主题分析法的内涵、提出者、与扎根理论的区别、应用领域及注意事项
主题分析法:内涵界定、类型分歧与与相邻方法的边界
该组文献共同回答“主题分析是什么/如何分类/与内容分析、话语分析等区分/适用边界是什么”。其中既包含对TA争议点与常见误区的概念澄清,也包含面向初学者的通用可用性说明与写作/流程定位,同时补充了与相邻方法的关系、在健康与心理学情境下的价值主张。
- Understanding Thematic Analysis and the Debates Involving Its Use(H. Morgan, 2022, The Qualitative Report)
- Understanding Thematic Analysis and its Pitfall(M. Javadi, Koroush Zarea, 2016, Journal of Client Care)
- Thematic Analysis/Interpretive Thematic Analysis(Brittany L. Peterson, 2017, The International Encyclopedia of Communication Research Methods)
- Content Analysis, Thematic Analysis and DiscourseAnalysis(Rusi Jaspal, 2020, Research Methods in Psychology)
- Thematic analysis(Victoria Clarke, Virginia Braun, 2017, The Journal of Positive Psychology)
- Conceptual and design thinking for thematic analysis(Virginia Braun, Victoria Clarke, 2021, Qualitative Psychology)
- Understanding How Learners Use Massive Open Online Courses and Why They Drop Out(Ghada Refaat El Said, 2017, Journal of Educational Computing Research)
- How to use thematic analysis with interview data (process research)(Virginia Braun, Victoria Clarke, N. Rance, 2014, The Counselling and Psychotherapy Research Handbook)
- Can I use TA? Should I use TA? Should I not use TA? Comparing reflexive thematic analysis and other pattern‐based qualitative analytic approaches(Virginia Braun, Victoria Clarke, 2020, Counselling and Psychotherapy Research)
- Thematic analysis of qualitative research data: Is it as easy as it sounds?(Ashley N. Castleberry, Amanda L. Nolen, 2018, Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning)
- General-purpose thematic analysis: a useful qualitative method for anaesthesia research.(T. Jowsey, C. Deng, J. Weller, 2021, BJA Education)
- Content analysis and thematic analysis: Implications for conducting a qualitative descriptive study.(M. Vaismoradi, H. Turunen, T. Bondas, 2013, Nursing & Health Sciences)
- What can “thematic analysis” offer health and wellbeing researchers?(Virginia Braun, Victoria Clarke, 2014, International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being)
- Using thematic analysis in psychology(Virginia Braun, Victoria Clarke, 2006, Qualitative Research in Psychology)
- Using thematic analysis in psychology(Virginia Braun, Victoria Clarke, 2006, Qualitative Research in Psychology)
- Using thematic analysis in psychology(Virginia Braun, Victoria Clarke, 2006, Qualitative Research in Psychology)
主题分析的操作流程与最佳实践:反思性TA、可报告性与质量控制(含饱和度讨论)
该组聚焦“怎么把TA做得更严谨、怎么写得更可复核”。核心是反思性TA(reflexive TA)的连贯性要求、报告规范与可报告性、方法与哲学立场的一致性、以及质量指标(含对饱和度的实现/论证方式)的讨论;同时也纳入在实在论/批判实在论框架下对严谨性与有效性的处理。
- Supporting best practice in reflexive thematic analysis reporting in Palliative Medicine: A review of published research and introduction to the Reflexive Thematic Analysis Reporting Guidelines (RTARG)(Virginia Braun, Victoria Clarke, 2024, Palliative Medicine)
- Is thematic analysis used well in health psychology? A critical review of published research, with recommendations for quality practice and reporting(Virginia Braun, Victoria Clarke, 2023, Health Psychology Review)
- How to use thematic analysis in qualitative research(P. Christou, 2022, Journal of Qualitative Research in Tourism)
- Using thematic analysis in qualitative research(S. Ahmed, R. Mohammed, A. Nashwan, R. Ibrahim, A. Q. Abdalla, B. Ameen, Renas Mohamed Khidhir, 2025, Journal of Medicine, Surgery, and Public Health)
- Using thematic analysis in sport and exercise research(V Braun, V Clarke, P Weate, 2016, … of qualitative research in sport and …)
- Achieving saturation in thematic analysis: development and refinement of a codebook.(H. Ando, R. Cousins, C. Young, 2014, Comprehensive Psychology)
- Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing researcher.(Virginia Braun, Victoria Clarke, 2022, International Journal of Transgender Health)
- A critical review of the reporting of reflexive thematic analysis in Health Promotion International(Virginia Braun, Victoria Clarke, 2024, Health Promotion International)
- Attempting rigour and replicability in thematic analysis of qualitative research data; a case study of codebook development(K. Roberts, A. Dowell, J. Nie, 2019, BMC Medical Research Methodology)
