Thematic Analysis Flashcards
Content Analysis
Count the instances of a particular content categories in a dataset, and report them.
Grounded Theory
- A way to analyze data and generate theory. Data collection and analysis are concurrent, until theoretical saturation is reached.
1. Identify codes (irritated, hostile, frustrated, sad, fatigued, suicidal).
- Identify Concepts
(anger and sadness) - Identify broad categories
- Develop theory
What is generic thematic analysis? (Braun and Clarke 2006)
“Thematic analysis is a method for identifying, analyzing, and reporting patterns (themes) within data. It minimally organizes and describes your data set in rich detail.”
3 basic steps in Thematic Analysis
Raw Data –> Codes –> Codes broken down into more broad themes
Sample choosing for thematic analysis
- The sample has to be theoretically interesting
- Only exceptional people should be in this sample
- E.g. all have clinical depression, the top 10% on perfectionism
Inductive Thematic Analysis
Begin analysis without preconceptions, and simply describe what you find
Theoretical Thematic Analysis
Pay special attention to particular themes in the data which you decide on before hand
Semantic Themes
Make no inferences, do not look beyond what the participant has said or written
(semantic usually the preferred method in science)
Latent Themes
Examine the underlying ideas, assumptions, and conceptualizations shaping the semantic content of the data, usually using theory
*Essentialist/Realist Epistemology
Reports the experiences, meanings, and the subjective reality of participants (thematic analysis would almost always take this positions)
Constructionist Epistemology
The ways in which events, realities, meanings, experiences, and so on are the effects of a range of discourse operating within society
6 Steps in Conducting a Thematic Analysis
1) Familiarizing yourself with the data (read and re-read all of your raw data, and take notes as you go)
2) Generate the initial codes (have to decide on the size of the data items, and then assign a short code which summarizes the content of each data item equally)
3) Searching for Themes (sort the codes into similar groups)
4) Review Themes (cross check codes with new themes, can your themes account for all of your codes?)
5) Defining and Naming Themes (provide short definition that summarizes the data)
6) Produce the report (this step one would start writing the paper)
Discourse Analysis
Analyzing the repertoires of discourse a speaker is drawing from, and the kinds of “subject positions” the speaker is doing (e.g. the dutiful daughter, the bad mother, and the damaged child)
Deconstructionism
Tool of the postmodernists to critique, giving air to many voices without creating a coherent whole.
Mixed Methods: Combining qualitative analysis with quantitative methods
By using mixed methods, researchers can test a-priori theories while retaining the complex richness of qualitative analysis
Life Narrative Research
Semi-structured interview, centring on 5 “Critical Events”
- High Point
- Low Point
- Turning Point
- Morality Story
- One “other important story”
Converting Themes to Quantitative Data
Once themes have been identified, they can be converted into quantitative codes for use in analysis.
- Dichotomous often used.
- Can convert themes into numeric codes and then analyze them like any other quantitative variable
Kappa
Categorical
Intraclass correlation
Interval or ordinal
Evaluating Thematic Analysis: Transcription
Data have been transcribed (putting everything into written form) and checked for accuracy
Coding
Equal weighting, avoids using an anecdotal approach, uses all data.
Advantages of Thematic Analysis
- Very flexible, can answer a wide variety of questions from a variety of positions.
- Relatively easy and quick method to learn, and do. Accessible to a wide audience.
- Can usefully summarize key features of a large body of data, and/or offer a thick description of the data set
Disadvantages of Thematic Analysis
- People often fail to follow a strict set of guidelines, resulting in poor analysis
- Cannot move beyond descriptive statements if not used within a theoretical framework
- Cannot determine cause and effect
