Thematic Analysis
Thematic Analysis
Thematic Analysis
Defining thematic analysis Thematic analysis has been defi ned broadly as “a way of
seeing” and “making sense out of seemingly unrelated material” ( Boyatzis, 1998 , p. 4).
Braun and Clarke (2006 ) identify it as a method for identifying and analyzing patterns of
meaning in a dataset (i.e., texts). 2 The process is seen as organic and refl exive,
requiring an “engaged, intuitive” investigator who considers “the ways in which they are
experience” ( Braun, Clarke, & Terry, 2015 , p. 107). The goal is to develop a story from
the texts of interest. The investigator notes patterns and themes from the coded texts
and from this may construct a codebook, a structured compendium of codes that
includes a description of how codes interrelate ( Guest et al., 2012 , p. 50). Coding
categories often form a hierarchy of categories ( Joffe & Yardley, 2004 ). The end result
of a thematic analysis will highlight the most salient “constellations” of meanings present
in the texts ( Joffe, 2012 ). Themes may be presented in a map, indicating processes or
hierarchy among the themes ( Braun, Clarke, & Terry, 2015 ). The typical process of
thematic analysis Clarke and Braun (2014 ; see also Braun & Clarke, 2006 , and Braun,
Clarke, & Rance, 2015 , pp. 188–189) present a recursive six-phase process for
thematic analysis: 1 Familiarising oneself with the data (text; may be transcriptions) and
identifying items of potential interest 2 Generating initial codes that identify important
features of the data relevant to answering the research question(s); applying codes to
the dataset (segmenting and “tagging”) consistently; collating codes across segments of
the dataset 3 Searching for themes; examining the codes and collated data to identify
broader patterns of meaning 4 Reviewing themes; applying the potential themes to the
dataset to determine if they tell a convincing story that answers the research
question(s); themes may be refi ned, split, combined, or discarded 5 Defi ning and
weaving together the analytic narrative and data segments, relating the analysis to
extant literature
process of developing codes and the full process of thematic analysis. Altheide and
Schneider (2013 ) outline the process of developing themes and frames for the analysis
of media content. And Saldaña (2016 ) provides a detailed guide of the “how to” of
coding for qualitative analysis. In addition to the development of codes and the identifi
cation of themes, other analytic techniques may assist in constructing the story of the
data ( Guest et al., 2012 ), such as word searches and key-word-in-context (KWIC)
output. For this, computer adjuncts are employed, called QDAS (qualitative data
such as NVivo 11, Atlas.ti, and QDA Miner provide organizing power and give basic
quantitative summaries as well (see Joffe & Yardley, 2004 ). The typical QDAS
functions include the facilitation of the creation of a codebook with defi nitions and
examples, the application by the investigator of codes, comments, and memos to text
(“text” may also include images and multimedia content), the retrieval of content
relationships among codes (e.g., via network concept mapping, dendrograms, or cluster
; Joffe & Yardley, 2004 ). And some investigators have indeed included a consideration
et al., 2013 ). Examples of thematic analysis Examples of thematic analyses show the
range of message content that may be examined and the types of fi ndings that are
typical. In all cases, themes are an outcome, and these themes may be further
(2010 ) sought to discover the perspective of individuals who have lived with an
ections/descriptive narratives. Initial analyses produced 135 codes, which were grouped
into 10 categories, such as “attacking sense of self,” “demanding and harsh task
master,” and “breaking free.” Further, three stages of the “voice” were identifi ed in a
model of change from positive to negative: “being drawn into the relationship”;
“ensnared in the relationship”; and “life without the relationship.” In a study of online
support groups of individuals with Parkinson’s disease, Attard and Coulson (2012 )
studied a random sample of postings in four discussion forums over the years 2003–
2010. The 1,013 messages in the sample revealed six major themes and 16
subthemes. For example, the theme “Welcome to the land of the Parky people” included
formation”; the theme “It’s like a graveyard at the moment,” included the subthemes of
ended written responses to the query “How would you defi ne sexual satisfaction?” were
the focus of a thematic analysis by Pascoal, Narciso, and Pereira (2014 ). They
developed a three-level hierarchical thematic map from codes derived from responses
generated by 760 heterosexual participants. Their main themes (at the highest, or third,
level) were “personal sexual well-being” and “dyadic processes,” with the latter divided
into three subthemes (at the second level) and fi ve codes (at the fi rst level). Content
analysis Defi ning content analysis A brief defi nition of content analysis has been
message content. Analyses may be as complex as for any other quantitative study,
Neuendorf et al., 2010 ; Sultan & Wong, 2011 ) Human-coded content analysis vs.
