Qualitative Research THREE Flashcards
What is thematic analysis?
Thematic analysis:
“Thematic analysis is a method for identifying, analysing and reporting patterns (themes) within data. It organises and describes your data in detail. However, frequently it goes further than this, and interprets various aspects of the research topic”
Descriptive = content analysis
Interoperative = thematic analysis
“making sense” of the data using thematic analysis involves:
Transcribing data –> written or oral text
Familiarisation (1) –> reading and note taking
Organising data into identifiable units of meaning (coding) (2) –> interesting features identified and named.
Constructing categories (3) –> combining coding information
Naming and reviewing against data (4)
Identifying themes (5)
What is phase one of thematic analysis?
Phase 1: Familiarization
Familiarization with the data: is common to all forms of qualitative analysis – the researcher must immerse themselves in, and become intimately familiar with, their data
Reading and re-reading the data (and listening to audio-recorded data at least once, if relevant). Don’t jump straight into coding!
Note down any initial analytic observations, questions, emotional reactions
What is phase two of thematic analysis?
Phase 2: Generating codes
Coding is also a common element of many approaches to qualitative analysis this involves generating labels for important features of the data of relevance to the (broad) research question guiding the analysis.
Coding is not simply a method of data reduction, it is also an analytic process, so codes capture both a semantic (what is said) and conceptual (what it means) reading of the data.
The researcher codes every data item and ends this phase by collating all their codes and relevant data extracts
What is phase three of thematic analysis?
Phase 3: Constructing candidate themes
A theme is a coherent and meaningful pattern in the data relevant to the research question.
If codes are the bricks and tiles in a brick and tile house, then themes are the walls and roof panels. Constructing candidate themes is like testing possible designs for houses using the resources you have available.
Constructing is an active process; themes are not hidden in the data waiting to be discovered by the researcher, rather the researcher builds themes from codes.
The researcher ends this phase by collating all the coded data relevant to each theme. Thematic analysis of qualitative data
What is phase four of thematic analysis?
Phase 4: Reviewing themes
Reviewing themes involves checking that the themes ‘work’ in relation to both the coded extracts and the full data-set.
The researcher should reflect on whether the themes tell a convincing and compelling story about the data, and begin to define the nature of each individual theme, and the relationship between the themes.
Is it really reflective of the data? It may be necessary to collapse two themes together or to split a theme into two or more themes, or to discard the candidate themes altogether and begin again the process of theme development.
e.g., you might have 3 similar themes that could be collapsed into one theme
What is phase five of thematic analysis?
Phase 5: Defining and naming themes
Defining and naming themes requires the researcher to conduct and write a detailed analysis of each theme.
The researcher should ask ‘what story does this theme tell?’ and ‘how does this theme fit into the overall story about the data?’
This means identifying the essence of each theme and constructing a concise, punchy and informative name for each theme.
What is phase six of thematic analysis?
Phase 6: Write up
“how do you represent your themes”
Writing is an integral element of the analytic process in thematic analysis (and most qualitative research).
Writing-up involves weaving together the analytic narrative and (vivid) data extracts to tell the reader a coherent and persuasive story about the data.
You can use extracts of data illustratively or analytically.
It also means putting your work into context in relation to existing literature
What are the advantages of thematic analysis?
Advantages of thematic analysis
❖ Flexibility (theoretically and with data types)
❖ Relatively easy and quick method to learn, and do
❖ Accessible to researchers with little or no experience of qualitative research
❖ Results are generally accessible to educated general public
❖ Useful method for working within participatory research paradigm, with participants as collaborators
