientific information. What do you all think? Is it a relevant methodology approach in the context of the current study?
Reading the research question part of the method section got me thinking that to be successful communicator the most important thing we need to know is probably the “narrative and perceptions audience draws upon when are presented with an argument.” In the light of this discussion, trying to grasp how people understand the social context (power relationships, societal values) and its relationship to the phenomenon, in our case, dam, is the most important thing in developing the successful and convincing arguments.
In the data collection section the author discussed what kind of data he collected, he mentioned that it was interviews as well as samples of material given out at and around each dam site. It would be interested to actually compare the recurring themes in written (audio-visual) materials with the recurring themes used by the audience and see if they are the same or not.
I like how the researcher limited the time of the interview to 2-5 minutes, in this short time period the participants will probably be relying on short-cuts or schemas, stored and easily retrievable from the memory. So, I guess schema theory would be another theory which might be employed within the context of this study.
In the section where the author describes the process of collecting data, I liked how he provided details on his method polishing, i.e. he began with transcribing every single “hmm” and then realized that these data are probably irrelevant to the current study. Basically, during the pilot study and first attempts to transcribe he was able to focus and define the most appropriate methodology approach to be used in the study.
If it is the case, the author did a great job of providing us with information about the goals as well as went into detailed discussion of the theories at the beginning of the method section, which also seemed a little bit out of place for me.
What I liked about the introduction part was how the author differentiated his research from other types of studies, which analyze persuasive messages or arguments created by media or other institutions. This kind of research is usually done in the mass communications departments. The purpose of the current research is to study the major themes, or as the author calls them commonplaces, recurring thematic elements, tropes or phraseology. Eventually as we saw the author came up with the 12 categories of response, which are the most prevalent and therefore viable in current environmental argumentation.
From my standpoint, it is a very valuable study, because we can analyze media and institution messages but never really know what works for the audience. Knowing those major themes, professionals in PR departments could create even more convincing and effective messages, I am not sure if that would be for good or bad???
I wonder who would be the potential audience for this particular study besides academic community?
The author spends a lot of time explaining and discussing the theories he is using in the study, clearly identifying where he is planning to fill the gap in the literature. It seems like that it is the first study which actually looked at the themes used by the audience in relation to environmental discourse and argument.
He lists several theories (p. 58) stating that none of those theories are actually applicable to his study. When I was reading his explanation of the purpose of the study and how it differs from other studies, I thought that framing theory (mass communications theory) does look at media frames and audience frames. By frames we mean major recurring themes, which I think would be appropriate to call commonplaces. The list of 12 themes, which is the result of the study, is exactly what the media scholars, who study audience frames, produce as a result of the research. Looking at audience frames within framing theory, we may use experiment as well as interview methods. The purpose of the study would be: to identify the major thematic categories employed by the audience. So while reading this part of the method section, I thought that framing theory might be an interesting theory to explore in the context of this particular study.
The author discusses main theoretical paradigms employed in his research. First is feminist methodology. I found his explanation very useful. The author clearly points out that neither his data nor his interpretation is a purely feminist approach. Although, some of the respondents talked about power hierarchy and complex communication strategies, where the feminist methodology may provide some guidance.
Another approach used by the author is a popular culture approach. As the author points out it should not be confused with contextualized inquiry. Popular culture approach looks not at the “real use” or intent of an artifact, but at social circumstances and beliefs that have created a certain phenomenon. In other words, this approach helps us answer the “why” question. By this I mean that, if we as researchers look at recurring themes used by the audience, it would be useful to find the roots of those themes. One of the possible “roots” could be the societal and cultural values, hold by the people. I have not read the results and discussion section, so I don’t know if the researcher actually employed this approach in discussing the results.
But to elaborate on this, I have a question: if we look at the 12 themes, identified by the research, which of those themes reflect the values of the western developed societies? For the sake of a comparison, which themes would be commonplace for the primitive societies?
The third methodological approach is the idea of popularization discourse. From my perspective, it is probably not the best fit to the goals of the current study, since the research does not really look at how the scientific messages are presented. The author does not analyze the representation of information, which according to previous studies, play a major role in rejection or acceptance of scientific information. What do you all think? Is it a relevant methodology approach in the context of the current study?
Reading the research question part of the method section got me thinking that to be successful communicator the most important thing we need to know is probably the “narrative and perceptions audience draws upon when are presented with an argument.” In the light of this discussion, trying to grasp how people understand the social context (power relationships, societal values) and its relationship to the phenomenon, in our case, dam, is the most important thing in developing the successful and convincing arguments.
In the data collection section the author discussed what kind of data he collected, he mentioned that it was interviews as well as samples of material given out at and around each dam site. It would be interested to actually compare the recurring themes in written (audio-visual) materials with the recurring themes used by the audience and see if they are the same or not.
I like how the researcher limited the time of the interview to 2-5 minutes, in this short time period the participants will probably be relying on short-cuts or schemas, stored and easily retrievable from the memory. So, I guess schema theory would be another theory which might be employed within the context of this study.
In the section where the author describes the process of collecting data, I liked how he provided details on his method polishing, i.e. he began with transcribing every single “hmm” and then realized that these data are probably irrelevant to the current study. Basically, during the pilot study and first attempts to transcribe he was able to focus and define the most appropriate methodology approach to be used in the study.
Monday, March 30, 2009
study progress
Over these two couple of weeks i have been working on developing
and polishing the codebook for the study, it was a very tedious and
time consuming process. To identify the categories I had to conduct
preliminary coding. Overall, it was very interesting to actually get to read
financial blogs and see what people are writing about, and what people
are advising other people to do :) I am following some of the blogs
after that, by having signed up for RSS.
this is what I got in my codebook. I may add few more categories next week.
And most likely I will start collecting the data during the first week of april!!!
Introduction
The study will assess how the A-list personal finance bloggers use their blogs and what types of information sources they are linked to.