CATA Content analysis may be executed by human coding according to a predefi ned
coding scheme or by computer program using a predefi ned set of search dictionaries
and algorithms (often termed computer-aided text analysis, or CATA). For all types of
Examples of coding schemes may be found at the Content Analysis Guidebook Online (
process of content analysis As delineated in Neuendorf (2017 ), the typical steps in the
identifi cation of variables to be included in the study and conceptual defi nitions of them
derived from theory, past research, and possible emergent variables from an inductive
training and pilot intercoder reliability assessment 7 Coding 8 Final intercoder reliability
second main way is via performance-based measures ( Weiner & Greene, 2017 ). The
latter includes assessment via Rorschach testing, thematic apperception tests (TAT), fi
gure-drawing methods, and sentence completion methods. The scoring of the output of
raters/coders are trained on a coding scheme, and their interrater reliability is assessed
( Jenkins, 2017 ; Weiner & Greene, 2017 ). Smith et al. (1992 ; see also Smith, 2000 )
presents a large volume of predefi ned coding schemes for the nonclinical
volume began with a focus on the needs of scholars coding TAT outcomes but was
motive, and psychological stances toward the environment, among many others.
Content analysis has also been used to assess psychometrics for clinical purposes, as
with the coding scheme developed by Gottschalk and colleagues. The CATA form of
this scheme, PCAD, is described in the next section. CATA options There are dozens of
available computer-aided text analysis (CATA) programs (see Neuendorf, 2017 , for a
fuller list and comparison chart). Some of the more useful CATA programs that show
the range of options are: PCAD (Psychiatric Content Analysis and Diagnosis) The
was the life’s work of Louis Gottschalk. With his team, he fi rst developed an elaborate
Gottschalk, 1995 ; Gottschalk & Bechtel, 2007 ; 2008 ). The 40 PCAD measures include
14 subscales for depression, cognitive impairment, and six anxiety subscales. Unlike
most other content analyses (and thematic analyses), PCAD is designed for idiographic
purposes. 4 That is, the 40 measures are applied to an individual in order to produce
“candidate diagnoses for consideration” for that individual. For example, President
Ronald Reagan was found to exhibit a “signifi cant increase” in cognitive impairment
between the 1980 and 1984 presidential debates (although Gottschalk held the release
of the fi ndings until 1987; Romney, 1997 ). LIWC2015 (Linguistic Inquiry and Word
by individuals who had undergone traumatic experiences, LIWC has since been used in
a wide array of other applications ( Pennebaker, 2011 ; Pennebaker et al., 2015 ). LIWC
cognitive processes, such as inhibition), and other constructs. Pennebaker and Chung
(2009 ) applied LIWC to texts authored by al-Qaeda leaders Osama bin Laden and
Ayman al-Zawahiri, comparing their speech with that of other extremist groups,
concluding that bin Laden increased his cognitive complexity and emotionality after 9/11
and that post-2003 the use of anger and hostility words by both al-Qaeda leaders was
much higher than that for other extremist groups. Profi ler Plus Profi ler Plus is a
“general purpose text analytics (natural language processing) system” that allows for
The platform offers a number of coding schemes that have already been created for
complexity. A number of Profi ler Plus coding schemes are computerized adaptations of
psychometric measures presented in the Smith et al. (1992 ) volume, including need for
achievement, need for affi liation, and need for power. User-created, custom coding
useful for analysts who are constructing their own CATA dictionaries. Yoshikoder
performs basic functions, such as word counts, dictionary term counts/data, KWIC, and
concordances, making it a good vehicle via which to learn the typical process and
principal functions of CATA. The program provides options for the use of both predefi
the range of message content that may be examined and the types of fi ndings that are
typical. Both humancoded and CATA examples show how predefi ned coding schemes
and CATA dictionaries are employed to produce quantitative data for analysis.
