7.3: Thematic analysis

Question 1

Thematic analysis

Answer 1

Thematic analysis is a method of qualitative research linked to content analysis that involves:

1. Analysing data to identify the patterns within it
2. Summarising qualitative data

Question 2

Thematic analysis is a method of qualitative research linked to content analysis that involves analysing data to identify the patterns within it and summarising qualitative data.
Unlike content analysis, what?

Answer 2

Unlike content analysis, the information is not converted into quantitative data - it remains qualitative

Question 3

Thematic analysis is a method of qualitative research linked to content analysis that involves analysing data to identify the patterns within it and summarising qualitative data.
Unlike content analysis, the information is not converted into quantitative data - it remains qualitative.
What does the researcher do?

Answer 3

The researcher:

1. Looks for themes that recur in texts
2. Summarises these themes in a narrative report using quotations from the data as evidence

Question 4

Thematic analysis is a method of qualitative research linked to content analysis that involves analysing data to identify the patterns within it and summarising qualitative data.
Unlike content analysis, the information is not converted into quantitative data - it remains qualitative.
The researcher looks for themes that recur in texts and summarises these themes in a narrative report using quotations from the data as evidence.
The identified themes become the categories for analysis, with thematic analysis performed through the process of coding involving how many stages?

Answer 4

The identified themes become the categories for analysis, with thematic analysis performed through the process of coding involving 6 stages:

1. Familiarisation with the data
2. Coding
3. Searching for themes
4. Reviewing themes
5. Defining and naming themes
6. Writing up

Question 5

Thematic analysis is a method of qualitative research linked to content analysis that involves analysing data to identify the patterns within it and summarising qualitative data.
Unlike content analysis, the information is not converted into quantitative data - it remains qualitative.
The researcher looks for themes that recur in texts and summarises these themes in a narrative report using quotations from the data as evidence.
The identified themes become the categories for analysis, with thematic analysis performed through the process of coding involving 6 stages - Familiarisation with the data, coding, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes and writing up.
1. What does familiarisation with the data involve?

Answer 5

Familiarisation involves intensely reading the data, to become immersed in its content

Question 6

Thematic analysis is a method of qualitative research linked to content analysis that involves analysing data to identify the patterns within it and summarising qualitative data.
Unlike content analysis, the information is not converted into quantitative data - it remains qualitative.
The researcher looks for themes that recur in texts and summarises these themes in a narrative report using quotations from the data as evidence.
The identified themes become the categories for analysis, with thematic analysis performed through the process of coding involving 6 stages - Familiarisation with the data, coding, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes and writing up.
2. What does coding involve?

Answer 6

Coding involves generating codes (labels) that identify features of the data that are important to answering the research question

Question 7

Thematic analysis is a method of qualitative research linked to content analysis that involves analysing data to identify the patterns within it and summarising qualitative data.
Unlike content analysis, the information is not converted into quantitative data - it remains qualitative.
The researcher looks for themes that recur in texts and summarises these themes in a narrative report using quotations from the data as evidence.
The identified themes become the categories for analysis, with thematic analysis performed through the process of coding involving 6 stages - Familiarisation with the data, coding, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes and writing up.
3. What does searching for themes involve?

Answer 7

Searching for themes involves examining the codes and data to identify patterns of meaning (potential themes)

Question 8

Thematic analysis is a method of qualitative research linked to content analysis that involves analysing data to identify the patterns within it and summarising qualitative data.
Unlike content analysis, the information is not converted into quantitative data - it remains qualitative.
The researcher looks for themes that recur in texts and summarises these themes in a narrative report using quotations from the data as evidence.
The identified themes become the categories for analysis, with thematic analysis performed through the process of coding involving 6 stages - Familiarisation with the data, coding, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes and writing up.
4. What does reviewing themes involve?

Answer 8

Reviewing themes involves checking the potential themes against the data, to see if they:

1. Explain the data
2. Answer the research question

Question 9

Thematic analysis is a method of qualitative research linked to content analysis that involves analysing data to identify the patterns within it and summarising qualitative data.
Unlike content analysis, the information is not converted into quantitative data - it remains qualitative.
The researcher looks for themes that recur in texts and summarises these themes in a narrative report using quotations from the data as evidence.
The identified themes become the categories for analysis, with thematic analysis performed through the process of coding involving 6 stages - Familiarisation with the data, coding, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes and writing up.
4. Reviewing themes involves checking the potential themes against the data, to see if they explain the data and explain the research question.
What happens to the themes?

Answer 9

The themes are refined

Question 10

Thematic analysis is a method of qualitative research linked to content analysis that involves analysing data to identify the patterns within it and summarising qualitative data.
Unlike content analysis, the information is not converted into quantitative data - it remains qualitative.
The researcher looks for themes that recur in texts and summarises these themes in a narrative report using quotations from the data as evidence.
The identified themes become the categories for analysis, with thematic analysis performed through the process of coding involving 6 stages - Familiarisation with the data, coding, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes and writing up.
4. Reviewing themes involves checking the potential themes against the data, to see if they explain the data and explain the research question.
The themes are refined, which can involve doing what?

Answer 10

The themes are refined, which can involve:
1. Splitting
2. Combining
Or,
3. Discarding
themes

Question 11

Thematic analysis is a method of qualitative research linked to content analysis that involves analysing data to identify the patterns within it and summarising qualitative data.
Unlike content analysis, the information is not converted into quantitative data - it remains qualitative.
The researcher looks for themes that recur in texts and summarises these themes in a narrative report using quotations from the data as evidence.
The identified themes become the categories for analysis, with thematic analysis performed through the process of coding involving 6 stages - Familiarisation with the data, coding, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes and writing up.
5. What does defining and naming themes involve?

Answer 11

Defining and naming themes involves:

1. A detailed analysis of each theme
2. Creating an informative name for each one

Question 12

Thematic analysis is a method of qualitative research linked to content analysis that involves analysing data to identify the patterns within it and summarising qualitative data.
Unlike content analysis, the information is not converted into quantitative data - it remains qualitative.
The researcher looks for themes that recur in texts and summarises these themes in a narrative report using quotations from the data as evidence.
The identified themes become the categories for analysis, with thematic analysis performed through the process of coding involving 6 stages - Familiarisation with the data, coding, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes and writing up.
6. What does writing up involve?

Answer 12

Writing up involves combining together the information gained from the analysis

Question 13

Thematic analysis goes beyond just counting words or phrases and involves identifying what within data?

Answer 13

Thematic analysis:

1. Goes beyond just counting words or phrases
2. Involves identifying ideas within data

Question 14

Thematic analysis goes beyond just counting words or phrases and involves identifying ideas within data.
Analysis can involve the comparison of themes, identification of co-occurrences of themes and using what to display differences between themes?

Answer 14

Analysis can involve:

1. The comparison of themes
2. Identification of co-occurrences of themes
3. Using graphs to display differences between themes