We explain what an analysis is and where the term comes from. Also, what types of analysis exist and examples of each one.
What is an analysis?
An analysis It is a process of studying some aspect of reality, which normally consists of observation, understanding and obtaining logical conclusions. There are many and very diverse ways to undertake an analysis, but in all cases it is an effort to understand a topic.
In all knowledge and disciplines there is some method of analysis through which to obtain results. In fact, the scientific method can be understood as the method of analysis of scientific thinking in general.
Where does the word “analysis” come from?
The term “analysis” has its origins in Greek analysiscomposed of the voices Ann (“over” or “from top to bottom”) and lisys (“dissolution”, “rupture”). From there it follows that analysis is the review of the components or parts of a whole. The term was initially used in the field of mathematics and logic, and its popularization has been attributed to numerous scholars and thinkers, from Alhazen (965-1040) to Galileo Galilei (1564-1642).
See also: Observation
Types of analysis
Depending on its nature, it is possible to distinguish between the following types of analysis:
- Structural analysis. As its name indicates, it focuses on the structure of what is analyzed, that is, on its internal organization, taking into account the parameters and measures that condition the whole.
- Comprehensive analysis. It is the analysis methodology that dismembers or breaks down what is analyzed to separately review each of its components, no matter how minimal, until the available options are exhausted.
- Formal analysis. It refers to the review of the form of what is being studied, rather than its content.
- Theoretical or conceptual analysis. It consists of the study of the fundamental or basic concepts of the topic studied on a mental and ideal level, without taking into consideration the way in which they act in reality.
- Experimental analysis. Unlike theoretical analysis, it is dedicated to understanding the matter from an empirical point of view. An experiment is the reproduction of a natural phenomenon under controlled conditions.
- Quantitative analysis. It only takes into account variables linked to quantity, proportion or volume. Its results, therefore, are also expressed in that same and only sense.
- Qualitative analysis. Unlike quantitative, it takes into account variables linked to quality, that is, to the nature of things, and not to their proportion or abundance.
You may be interested in: Applied research
Analysis Examples
Some examples of analysis are:
- Chemical analysis. Through laboratory techniques and specialized instruments, it consists of understanding matter from its elementary particles, as well as the reactions that occur or can occur between them.
- Artistic analysis. This type of analysis uses great skills of subjectivity, so that it is not so much scientific knowledge, but interpretive knowledge.
- Clinical analysis. Within the field of medicine, it consists of experiments or probes carried out with the patient's body to determine the source of their discomfort and define a treatment.
- Discourse analysis. It is one of the most specialized aspects of Linguistics. Systematically studies verbal language and, above all, oral and written discourse.
- Financial analysis. Carried out annually by companies and investment services, these are exhaustive balance sheets of property and money, debts and assets, to determine the general state of the organization's finances.
References
- Royal Spanish Academy. (2001). Analysis. Dictionary of the Spanish Language. https://www.rae.es
- The Editors of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2024). Analysis. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com