Definition of a blog
A blog is a web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. The blog may contain archives of previous posts and a blogroll (a list of links to other blogs). For the purpose of the current study, for the web site to be considered a blog it should have at least blog posts that are displayed in reverse-chronological order.
Definition of the blog post
An entry made by someone on their blog. An entry usually has a date when it was published. In some cases, it also has time when it was published, and the name of the person who produced the entry, i.e. the blogger’s name. The next entry begins with the title.
Definition of A-list personal finance blog
Financial blog is operationalized as a blog, which is devoted to discussion of the personal finance issues, is maintained by one person, and hyperlinked to from at least 60 other blogs.
General instruction for coding
The coder will be given Excel file with the links to the blog posts.
The following information will be collected while coding:
1) Title of the blog - As it appears on the home page or on the top banner of the webpage. Usually the blog title appears on every blog page. In the coding sheet write down the title of the blog. See Appendix A for an example of a blog post.
2) Date of the blog post: write as 07.23. 2006 for July 23, 2008. See the Appendix B for explanation.
3) Post number – use the number of the link to the blog post provided in the excel file. If you have multiple posts for the same date (2,3 or more) code the following way: the number for the link in the Excel file is 1, you follow the link and see 3 entries for the same date – code each post on a separate sheet, use 1a, 1b, 1c, for the multiple entries. For each post code do not forget to include blog title and date of the blog post.
4) Title of the blog post. Each blog post should have a title, it is usually at the beginning of the post. DO NOT include subheads, which may be in the post.
Making Every Dollar Count at Tax Time title of the post
Written by Guest Contributor - 3 Comments
This is a guest post from Bob Meighan, who is VP of TurboTax.
In challenging economic times, every dollar counts. While I can’t predict what the economy or market will do, I can help you identify opportunities to make sure you get the biggest tax refund possible. With less than 2 months until the filing deadline, here are my top tips for maximizing your tax deductions and tax credits.
5) Elements of blog use
Does the blog post contain any of the following elements of blog use? In the coding sheet circle all that applies.
5a. Link.
Definition of hyperlink
It is a reference or navigation element in a document to another section of the same document or to another document that may be on or part of a (different) domain. The link could be embedded, i.e. one word in the sentence will be a hyperlink. The whole sentence could act as a hyperlink.
Does the blog post have a link to another source? Do not count as a link – a permanent link to the post itself (the post you are currently coding). Usually a title of the post can be a hyperlink to the permanent link of the post itself.
Example: in this post the title of the post is a hyperlink, if you place your mouse over the title, the message will appear “a permanent link to the post,” so if you click on this hyperlink it will bring you to the permanent link of the post. DO NOT count this as a link because it does not bring us to another source, but to the post itself.
Making Every Dollar Count at Tax Time
http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2009/03/09/making-every-dollar-count-at-tax-time/ (this is the web address where the post is published permanently, a permanent link).
In the coding sheet code “1” is there is a link in the post, code “0” if there is no link in the post.
DO NOT count any links that are not in the post, like blog roll links, links to best posts, links to ads, links to the site which allow you to buy something (Amazon.com, ebay.com, etc).
Do NOT count links that ask a reader to email or share the article; links to Facebook, Digg, any bookmarking sites, twitter, or any other social networking sites.
Count ONLY the links that are in the post.
5a1: How many links are in the blog post? In the coding sheet write down the actual number.
5b. Quote.
Does the post have a quote from some other source? The quote must come from a written (published) printed or online source. For example, a quote (a piece which the blogger is taking from another source) could be a part of an article published by media organization; it could be a piece taken from a story which appears on a website (other than media organization website); it could be a piece taken from a blog post; it could be a part of the readers’ email message received by a blogger; it could be a piece taken from a print document, article or story. For example, a blogger can include a quote from a print document such as Tax regulations, etc.
A quote could be a sentence or a paragraph (2 or more paragraphs) taken from another source. Usually a blogger identifies that it is something what he took it from somewhere else. It may not have quotation marks at the beginning and at the end. The blogger can make a quote stand out by: 1) having a color background behind the quote; 2) by using a smaller font size; 3) by setting the margins for quote bigger than for the rest of the post.
Example: in this example, a blogger used a color background and set bigger margins for the quote. He also introduced the quote. As you can see, there are no quotation marks for the quote, which is not unusual for the blogs.
Here’s the answer straight from the IRS (see Topic 418 for more details): (quote begins)
Unemployment compensation is includible in gross income. You must report unemployment compensation on line 19 of Form 1040, line 13 of Form 1040A, or line 3 of Form 1040EZ (quote).
If you receive unemployment at some point during the year, you should received Form 1099-G showing how much you were paid.
Posts are given a “1” if they contain a quote from another source within the blog post.
Posts are given a “0” if they do not contain any quote from any source.
5c. Commentary
Does the post contain statements of opinion or a discussion of the blogger’s personal experiences?
Post is coded “1” if it contains any statement of the blogger’s opinion on any issue or if it describes any aspect of the blogger’s personal experiences.
Post is coded “0” if it does not contain any statement of the blogger’s opinion on any issue or if it describes any aspect of the blogger’s personal experiences.
Commentary is a descriptive account of an event or performance as it happens; explanatory notes; thoughts, observations, experiences and opinions of the blogger. For the blog entry to fit into this category, it has to include explanatory notes, thoughts, observations, experiences, and opinions related to the events that happened in the outside world and personal life.
Example: I just listened to the Arnold Kling interview at Econtalk.org. Interviewer Russ Roberts and Kling describe how Wall Street hubris got us into a mess (and all the necessary regulatory tools were there, but not adequately utilized) and how Washington hubris is likely to keep us there. We just got more Paulson ad mockery this morning.
Examples:
a) Explanatory notes: the blogger explains why something has happened or about to happen.
Citigroup was once the biggest U.S. bank. General Motors was once the biggest automaker in the world. Now, both are on the brink. Yet Citigroup is likely to be rescued within days. General Motors may not be rescued at all. Why the difference? Viewed from Wall Street, Citi is too big and important to be allowed to fail while GM is simply a big, clunky old manufacturing company that can go into chapter 11 and reorganize itself (explanatory notes)
b) The blogger provides his observations of the events.