- A realist approach to thematic analysis: making sense of qualitative data through experiential, inferential and dispositional themes(G. Wiltshire, N. Ronkainen, 2021, Journal of Critical Realism)
- A critical realist approach to thematic analysis: producing causal explanations(T. Fryer, 2022, Journal of Critical Realism)
- Doing a thematic analysis: A practical, step-by-step guide for learning and teaching scholars.(Moira Maguire, B. Delahunt, 2017, All Ireland Journal of Higher Education)
- A Step-by-Step Process of Thematic Analysis to Develop a Conceptual Model in Qualitative Research(Muhammad Naeem, Wilson Ozuem, Kerry E. Howell, S. Ranfagni, 2023, International Journal of Qualitative Methods)
- Thematic analysis of qualitative research data: Is it as easy as it sounds?(Ashley N. Castleberry, Amanda L. Nolen, 2018, Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning)
- Using thematic analysis in qualitative research(S. Ahmed, R. Mohammed, A. Nashwan, R. Ibrahim, A. Q. Abdalla, B. Ameen, Renas Mohamed Khidhir, 2025, Journal of Medicine, Surgery, and Public Health)
主题生成策略与分析层级:混合归纳-演绎、理论/框架驱动编码与更高层抽象建构
该组共同关注“主题如何生成、如何从编码走向主题乃至更高层构念”。包括混合归纳-演绎与理论驱动编码的设计、以特定目标(如让价值/隐性内容涌现)为导向的主题层级建构方法,以及在理论发展与框架建构中的编码—主题—解释链条;同时吸收与框架/模型驱动解释相绑定的文献。
- A Hybrid Approach to Thematic Analysis in Qualitative Research: Using a Practical Example(J. Swain, 2018, Sage research methods)
- Demonstrating Rigor Using Thematic Analysis: A Hybrid Approach of Inductive and Deductive Coding and Theme Development(J. Fereday, E. Muir‐Cochrane, 2006, International Journal of Qualitative Methods)
- Thematic Analysis: Making Values Emerge from Texts(A. Wæraas, 2022, Researching Values)
- The four C’s model of thematic analysis. A critical realist perspective(Michalis Christodoulou, 2023, Journal of Critical Realism)
- Thematic analysis(Victoria Clarke, Virginia Braun, 2017, The Journal of Positive Psychology)
- The four C’s model of thematic analysis. A critical realist perspective(Michalis Christodoulou, 2023, Journal of Critical Realism)
- The four C’s model of thematic analysis. A critical realist perspective(Michalis Christodoulou, 2023, Journal of Critical Realism)
- Thematic analysis(Victoria Clarke, Virginia Braun, 2017, The Journal of Positive Psychology)
- Thematic Analysis: Making Values Emerge from Texts(A. Wæraas, 2022, Researching Values)
- The Effect of BRCA Gene Testing on Family Relationships: A Thematic Analysis of Qualitative Interviews(H. Douglas, R. Hamilton, R. Grubs, 2009, Journal of Genetic Counseling)
- Thematic analysis(Victoria Clarke, Virginia Braun, 2017, The Journal of Positive Psychology)
- The Effect of BRCA Gene Testing on Family Relationships: A Thematic Analysis of Qualitative Interviews(H. Douglas, R. Hamilton, R. Grubs, 2009, Journal of Genetic Counseling)
- A realist approach to thematic analysis: making sense of qualitative data through experiential, inferential and dispositional themes(G. Wiltshire, N. Ronkainen, 2021, Journal of Critical Realism)
- Theory Development in Thematic Analysis: Procedure and Practice(S. Khokhar, Habibullah Pathan, Arsalan Raheem, Abdul Malik Abbasi, 2020, Review of Applied Management and Social Sciences)
- Developing a Framework for Transferring Knowledge Into Action: A Thematic Analysis of the Literature(Vicky Ward, A. House, S. Hamer, 2009, Journal of Health Services Research & Policy)
- Understanding stage of innovation of invasive procedures and devices: protocol for a systematic review and thematic analysis(D. Scroggie, D. Elliott, S. Cousins, K. Avery, J. Blazeby, N. Blencowe, 2022, BMJ Open)
主题分析与扎根理论:差异、继承启发与融合型方法(如TAG等)
该组文献围绕综述中最关键的比较点:主题分析与扎根理论(GT)的哲学/程序差异是什么,二者如何发生方法论借鉴与融合(例如“TA受GT启发”“信息互补”或融合型做法)。
- Thematic analysis informed by grounded theory (TAG) in healthcare research: foundations and applications(Clare O’Callaghan, J. Dwyer, Penelope Schofield, 2024, Qualitative Research in Psychology)
- A critical review of grounded theory and thematic analysis in qualitative research: A way forward for qualitative Researchers(Christopher Paapa, Oscar Ouma Kambona, 2025, International Journal of Science and Research Archive)
