A Content Analysis of the First Year of the HEDIR List: Implications for the Future

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1995

Publication Title

Journal of Health Education

DOI

10.1080/10556699.1995.10603135

Abstract

A content analysis of the HEDIR listserv was conducted on the first year's messages. The HEDIR listserv is an electronic mail technique to distribute a single memo among hundreds of individuals. The themes, or categories, for the content analysis consisted of: Job Announcements, Professional Growth/Current Events, Update Directory Information, HEDIR Discussion, Information Request, Information Reply, Error Messages, and Miscellaneous. Inter– and intra–coder reliabilities mean percentile agreement was established at 92.3 percent, ensuring that messages were assigned to category of best fit. Descriptive data analysis included frequency distributions and percentages reported by category and time.

Results indicated that interest in HEDIR listserv is high as demonstrated by its rapid growth over the first year. Yearly totals reveal that membership and organization affiliation doubled. At the 1994 year' end, results showed that 92.8 percent of its members work in a university setting. Three hundred eighty–two total messages were recorded in 1994, with an average of 32 per month. Categories of high usage included Information Request and Error Messages.

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