In a content analysis a category systems is often required. One can develop an own one which is a lot of work, or one can use already existing category systems.

This section describes already existing category systems, the name and the number of categories and the number of search patterns. Also information is provided which category systems are available in several languages and what software they require.

One can use these category systems as a basis for one's own research. It is possible to edit a category systems and adapt it.

The category systems are either general category systems or specialised on a certain topic.

Note on software: In the last 55 years (from 1970 - 2025) many programs were developed, but after a few decades the development was stopped, or the software changed its name.

CoAn: originally an MS-DOS program, its status is currently unclear, the website is down.

Cofta: a compiler for the analysis of texts, developed at the Konrad-Adenauer Foundation in the 1970s. It ran at least on IBM-mainframes under MVS.

Intext: first developed on an IBM Mainframe and written in PL/1 in the 1980s, a PC version was released in 1988 written in C using MS-DOS. In the 1990s the name changed to TextQuest that runs under MS-Windows and Mac OS. 2025 a completly new version was released.

Textpack: developed on IBM and Siemens mainframes in the 1970s, there was also a PC-version using Fortran 77. Also a Windows version was developed, but there is no new version available. Gesis does not mention it on its web pages.

The help of Robert Hogenraad (developer of Protan) and Normand Peladeau (developer of WordStat and QDAMiner) is to be mentioned here. They provided many category systems so that users of different software can use them.

Also three colleagues all named Klaus supported me in the last decades: Klaus Krippendorf, Klaus Merten and Klaus Schönbach.