On the Timelessness and Timeliness of Categorical Analysis: the Past, Present, and Yet to Come of searching for Latent Meanings

Abstract

From the past to the present, and from the present into the future, this paper (re)discovers categorical analysis as a cross qualitative technique, adapted to old and new communication objects. Categorical analysis has been performed on a wide variety of written, audio and visual documents, and undertaken by researchers in many different disciplines, including sociology, psychology, anthropology and political science, but also communication, management, marketing, sports, tourism, art or literature studies. Over the years and transversely, researchers using categorical analysis engage on a systematic and in-depth analysis of material looking for the latent meanings allowing to understand social reality. In this text, empirical illustration of such an endeavour is taken from the author’s own work operating QSR’s ©NVivo qualitative software. The detailed presentation and reflection upon a case study aims at leaving in the possible reader an impressionist trait on the long yet challenging path from data collection to the scientific writing. Ultimately, this text intends to be a creative venue, leading the very beginner student, the most fledgling or established researcher, employing either the pencil or laptop, free to imagine, design and explore innovative research objects of analysis through categorical analysis.