This document outlines a workshop on text analysis using AmCAT. It is divided into three sessions: an introduction to AmCAT, automatic analysis using keywords, and manual quantitative content analysis. The introduction covers the role of quantitative content analysis, what AmCAT is, and how to get started. The automatic analysis session demonstrates finding concepts using keywords and analyzing results. The manual analysis session shows how to create codebooks and coding schemas and perform coding in AmCAT. Hands-on exercises are included for each session.

1. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
Text Analysis using AmCAT
Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi
8 July 2013
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

2. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
Workshop outline
Workshop Outline
ˆ Three Sessions
ˆ 14:00 - 15:00 I: AmCAT: Introduction
ˆ 15:00 - 16:00 II: Automatic Analysis
ˆ 16:00 - 17:00 III: Manual Analysis
ˆ Session Format
ˆ Presentation + Hands-on
ˆ Material
ˆ Outline
ˆ Work book
ˆ AmCAT Manual
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

3. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
AmCAT: Introduction
AmCAT: Introduction
ˆ The role of quantitative content analysis
ˆ What is AmCAT?
ˆ Getting started with AmCAT
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

4. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
AmCAT: Introduction
Quantitative Content Analysis
ˆ Repeatable and valid
ˆ Latent or manifest, `objective' or `subjective'
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

5. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
AmCAT: Introduction
Quantitative Content Analysis
ˆ Repeatable and valid
ˆ Latent or manifest, `objective' or `subjective'
ˆ Fixed units of measurement
ˆ Fixed values for variables
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

6. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
AmCAT: Introduction
Manual and Auatmtic Analysis
ˆ Content Analysis as measurement
ˆ Coding of symbolic content to numeric values
ˆ Interpretation / Assignment of meaning
ˆ Automatic Analysis: instruction to computer
ˆ Manual Analysis: instruction and interpretation
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

7. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
AmCAT: Introduction
Combination of analysis techniques
1 Qualitative analysis (inductive)
2 Automtic quantitative analysis
ˆ Measuring concepts under study
ˆ Finding interesting articles
3 Manual quantitative analysis
ˆ Measuring concepts
4 Qualitative analysis (interpretative)
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

8. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
Getting started with AmCAT (ch. 1 and 2.2)
What is AmCAT?
ˆ Framework for text analysis
ˆ Developed at VU University
ˆ Open source, open data, open platform
ˆ Main functions:
ˆ Text storage
ˆ Automatic analysis
ˆ Manual analysis
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

9. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
Getting started with AmCAT (ch. 1 and 2.2)
Key terminology
ˆ Project
ˆ Article
ˆ Article Set
ˆ Index
ˆ Coding Job, Coding Schema, Code Book
ˆ Navigator, Annotator, API
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

10. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
Getting started with AmCAT (ch. 1 and 2.2)
Who can use it? What does it cost?
ˆ AmCAT source code is free and open source
ˆ VU University hosts amcat.vu.nl
ˆ Free to use for small projects
ˆ (no support)
ˆ Contribution requested for larger projects
ˆ (or just setup your own server)
ˆ Development is open but centrally controlled
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

11. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
Getting started with AmCAT (ch. 1 and 2.2)
Getting started with AmCAT
ˆ Creating an account
ˆ Creating a project
ˆ Uploading data
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

12. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
Getting started with AmCAT (ch. 1 and 2.2)
Hands-on session 1
ˆ Create an account and project
ˆ Upload data
ˆ Until 15:00
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

13. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
Finding Conceptsx in Texts using Keywords (ch. 4.1)
Automatic Analysis
ˆ Keywords as concept indicators
ˆ Making good keyword queries
ˆ Analysing and exporting results
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

14. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
Finding Conceptsx in Texts using Keywords (ch. 4.1)
Concepts, words, and indicators
ˆ A Dictionary is a list of:
ˆ Theoretical Concepts
ˆ Operationalized using keywords
ˆ Which are indicators for the concept
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

15. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
Finding Conceptsx in Texts using Keywords (ch. 4.1)
Example searches
(interactive demo)
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

16. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
Finding Conceptsx in Texts using Keywords (ch. 4.1)
AmCAT Query Syntax
(See manual Ÿ4.2 and `search syntax help' in AmCAT)
ˆ Connectors
ˆ war OR conflict
ˆ gaza AND war
ˆ gaza AND (war OR conflict)
ˆ (war OR conflict) NOT drugs
ˆ Wildcards
ˆ war*
ˆ Phrases
ˆ "war on drugs"
ˆ "war drugs"~5
ˆ "palest* (terror* OR suicide)"~10
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

17. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
Finding Conceptsx in Texts using Keywords (ch. 4.1)
Precision and recall
ˆ Query too broad:
ˆ Articles are found that don't contain the concept
ˆ Low precision
ˆ Narrow query using phrases, AND/NOT conditions
ˆ Query too narrow
ˆ Articles are missed that do contain the concept
ˆ Low recall
ˆ Widen query using wildcards, OR synonyms
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

18. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
Finding Conceptsx in Texts using Keywords (ch. 4.1)
Testing the eect of widening/narrowing a search
ˆ Search for narrow and for wide NOT narrow
ˆ After widening a search:
ˆ e.g. war → war*
ˆ Search for war* NOT war, and check resulting
documents
ˆ After narrowing a search
ˆ e.g. suicide → suicide (bomb* OR attack*)~10
ˆ Search for
suicide NOT (suicide (bomb* OR attack*)~10)
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

19. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
Analysing and Exporting Results (ch. 4.3)
Analysing and exporting data in AmCAT
ˆ Trends and patterns: Tabulating data
ˆ You can export raw data, hits, and aggregate results
(interactive demo)
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

20. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
Analysing and Exporting Results (ch. 4.3)
Hands-on session 2
ˆ Create search terms for actors and issues
ˆ Export results
ˆ Until 16:00
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

21. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
Quantitative Content Analysis (ch. 5-7)
Quantitative manual content analysis
ˆ Measure specic, known concepts in specic textual units
ˆ Fixed Unit of measurement
ˆ Sentence or Article
ˆ Fixed sample of articles
ˆ Fixed variables and values
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

22. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
Quantitative Content Analysis (ch. 5-7)
AmCAT jargon
ˆ Codebook: list of values for a single variable
ˆ Coding schema: list of variables and their values
ˆ Coding Job: Article set assigned to someone for coding
using a specic schema
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

23. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
Quantitative Content Analysis (ch. 5-7)
Codebooks
ˆ List of values (codes) for a single variable
ˆ Possible hierarchical organization
ˆ Comparable to SPSS value labels
ˆ Issues
ˆ Economy
ˆ Unemployment
ˆ Economic growth
ˆ . . .
ˆ . . .
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

24. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
Quantitative Content Analysis (ch. 5-7)
Coding schemas
ˆ List of variables and their type
ˆ Field types in AmCAT:
ˆ Text
ˆ Number
ˆ Yes/No
ˆ Quality (-1 . . . +1)
ˆ Codebook
ˆ Comparable to SPSS variables view
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

25. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
Manual analysis in AmCAT (ch. 10)
Manual content analysis in AmCAT
(interactive demo)
ˆ Creating a codebook and coding schema
ˆ Selecting and assigning a sample to code
ˆ Coding
ˆ Exporting results
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

26. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
Manual analysis in AmCAT (ch. 10)
Hands-on session 3
ˆ Create code book, coding schema, coding job
ˆ Code articles and export results
ˆ Until 16:55
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

27. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
Wrap-up: conclusions and road ahead?
What can AmCAT do for me? / What can I do for AmCAT?
ˆ Use AmCAT for your coding or storage needs
ˆ Install your own AmCAT server
ˆ Improve AmCAT by reporting bugs, providing plugins,
adding features
ˆ Write and share (R) scripts/libraries for text-based
analyses
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi

28. Introduction I: AmCAT II: Automatic Analysis III: Manual Analysis Wrap-up
Wrap-up: conclusions and road ahead?
Programma for Thursday
ˆ Proposal: Advanced automatic analysis:
ˆ Tools for improving queries: cluster maps, keyword in
context
ˆ Vocabulary analysis and LDA using the R API
ˆ Semantic Network Analysis: keyword association,
grammatical analysis
Text Analysis using AmCAT Wouter van Atteveldt - Nel Ruigrok - Carina Jacobi