The first thing I noticed was that Monday night (just prior to Tuesday election day), every TV station was inundated with coverage of the election (observations).
c) The blogger describes of what has happened.
The most significant trade I've executed recently was the Apple covered call strategy last week. Since opening the position, the shares have run up about 15%, while the option I sold has increased in value. Here's my reply to a recent reader question from the initial article outlining my strategy: (record of experiences).
d) The blogger provides a record of his thoughts.
I wonder how many Americans even know who succeeded Tony Blair as Prime Minister? And Switzerland's current leader? I don't even know and I consider myself to be fairly in tune with global affairs (record of thoughts).
e) The blogger provides his opinion.
I hate to be critical when the government seems to be trying its best but I just can’t help it (opinion).
5d. Request for feedback.
Does the post contain a request for readers to provide any information to the blogger?
Post is coded “1” if the blogger asks readers for feedback about a particular post (e.g., “I’d be interested to know what you think,” “what do you think?”, “share your thoughts on the subject” or “send me email.” It should sound as a direct question to the reader of the blog.
Example: What do you think about the reasons of housing bubble? Readers, share your thoughts…..
5e. Mobilize.
Does the post attempt to mobilize and encourage readers to take action?
Post is coded “0” if it does not encourage readers to take any action. Go to the question 6.
Post is coded “1” if it encourages readers to take a specific form of action (e.g. save money, open a bank account, etc.). If the blog post is coded “1,” proceed to the subcategories (1-7). Circle all that applies.
Do not put any other information, i.e. how many times the blogger referred to a certain action.
5e1. Educate yourself. For the blog entry to be defined as “educate yourself” it should encourage readers to continue formal education or do research regarding specific financial matters.
Example:
I urge you to do some research. Visit my collection of financial literacy resources and watch the video series about saving and investing. Go to the library and borrow one of these books. Research the stock market’s long-term performance.
5e2. Invest money. For the blog entry to be defined as “invest” it should encourage readers to invest in stock marker, mutual funds, bonds, securities, 401K, retirement accounts. The blog entry could tell the readers that they have to start investing now and it may have specific investment suggestions.
Example:
Start early. The younger you start investing, the more time compounding has to work in your favor, and the wealthier you can become. The next best thing to starting early is starting now. Make regular investments. Don’t be haphazard. Remain disciplined, and make saving for retirement a priority. Do whatever it takes to maximize your contributions. The stock market is not the right place for short-term investments, or for those who cannot afford to lose capital. If you’re saving for next year’s vacation, you’re better off putting your money into a high-yield savings account or a certificate of deposit.
5e3. Eliminate debt. For the blog entry to be defined as “eliminate debt” it should encourage readers to pay off credit card debt, student loans, mortgage or any other debt. The entry could have information how to design a plan of paying off your debt, how to organize your personal finances, your budget to be able to eliminate your debt. How to live debt free: to become debt free as soon as possible; carry only as much debt as you need; keep interest rates low, how to get out of debt.
Example: The next best thing to do with it is to eliminate your debt. Eliminated all credit card debt, car payments, etc. you have outstanding.
5e4. Save money. For the blog entry to be defined as “save money” it should encourage readers to save money by opening saving account, by setting aside a portion of your income to save. It could have discussion on how you could do it. Spend less than you earn; save cash; stay away from stores and you’ll spend less; do-it-yourself (don’t pay money for something you can do yourself), save up money for the emergency fund.
Example:
No matter what your age, now is the time to begin saving for retirement. Before you pay your bills, before you buy groceries, before you do anything else, set aside a portion of your income to save.
5e5. Spend money. The blog entry will have a discussion on how to spend money and on what; how to do shopping (what questions to ask when you do shopping). Buy at stores like Goodwill.
Example:
Spend the extra money to buy something that lasts; Don’t buy too much house.
and polishing the codebook for the study, it was a very tedious and
time consuming process. To identify the categories I had to conduct
preliminary coding. Overall, it was very interesting to actually get to read
financial blogs and see what people are writing about, and what people
are advising other people to do :) I am following some of the blogs
after that, by having signed up for RSS.
this is what I got in my codebook. I may add few more categories next week.
And most likely I will start collecting the data during the first week of april!!!
Introduction
The study will assess how the A-list personal finance bloggers use their blogs and what types of information sources they are linked to.
Definition of a blog
A blog is a web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. The blog may contain archives of previous posts and a blogroll (a list of links to other blogs). For the purpose of the current study, for the web site to be considered a blog it should have at least blog posts that are displayed in reverse-chronological order.
Definition of the blog post
An entry made by someone on their blog. An entry usually has a date when it was published. In some cases, it also has time when it was published, and the name of the person who produced the entry, i.e. the blogger’s name. The next entry begins with the title.
Definition of A-list personal finance blog
Financial blog is operationalized as a blog, which is devoted to discussion of the personal finance issues, is maintained by one person, and hyperlinked to from at least 60 other blogs.
General instruction for coding
The coder will be given Excel file with the links to the blog posts.
The following information will be collected while coding:
1) Title of the blog - As it appears on the home page or on the top banner of the webpage. Usually the blog title appears on every blog page. In the coding sheet write down the title of the blog. See Appendix A for an example of a blog post.
2) Date of the blog post: write as 07.23. 2006 for July 23, 2008. See the Appendix B for explanation.
3) Post number – use the number of the link to the blog post provided in the excel file. If you have multiple posts for the same date (2,3 or more) code the following way: the number for the link in the Excel file is 1, you follow the link and see 3 entries for the same date – code each post on a separate sheet, use 1a, 1b, 1c, for the multiple entries. For each post code do not forget to include blog title and date of the blog post.
4) Title of the blog post. Each blog post should have a title, it is usually at the beginning of the post. DO NOT include subheads, which may be in the post.
