Integrating content analysis and social network analysis for analyzing asynchronous discussion forum

Abstract

Asynchronous Discussion Forum (ADF) is now regularly as a component of Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) and take a central place in Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL). However, it is apparent that the field of CMC or CSCL lacks established methodologies to analyze it. This paper discusses the problem overview and offers a solution concept to integrate between content Analysis (CA) and Social Network Analysis (SNA). This approach is proposed as a potential method to analyze not only the communication transcripts but also the communication structures of interaction during discussion. It filters unrelated messages from the discussion content, before being analyzed by SNA. A more reliable and meaningful result is expected from this approach.