Weaknesses

Extremely time consuming: It can take a substantial amount of time to design and execute the study, which is unavailable in a crisis and quite inconvenient for quick analysis. Inexperienced analysts should not be allowed to use this technique due to time required for training.

Coding: Human coding is inconsistent and prone to discrepancies, while creating an initial dictionary for computer coding can take years even for a highly trained professional.

Vulnerable to bias: There is no manual or set guidelines available on how to evaluate the results; therefore, the analysis is vulnerable to subjective interpretations. An inexperienced analyst without an in-depth understanding of the target will not be able to draw useful conclusions from the data.

Not always comprehensive: In some cases, it is simply impossible to incorporate all the facts or know if analyst included enough data into the study.