Making Every Dollar Count at Tax Time title of the post
Written by Guest Contributor - 3 Comments
This is a guest post from Bob Meighan, who is VP of TurboTax.
In challenging economic times, every dollar counts. While I can’t predict what the economy or market will do, I can help you identify opportunities to make sure you get the biggest tax refund possible. With less than 2 months until the filing deadline, here are my top tips for maximizing your tax deductions and tax credits.
5) Elements of blog use
Does the blog post contain any of the following elements of blog use? In the coding sheet circle all that applies.
5a. Link.
Definition of hyperlink
It is a reference or navigation element in a document to another section of the same document or to another document that may be on or part of a (different) domain. The link could be embedded, i.e. one word in the sentence will be a hyperlink. The whole sentence could act as a hyperlink.
Does the blog post have a link to another source? Do not count as a link – a permanent link to the post itself (the post you are currently coding). Usually a title of the post can be a hyperlink to the permanent link of the post itself.
Example: in this post the title of the post is a hyperlink, if you place your mouse over the title, the message will appear “a permanent link to the post,” so if you click on this hyperlink it will bring you to the permanent link of the post. DO NOT count this as a link because it does not bring us to another source, but to the post itself.
Making Every Dollar Count at Tax Time
http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2009/03/09/making-every-dollar-count-at-tax-time/ (this is the web address where the post is published permanently, a permanent link).
In the coding sheet code “1” is there is a link in the post, code “0” if there is no link in the post.
DO NOT count any links that are not in the post, like blog roll links, links to best posts, links to ads, links to the site which allow you to buy something (Amazon.com, ebay.com, etc).
Do NOT count links that ask a reader to email or share the article; links to Facebook, Digg, any bookmarking sites, twitter, or any other social networking sites.
Count ONLY the links that are in the post.
5a1: How many links are in the blog post? In the coding sheet write down the actual number.
5b. Quote.
Does the post have a quote from some other source? The quote must come from a written (published) printed or online source. For example, a quote (a piece which the blogger is taking from another source) could be a part of an article published by media organization; it could be a piece taken from a story which appears on a website (other than media organization website); it could be a piece taken from a blog post; it could be a part of the readers’ email message received by a blogger; it could be a piece taken from a print document, article or story. For example, a blogger can include a quote from a print document such as Tax regulations, etc.
A quote could be a sentence or a paragraph (2 or more paragraphs) taken from another source. Usually a blogger identifies that it is something what he took it from somewhere else. It may not have quotation marks at the beginning and at the end. The blogger can make a quote stand out by: 1) having a color background behind the quote; 2) by using a smaller font size; 3) by setting the margins for quote bigger than for the rest of the post.
Example: in this example, a blogger used a color background and set bigger margins for the quote. He also introduced the quote. As you can see, there are no quotation marks for the quote, which is not unusual for the blogs.
Here’s the answer straight from the IRS (see Topic 418 for more details): (quote begins)
Unemployment compensation is includible in gross income. You must report unemployment compensation on line 19 of Form 1040, line 13 of Form 1040A, or line 3 of Form 1040EZ (quote).
If you receive unemployment at some point during the year, you should received Form 1099-G showing how much you were paid.
Posts are given a “1” if they contain a quote from another source within the blog post.
Posts are given a “0” if they do not contain any quote from any source.
5c. Commentary
Does the post contain statements of opinion or a discussion of the blogger’s personal experiences?
Post is coded “1” if it contains any statement of the blogger’s opinion on any issue or if it describes any aspect of the blogger’s personal experiences.
Post is coded “0” if it does not contain any statement of the blogger’s opinion on any issue or if it describes any aspect of the blogger’s personal experiences.
Commentary is a descriptive account of an event or performance as it happens; explanatory notes; thoughts, observations, experiences and opinions of the blogger. For the blog entry to fit into this category, it has to include explanatory notes, thoughts, observations, experiences, and opinions related to the events that happened in the outside world and personal life.
Example: I just listened to the Arnold Kling interview at Econtalk.org. Interviewer Russ Roberts and Kling describe how Wall Street hubris got us into a mess (and all the necessary regulatory tools were there, but not adequately utilized) and how Washington hubris is likely to keep us there. We just got more Paulson ad mockery this morning.
Examples:
a) Explanatory notes: the blogger explains why something has happened or about to happen.
Citigroup was once the biggest U.S. bank. General Motors was once the biggest automaker in the world. Now, both are on the brink. Yet Citigroup is likely to be rescued within days. General Motors may not be rescued at all. Why the difference? Viewed from Wall Street, Citi is too big and important to be allowed to fail while GM is simply a big, clunky old manufacturing company that can go into chapter 11 and reorganize itself (explanatory notes)
b) The blogger provides his observations of the events.
The first thing I noticed was that Monday night (just prior to Tuesday election day), every TV station was inundated with coverage of the election (observations).
c) The blogger describes of what has happened.
The most significant trade I've executed recently was the Apple covered call strategy last week. Since opening the position, the shares have run up about 15%, while the option I sold has increased in value. Here's my reply to a recent reader question from the initial article outlining my strategy: (record of experiences).
d) The blogger provides a record of his thoughts.
I wonder how many Americans even know who succeeded Tony Blair as Prime Minister? And Switzerland's current leader? I don't even know and I consider myself to be fairly in tune with global affairs (record of thoughts).
e) The blogger provides his opinion.
I hate to be critical when the government seems to be trying its best but I just can’t help it (opinion).
5d. Request for feedback.
Does the post contain a request for readers to provide any information to the blogger?
Post is coded “1” if the blogger asks readers for feedback about a particular post (e.g., “I’d be interested to know what you think,” “what do you think?”, “share your thoughts on the subject” or “send me email.” It should sound as a direct question to the reader of the blog.
Example: What do you think about the reasons of housing bubble? Readers, share your thoughts…..
5e. Mobilize.
Does the post attempt to mobilize and encourage readers to take action?
Post is coded “0” if it does not encourage readers to take any action. Go to the question 6.
