Qualitative Research: Thematic Analysis

Study Notes

Themes in Research

Themes reflect the perceptions and experiences of participants relevant to the research question.
Two approaches to derive themes:
- Inductive: Emerges directly from the data collected.
- A priori: Based on existing knowledge and theoretical frameworks.
A priori themes can originate from:
- Characteristics of the phenomenon.
- Established definitions in literature reviews.
- Common constructs recognized locally.
- Researchers' personal values and experiences.

Thematic Analysis

Thematic analysis identifies patterns and themes within qualitative data.
It is considered a foundational qualitative research method, aiding in skills development for further analyses.
The purpose is to highlight important or interesting themes that can address research questions.
Effective thematic analysis goes beyond simple data summarization to interpret and contextualize findings.
One common mistake is using the primary interview questions as themes, which may oversimplify the analysis.

Six-Phase Guide for Conducting Thematic Analysis

Familiarization with Data:
- Read and re-read transcripts to become deeply acquainted with the full dataset (data corpus).
- Make preliminary notes and observations during this phase.
Generate Initial Codes:
- Organize data systematically by identifying meaningful patterns and labeling them accordingly.
Search for Themes:
- Collate identified codes into potential themes, maintaining a focus on insights that adequately represent the data.

Description

Explore the concepts of thematic analysis and theme derivation in qualitative research. This quiz focuses on understanding inductive and a priori approaches to identifying important themes that address research questions. Test your knowledge on the foundational methods of qualitative analysis and common pitfalls to avoid.