Analysing Qual Data- Thematic Analysis

Question 1

Whats the aim of analysis?

Answer 1

identify key themes/concepts
understand relationships between themes/concepts
present key themes that teach us about the phenomenon being studied/ complications

Question 2

Validity in data

Answer 2

1- impact and importance
presenting enough detail to demonstrate the implications of the study results

2- sensitivity to context
the analysis is sensitive to sample/experience and not just interpreted from the researchers viewpoint
Get other researchers to look at themes

3- coherence and transparency
being clear and transparent about how results were generated
Justify suitability of method
step-by-step description of data analysis
examples of data analysis and a theme table
Reflexive accounts of researchers impact on data collection and analysis

4- commitment and rigour
having the commitment to the method and using them to a sufficient level to adequately answer the research question

Yardley 2008

Question 3

1st step of thematic analysis

Answer 3

Familiarising oneself with the data
- start to take initial steps
- very important
‘read through the entire data set at least once before u start coding’

Question 4

2nd step

Answer 4

generating initial codes

• this is when we start to see initial codes from the data
• data vs theory driven
• how you code is up to you but code everything you can

Question 5

3rd step

Answer 5

searching for themes
- organising codes/ combining them
codes as themes
miscellaneous

Question 6

4th step

Answer 6

reviewing themes

• this stage is reviewing themes that have been created

are there two similar ones?
how do they relate to your reflexive notes?
is each theme clearly identifiable?
talk to others for validity
is there enough data to support each theme?
are u forcing the theme?

Question 7

5th step

Answer 7

defining and naming themes 
 producing definitions of your themes 
what the essence of your themes?
A THEME CANNOT do too much - keep it simple
how does it fit into broader narrative?

Question 8

what makes a theme?

Answer 8

there will be indivdual diffs in what we understand theme to be, but there should be good overlap

you should use these 6 steps but recognise flexibility

the keyness of a theme is not necessarily dependant on quantifiable measures

Taylor and Ussher 2001 making sense of S&M

Question 9

Potential pitfalls

Answer 9

1 Analyse dont describe
2. dont make questions themes
3 Disconnection between data and analysis
4 mISMATHC BETWEEN THEORY AND CLAIMS (More theoretical)