Post is coded “1” if it encourages readers to take a specific form of action (e.g. save money, open a bank account, etc.). If the blog post is coded “1,” proceed to the subcategories (1-7). Circle all that applies.
Do not put any other information, i.e. how many times the blogger referred to a certain action.
5e1. Educate yourself. For the blog entry to be defined as “educate yourself” it should encourage readers to continue formal education or do research regarding specific financial matters.
Example:
I urge you to do some research. Visit my collection of financial literacy resources and watch the video series about saving and investing. Go to the library and borrow one of these books. Research the stock market’s long-term performance.
5e2. Invest money. For the blog entry to be defined as “invest” it should encourage readers to invest in stock marker, mutual funds, bonds, securities, 401K, retirement accounts. The blog entry could tell the readers that they have to start investing now and it may have specific investment suggestions.
Example:
Start early. The younger you start investing, the more time compounding has to work in your favor, and the wealthier you can become. The next best thing to starting early is starting now. Make regular investments. Don’t be haphazard. Remain disciplined, and make saving for retirement a priority. Do whatever it takes to maximize your contributions. The stock market is not the right place for short-term investments, or for those who cannot afford to lose capital. If you’re saving for next year’s vacation, you’re better off putting your money into a high-yield savings account or a certificate of deposit.
5e3. Eliminate debt. For the blog entry to be defined as “eliminate debt” it should encourage readers to pay off credit card debt, student loans, mortgage or any other debt. The entry could have information how to design a plan of paying off your debt, how to organize your personal finances, your budget to be able to eliminate your debt. How to live debt free: to become debt free as soon as possible; carry only as much debt as you need; keep interest rates low, how to get out of debt.
Example: The next best thing to do with it is to eliminate your debt. Eliminated all credit card debt, car payments, etc. you have outstanding.
5e4. Save money. For the blog entry to be defined as “save money” it should encourage readers to save money by opening saving account, by setting aside a portion of your income to save. It could have discussion on how you could do it. Spend less than you earn; save cash; stay away from stores and you’ll spend less; do-it-yourself (don’t pay money for something you can do yourself), save up money for the emergency fund.
Example:
No matter what your age, now is the time to begin saving for retirement. Before you pay your bills, before you buy groceries, before you do anything else, set aside a portion of your income to save.
5e5. Spend money. The blog entry will have a discussion on how to spend money and on what; how to do shopping (what questions to ask when you do shopping). Buy at stores like Goodwill.
Example:
Spend the extra money to buy something that lasts; Don’t buy too much house.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
This week reading
I was really impressed and schoked by the "Hazards of leaving out the users." Several thoughts crossed my mind while I was reading this piece. First, how the technology can harm people. And we are not talking about heavy trucks, or some other heavy equipment, but about simple things, like our computer which we use everyday. I wonder if there is any research on the harm of the laptops. The industry clearly exploited this idea of comfort and being able to carry your favorite comp everywhere. we don't need to have a desk to use a laptop, it was designed to be used on out lap, it is a laptop :))) But I guess all of us could assume that probably there is some kind of radiation coming from it, and how it might affect us - I wonder if there are any medical studies on that.
The same thing with the cell phones, adn hand free cell phones, a person just has a small thing attached to the ear and doesn not need to hold the phone. I think I saw some articles about health hazards of such cell phones, potential brain damage, if used excessively....
So, it is becoming more and more evident that we do rely on the technology so much, that now it almost comes back to us, like a boomerang, and we are going to experience all bad things of technology as well as good ones. There are trade-offs.... and usually it is our own health.
In terms of the organization of the workstations, I remember how in the Soviet Union schoolchildren were taught how to sit proparly at the desk, how to hold the arms and position the back so you do not become a disabled by the time you graduate.... I think that even the desks especialy for elemenatry kids were with a special angle, so it makes it easy for them to sit during a class. I don't know if this practice is still there.
Reading the article, I got an impression that we are almost trapped in the world of machinery and computers, I can hardly think of any day when I spend without working on the computer. It has become your second nature, and as a result, eye problems and all other things mentioned by the author.
The author talks a little bit about Eastern Europe. There was no such advanced technology to spy on people, but we did have similar thiings, for exmpample some of the factories had so called punch cards. So when a person came to work in the morning - he punched his card, when he left - he did the same. But i guess this system can hardly compete with computers spying on the workers. Software calculating how many minutes you worked, were away from your desk, etc. That's sounds like not a very nice place to work, without any trust or care to the employees.
In this light the Japaness companies, those which provide life term employment is a completely different case. Part of our everyday stress comes from the notion that we can lose a job any time, there is no so called job secutiry. I believe that is a huge contributing part of stress in western society.
The author talks about getting user in the process. I don't think that it is the place to start. First, management has to change its attitude to their workers, I begin to sound like neo Marxist :))) But in some cases we see how companies exploit their workers and only economic incentives will persuade them that they have to take care of their users (employees), because if they are happy - it is good for bottom line.
The same thing with the cell phones, adn hand free cell phones, a person just has a small thing attached to the ear and doesn not need to hold the phone. I think I saw some articles about health hazards of such cell phones, potential brain damage, if used excessively....
So, it is becoming more and more evident that we do rely on the technology so much, that now it almost comes back to us, like a boomerang, and we are going to experience all bad things of technology as well as good ones. There are trade-offs.... and usually it is our own health.
In terms of the organization of the workstations, I remember how in the Soviet Union schoolchildren were taught how to sit proparly at the desk, how to hold the arms and position the back so you do not become a disabled by the time you graduate.... I think that even the desks especialy for elemenatry kids were with a special angle, so it makes it easy for them to sit during a class. I don't know if this practice is still there.
Reading the article, I got an impression that we are almost trapped in the world of machinery and computers, I can hardly think of any day when I spend without working on the computer. It has become your second nature, and as a result, eye problems and all other things mentioned by the author.