Tiggemann and Zaccardo (2016 ) conducted a human-coded content analysis of 600
images on Instagram marked with the “fi tspiration” hashtag. Their a priori coding
scheme included measures of body type, activity, objectifi cation, and inspirational and
dysfunctional quotes. Intercoder reliability was acceptable for each of the 11 measured
variables. Results included the fi nding that most images of women represented only
one body type – thin (75.2%) and visibly toned (56.2%). Further, a majority of images
interviews were the content analyzed in Stahl and Caligiuri’s (2005 ) study of coping
Interviews were conducted with 116 German managers in Japan or the U.S. A coding
developed via a combination of inspection of past literature and emergent codes from
an examination of the interview transcripts. All variables in the coding scheme were
found to have acceptable intercoder reliability. The most frequently reported coping
strategies were “emphasizes the positive in a diffi cult situation,” “tries to control the
strategies were further divided into two types: problem-focused ( k = 14) and emotion-
focused ( k = 16). Combining these data with additional self-report survey data from the
166 managers, the investigators found that the prediction of cross-cultural adjustment
from the use of problem-focused coping strategies was moderated by cultural distance
and position level. Bligh, Kohles, and Meindl (2004 ) examined how elements of the
applied to 74 speeches collected from the offi cial White House website ( n = 39 pre-
DICTION were the focus. In ANCOVA statistical analyses, it was found that the post
9/11 speeches were signifi cantly more likely to incorporate references to collectives,
faith, patriotism, and aggression and less likely to reference ambivalence (after
controlling for speech length and word variety). There was no pre/post difference found
for the measure of optimism. Blended approaches Thematic analysis and content
analysis each has its own set of characteristics that might be viewed as advantages,
and each has limitations (see Braun & Clarke, 2013 ). Thematic analysis produces a
instrument, and reliability among investigators is not typically assessed. 5 For content
perspective of an investigator. The instrument is not the investigator but rather the
coding scheme, which is not adaptable during the fi nal coding process. Reliability
al., 2012 ), as well as the triangulation of methods across studies. A purposeful pairing
complementary goals of each ( Gray & Densten, 1998 ; Hardy, Harley, & Phillips, 2004
(2006 ) called for a hybrid approach to thematic analysis, including both deductive and
inductive coding. Walker, van Jaarsveld, and Skarlicki (2017 ) utilized a mixed-method
approach to analyzing customer service employee incivility toward customers. Brough,
analysis and thematic analysis in which an initial, a priori content analysis coding
returned to work within a year of the birth of a child. The resulting scheme was
assessed for reliability by the inclusion of an additional coder. The study exemplified the
analysis techniques, including the oft-used content analysis and thematic analysis, has
psychology. These two sets of methods produce different types of conclusions, with
and thematic analysis most typically resulting in qualitative, inductive, conclusions about
themes in message content. The two types may be seen as complementary, each
rather thin and discreet line. . . [as] most qualitative studies do contain some kind of
the phenomenon under investigation and to the analytical strategies used to describe or
summarize the phenomenon. For example, the typical task of quantitative measurement
discourse analysis, and conversation analysis (see Alhojailan, 2012 ; Harper &
Thompson, 2012 ; Rohleder & Lyons, 2015 ; Smith, J. A., 2008 ). Thematic analysis is
research approaches (e.g., phenomenology). 3 The more detailed defi nition given in
analysis of messages that follows the standards of the scientifi c method (including
generalizability, replicability, and hypothesis testing based on theory) and is not limited
as to the types of variables that may be measured or the context in which the messages
have used the PCAD measures on multiple cases for nomothetic purposes (for the
distinction between idiographic and nomothetic approaches, see Te’eni, 1998 , and
Weiner & Green, 2017 ). For example, Smith ( Smith, S. S., 2008 ) applied measures
from PCAD, as well as from Profi ler Plus, to 96 instances of threatening communication
from FBI case fi les. Among other fi ndings, she reported that threateners exhibiting less
ambivalent hostility (from PCAD) and higher conceptual complexity (from Profi ler Plus)
were more likely to act on their threat. 5 Some scholars have proposed processes of
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