The author talks a little bit about Eastern Europe. There was no such advanced technology to spy on people, but we did have similar thiings, for exmpample some of the factories had so called punch cards. So when a person came to work in the morning - he punched his card, when he left - he did the same. But i guess this system can hardly compete with computers spying on the workers. Software calculating how many minutes you worked, were away from your desk, etc. That's sounds like not a very nice place to work, without any trust or care to the employees.
In this light the Japaness companies, those which provide life term employment is a completely different case. Part of our everyday stress comes from the notion that we can lose a job any time, there is no so called job secutiry. I believe that is a huge contributing part of stress in western society.
The author talks about getting user in the process. I don't think that it is the place to start. First, management has to change its attitude to their workers, I begin to sound like neo Marxist :))) But in some cases we see how companies exploit their workers and only economic incentives will persuade them that they have to take care of their users (employees), because if they are happy - it is good for bottom line.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Research began
Last week after submitting the proposal, I was finally able to concentrate on identifying the method of data collection. It is really a challenge. If we are looking at blogs in general, there is no really complete category of the blogs. Another issue the abandonment rate of the blogs is high, people start a blog and then don't have time to maintain it, so it is not really an active blog any more...
If we look just at financial blogs, Technocrati has a directory of business, financial and economy blogs. So I thought it was a good place to start. But at the same time, I have to be aware that not all financial blogs are indexed by technocrati, I may assume that probably the most popular ones probably are.
So, what I decided to do is still use the Technocrati directory of financial blogs and choose five of the blogs that have the highest authority.
The authority is defined as the amount of other blogs linked to your own blog. So it is kind of makes sense if your blog is popular you will probably have a lot of links from other blogs. This is the way how bloggers demonstrate the popularity, that the blog has a readership.
Thinking about some presence of random sample, I decided to choose blog posts published during 4 weeks randomly selected. So in this way the data is not skewed by any of the media or governemnt discussions of certain economy topics. Although it would be interesting to see if the bloggers discussed the same topics as media did, i.e. function as "echo chamber" to the mainstream media. But to do this kind of study I had to analyze media coverage as well.
My first plunge in the financial blogs really amazed me. I was impressed by several things: some highly popular blogs had Google search function on their website, I was able to search their archive using Google. That really enhanced my user experience with a blog !!!! The majority of the blogs tend to provide their email and talk abou thier occupation. So bloggers are very open to the feedback and do not try to hide behind the nicknames, ofcourse it does not apply to all blogs, just a few I looked at.
In terms of the topics the bloggers discussed I am sure that I will learn about economy, personal finances, etc by reading those blogs. Maybe I will even follow one of them very closely. So in all respects, it is a very educational study!!!
If we look just at financial blogs, Technocrati has a directory of business, financial and economy blogs. So I thought it was a good place to start. But at the same time, I have to be aware that not all financial blogs are indexed by technocrati, I may assume that probably the most popular ones probably are.
So, what I decided to do is still use the Technocrati directory of financial blogs and choose five of the blogs that have the highest authority.
The authority is defined as the amount of other blogs linked to your own blog. So it is kind of makes sense if your blog is popular you will probably have a lot of links from other blogs. This is the way how bloggers demonstrate the popularity, that the blog has a readership.
Thinking about some presence of random sample, I decided to choose blog posts published during 4 weeks randomly selected. So in this way the data is not skewed by any of the media or governemnt discussions of certain economy topics. Although it would be interesting to see if the bloggers discussed the same topics as media did, i.e. function as "echo chamber" to the mainstream media. But to do this kind of study I had to analyze media coverage as well.
My first plunge in the financial blogs really amazed me. I was impressed by several things: some highly popular blogs had Google search function on their website, I was able to search their archive using Google. That really enhanced my user experience with a blog !!!! The majority of the blogs tend to provide their email and talk abou thier occupation. So bloggers are very open to the feedback and do not try to hide behind the nicknames, ofcourse it does not apply to all blogs, just a few I looked at.
In terms of the topics the bloggers discussed I am sure that I will learn about economy, personal finances, etc by reading those blogs. Maybe I will even follow one of them very closely. So in all respects, it is a very educational study!!!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Research proposal
I tried to focus the research as much as I could, to make it more clear and easy to understand. This is my final version of the proposal:
Financial blogging is becoming a popular activity in the 2008. Several signs could demonstrate the increasing popularity of financial blogging. Karyn McCormack (2008) argues that recent events in the financial market have been “great fodder for the growing community of financial bloggers” (p.3). Blogpulse, a service of Nielsen BuzzMetrics found 178,435 messages on economic crisis; 217,705 messages on financial crisis; and 784,375 messages on economy over the period from June, 2008, through November, 2008. A search for financial blogs on Technocrati produced 17,686 blogs (November, 2008). McCormack (2008) points that over the last few years some financial blogs have become popular and widely-read enough to make money using such tools as Google’s AdSense. Media organizations also followed this trend by starting financial blogs that cover the financial markets, deals and the economy, for example, Herb Greenberg's MarketBlog and The New York Times' DealBook (2008).
In the light of the recent Pew Research, which documented that often the press coverage of the economy state has lagged behind economic events, sometimes by months, the question posed by McCormack (2008) “where can you find the smartest, savviest takes on the markets and the economy?” becomes very relevant. The media coverage of economy right before the September 14, 2008, filled only 4.8% of the media newshole (The Lull before the storm). Financial crisis coverage during September 15 October 26, 2008, varied across different media (The meltdown and the media). From August 15 to September 14, 2008, coverage of the economy—which includes themes such as gas prices, banking industry trouble fills, the housing crisis, and retail sales—filled 4.8% of the media newshole. This is only about half the coverage (9.3%) the economy generated from January 15, 2008, through August 14, 2008.
One of the available resources of information on economy and finance matters could be financial bloggers. Russel Bailyn, the author of “Navigating the Financial Blogosphere: How to Benefit from Free Information on the Internet,” pointed out that he started a financial blog as “a forum for discussing commonly asked financial questions,” so it enhances “understanding of this field and improves your performance within it.” Bailyn believes that it is the main reason why it has become a “widely syndicated resource for both ordinary investors and industry professionals.”
The review of the prior research on blogs and blogging revealed that there is little studies on what topics do financial bloggers discuss on their blogs. This category of blogs is a growing area of blogosphere. A search for finance blogs on Technocrati produced 17,686 blogs. Technocrati has a separate blog category: business, which includes business finance, economy, investing, personal finance, real estate, and stocks and bonds, and entrepreneurs.
In the current paper the researcher will look at what are the most popular topics discussed by financial bloggers.
Professional literature on financial blogs
McCormack (2008) believes that financial blogs could be become the place where the most intelligent insights and opinions on the markets can be found. In addition to the mainstream financial media and advisors, investors’ blogs could be a reliable source of information on stocks, since the blogs are updated several times a day with analysis of firms like AOL's BloggingStocks (McCormack, 2008). Investor blogs are a source of both financial news and stock analysis. Such blog as 10Q Detective by David Phillips, a former equity analyst, provides trade alerts as well as the analysis of companies' SEC filings. There are blogs that are devoted to economy in general, such as Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis. According to McCormack (2008), financial blogs could be a way to “gather intelligence to become a better informed investor.”
As McCormack (2008) points out some financial blogs have gathered a big enough audience to generate advertising money using such tools as Google AdSense. There are different motivations behind starting a financial blog. Hogan (2007) describes how one of the bloggers, full-time independent investor, uses his blog to collect his thoughts. Moran (2007) points out that financial advisors use their blogs to share their views on investing and finance management. By being present on the web, the advisors create a cumulative effect on clients’ ability to find them (Moran, 2007).
Leland (2007) points out that there is a category of financial blogs maintained by ordinary people who decided to launch a blog to provide details of their financial life. Dozens of blogs have appeared on the web taking an advantage of online anonymity to talk about fiscal details that they will never share with their closest friends or family members. Some of the bloggers point out that blogging exposure imposes discipline to reduce their debt. According to Leland (2007) blogs reveal the everyday finances of American households during the time of financial uncertainty. People start blogs on personal finances as a way to communicate about those issues and as a way to increase their own awareness of their everyday spending.
Some of the nation’s leading academic economists, such as Paul Krugman, Nouriel Roubini, and Tyler Cowen, along with financial-industry insiders, participated in public, on blogs, discussion of different ways to cope with the financial crisis (Mihm, 2008). As the economic crisis developed financial bloggers provided their analysis and critique as well as various suggestions on how to address the crisis. Mihm (2008) argues that although, it is still not clear how big is the impact of financial blogosphere on Washington’s response to the financial crisis, there is an evidence that every step taken by policy makers are analyzed and critiqued by highly informed economic blogosphere (Mihm, 2008). According to the author, financial blogs provide a crash course on economics but in a much easier and comprehensible way. Mihm (2008) argues that bloggers helped to make the process of policy making more open by discussing publicly various matters ranging from recession to government bailout. There are bloggers who not only discuss economic issues, provide their opinions and suggestions, but also take a more activist role. Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis blog instructed its readers to write their senators and representatives (Mihm, 2008).
Methodology
For the current research, I will conduct content analysis of blog postings on financial blogs. The focus of the current content analysis is to identify, quantify and analyze the most common thematic patterns present in those blog postings. In this particular work I will conduct conceptual analyses, in which a concept (most common themes discussed by bloggers) will be selected, coded and counted. It will serve as a springboard for identifying the coding categories for the further more extensive analysis of financial blogs.
Sampling procedure
I will use Google search to identify five blogs, which are devoted to the discussion of the financial or economy matters. After selecting the blogs I will do a random sample of blog postings on those blogs. The availability of the archive on the blogs allows me to do random sample. The time period of postings which will be chosen for the study is one year, starting 2008, January through January 2009. I will compose a composite month by conducting random sample of blog postings.
RQ: What are the most common themes discussed by financial blogs?
Financial blogging is becoming a popular activity in the 2008. Several signs could demonstrate the increasing popularity of financial blogging. Karyn McCormack (2008) argues that recent events in the financial market have been “great fodder for the growing community of financial bloggers” (p.3). Blogpulse, a service of Nielsen BuzzMetrics found 178,435 messages on economic crisis; 217,705 messages on financial crisis; and 784,375 messages on economy over the period from June, 2008, through November, 2008. A search for financial blogs on Technocrati produced 17,686 blogs (November, 2008). McCormack (2008) points that over the last few years some financial blogs have become popular and widely-read enough to make money using such tools as Google’s AdSense. Media organizations also followed this trend by starting financial blogs that cover the financial markets, deals and the economy, for example, Herb Greenberg's MarketBlog and The New York Times' DealBook (2008).
In the light of the recent Pew Research, which documented that often the press coverage of the economy state has lagged behind economic events, sometimes by months, the question posed by McCormack (2008) “where can you find the smartest, savviest takes on the markets and the economy?” becomes very relevant. The media coverage of economy right before the September 14, 2008, filled only 4.8% of the media newshole (The Lull before the storm). Financial crisis coverage during September 15 October 26, 2008, varied across different media (The meltdown and the media). From August 15 to September 14, 2008, coverage of the economy—which includes themes such as gas prices, banking industry trouble fills, the housing crisis, and retail sales—filled 4.8% of the media newshole. This is only about half the coverage (9.3%) the economy generated from January 15, 2008, through August 14, 2008.
One of the available resources of information on economy and finance matters could be financial bloggers. Russel Bailyn, the author of “Navigating the Financial Blogosphere: How to Benefit from Free Information on the Internet,” pointed out that he started a financial blog as “a forum for discussing commonly asked financial questions,” so it enhances “understanding of this field and improves your performance within it.” Bailyn believes that it is the main reason why it has become a “widely syndicated resource for both ordinary investors and industry professionals.”
The review of the prior research on blogs and blogging revealed that there is little studies on what topics do financial bloggers discuss on their blogs. This category of blogs is a growing area of blogosphere. A search for finance blogs on Technocrati produced 17,686 blogs. Technocrati has a separate blog category: business, which includes business finance, economy, investing, personal finance, real estate, and stocks and bonds, and entrepreneurs.
In the current paper the researcher will look at what are the most popular topics discussed by financial bloggers.
Professional literature on financial blogs
McCormack (2008) believes that financial blogs could be become the place where the most intelligent insights and opinions on the markets can be found. In addition to the mainstream financial media and advisors, investors’ blogs could be a reliable source of information on stocks, since the blogs are updated several times a day with analysis of firms like AOL's BloggingStocks (McCormack, 2008). Investor blogs are a source of both financial news and stock analysis. Such blog as 10Q Detective by David Phillips, a former equity analyst, provides trade alerts as well as the analysis of companies' SEC filings. There are blogs that are devoted to economy in general, such as Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis. According to McCormack (2008), financial blogs could be a way to “gather intelligence to become a better informed investor.”
As McCormack (2008) points out some financial blogs have gathered a big enough audience to generate advertising money using such tools as Google AdSense. There are different motivations behind starting a financial blog. Hogan (2007) describes how one of the bloggers, full-time independent investor, uses his blog to collect his thoughts. Moran (2007) points out that financial advisors use their blogs to share their views on investing and finance management. By being present on the web, the advisors create a cumulative effect on clients’ ability to find them (Moran, 2007).
Leland (2007) points out that there is a category of financial blogs maintained by ordinary people who decided to launch a blog to provide details of their financial life. Dozens of blogs have appeared on the web taking an advantage of online anonymity to talk about fiscal details that they will never share with their closest friends or family members. Some of the bloggers point out that blogging exposure imposes discipline to reduce their debt. According to Leland (2007) blogs reveal the everyday finances of American households during the time of financial uncertainty. People start blogs on personal finances as a way to communicate about those issues and as a way to increase their own awareness of their everyday spending.
Some of the nation’s leading academic economists, such as Paul Krugman, Nouriel Roubini, and Tyler Cowen, along with financial-industry insiders, participated in public, on blogs, discussion of different ways to cope with the financial crisis (Mihm, 2008). As the economic crisis developed financial bloggers provided their analysis and critique as well as various suggestions on how to address the crisis. Mihm (2008) argues that although, it is still not clear how big is the impact of financial blogosphere on Washington’s response to the financial crisis, there is an evidence that every step taken by policy makers are analyzed and critiqued by highly informed economic blogosphere (Mihm, 2008). According to the author, financial blogs provide a crash course on economics but in a much easier and comprehensible way. Mihm (2008) argues that bloggers helped to make the process of policy making more open by discussing publicly various matters ranging from recession to government bailout. There are bloggers who not only discuss economic issues, provide their opinions and suggestions, but also take a more activist role. Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis blog instructed its readers to write their senators and representatives (Mihm, 2008).
Methodology
For the current research, I will conduct content analysis of blog postings on financial blogs. The focus of the current content analysis is to identify, quantify and analyze the most common thematic patterns present in those blog postings. In this particular work I will conduct conceptual analyses, in which a concept (most common themes discussed by bloggers) will be selected, coded and counted. It will serve as a springboard for identifying the coding categories for the further more extensive analysis of financial blogs.
Sampling procedure
I will use Google search to identify five blogs, which are devoted to the discussion of the financial or economy matters. After selecting the blogs I will do a random sample of blog postings on those blogs. The availability of the archive on the blogs allows me to do random sample. The time period of postings which will be chosen for the study is one year, starting 2008, January through January 2009. I will compose a composite month by conducting random sample of blog postings.
RQ: What are the most common themes discussed by financial blogs?
How I chose methodology for my research
This week I was trying to finalize the proposal for the study. I was reading some of the studies that Becky recommended me to: on content analysis, and discourse analysis. It was very useful for me to get better understanding of the method which I decided to use in my study. First, I realized that content analysis is not really such a good method to begin with ;) and that was kind of frustrating for me. Well, I knew before that content analysis is more about identifying, counting and then providing the analysis of what you found. Content analysis does not really provide any depth, you cannot see any kind of relationships between the patterns present in the text...:( Content analysis does not really look at the meaning side of the written communication, sometimes just scratching the surface. At the same time, content analysis is probably more objective, if a researcher cna actually be obejctive entirely, regardless of the method he is using.
So, I had to make a decision- which method shall I choose, shall I do discourse analysis rather than content analysis, or I still choose content analysis.
There are several things, which finally helped choose the method:
first, the main focus for this research is to identify the most common topics the financial bloggers discuss in their blogs.
One of the parts of my main research will be - most common topics discussed by financial bloggers. If we look at the literature, there are no studies that looked at the topics of the financial blogs. Basically, there is very little studies on financial blogs in general.
I was looking at how people idnetified the topics discussed by other blogs, for instance, library blogs. What they did - is a content analysis.
So, that made me thinking, that probably content analysis is the methodology which I should use to achieve the goal of my research. I decided not to use any of the computer software to identify the most common topics, I will be reading the posting myself.
Also for reliability I will have another coder to code at least 10 percent of the postings.
So, I had to make a decision- which method shall I choose, shall I do discourse analysis rather than content analysis, or I still choose content analysis.
There are several things, which finally helped choose the method:
first, the main focus for this research is to identify the most common topics the financial bloggers discuss in their blogs.
One of the parts of my main research will be - most common topics discussed by financial bloggers. If we look at the literature, there are no studies that looked at the topics of the financial blogs. Basically, there is very little studies on financial blogs in general.
I was looking at how people idnetified the topics discussed by other blogs, for instance, library blogs. What they did - is a content analysis.
So, that made me thinking, that probably content analysis is the methodology which I should use to achieve the goal of my research. I decided not to use any of the computer software to identify the most common topics, I will be reading the posting myself.
Also for reliability I will have another coder to code at least 10 percent of the postings.
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