- Thematic analysis informed by grounded theory (TAG) in healthcare research: foundations and applications(Clare O’Callaghan, J. Dwyer, Penelope Schofield, 2024, Qualitative Research in Psychology)
- A critical review of grounded theory and thematic analysis in qualitative research: A way forward for qualitative Researchers(Christopher Paapa, Oscar Ouma Kambona, 2025, International Journal of Science and Research Archive)
跨场域实证:医疗/教育/性健康/体育等的主题结构提炼与机制解释
该组以“具体研究场景中的TA产出”为共同特征:在医疗(含安全/死亡模式、基因检测、创伤与COPD等)、教育(如MOOC辍学)、性健康(LGBT健康)与体育等领域,从访谈/文本/叙事中提炼主题结构并用于机制解释,体现TA的跨场域可迁移性与常见产出形态。
- Patient-Safety-Related Hospital Deaths in England: Thematic Analysis of Incidents Reported to a National Database, 2010–2012(L. Donaldson, S. Panesar, A. Darzi, 2014, PLoS Medicine)
- The Effect of BRCA Gene Testing on Family Relationships: A Thematic Analysis of Qualitative Interviews(H. Douglas, R. Hamilton, R. Grubs, 2009, Journal of Genetic Counseling)
- A thematic analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of manufacturers' submissions to the NICE Single Technology Assessment (STA) process.(C. Carroll, E. Kaltenthaler, P. Fitzgerald, A. Boland, R. Dickson, 2011, Health Policy)
- Qualitative Analysis in Gay Men's Health Research: Comparing Thematic, Critical Discourse, and Conversation Analysis(J. Aguinaldo, 2012, Journal of Homosexuality)
- An interview study to explore applied psychologists' experiences of implementing health psychology in global health partnerships: The Change Exchange.(R. Turner, Shreya Epuru Reddy, L. Byrne-Davis, E. Bull, J. Hart, 2023, British Journal of Health Psychology)
- Using thematic analysis in sport and exercise research(V Braun, V Clarke, P Weate, 2016, … of qualitative research in sport and …)
- A thematic analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of manufacturers' submissions to the NICE Single Technology Assessment (STA) process.(C. Carroll, E. Kaltenthaler, P. Fitzgerald, A. Boland, R. Dickson, 2011, Health Policy)
- Understanding How Learners Use Massive Open Online Courses and Why They Drop Out(Ghada Refaat El Said, 2017, Journal of Educational Computing Research)
- Examining the influences on the use of behavioural science within UK local authority public health: Qualitative thematic analysis and deductive mapping to the COM-B model and Theoretical Domains Framework(Abby Moffat, E. Cook, A. Chater, 2022, Frontiers in Public Health)
- Reflexive Thematic Analysis for Applied Qualitative Health Research(K. Campbell, E. Orr, P. Durepos, Linda Nguyen, Lin Li, C. Whitmore, Paige Gehrke, L. Graham, S. Jack, 2021, The Qualitative Report)
- Inductive thematic analysis of healthcare qualitative interviews using open-source large language models: How does it compare to traditional methods?(W. S. Mathis, Sophia J. Zhao, Nicholas Pratt, Jeremy Weleff, S. Paoli, 2024, Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine)
- Interviews following physical trauma: A thematic analysis.(H. Skinner, Emmylou Rahtz, A. Korszun, 2019, International Emergency Nursing)
- General practitioners’ perceptions of COPD treatment: thematic analysis of qualitative interviews(Katrine Rutkær Molin, I. Egerod, L. Valentiner, P. Lange, H. Langberg, 2016, International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
- How Does the Understanding, Experience, and Enactment of Self-Regulation Behaviour Change Techniques Vary with Age? A Thematic Analysis.(D. French, Rehab Banafa, Stefanie L Williams, Claire Taylor, Laura J. E. Brown, 2020, Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being)
- Mental health nursing students' experiences of stress during training: a thematic analysis of qualitative interviews.(John E. Galvin, Elna H. Suominen, C. Morgan, Ellie-Jo O'Connell, A. P. Smith, 2015, Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing)
- General practitioners’ perceptions of COPD treatment: thematic analysis of qualitative interviews(Katrine Rutkær Molin, I. Egerod, L. Valentiner, P. Lange, H. Langberg, 2016, International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
- An interview study to explore applied psychologists' experiences of implementing health psychology in global health partnerships: The Change Exchange.(R. Turner, Shreya Epuru Reddy, L. Byrne-Davis, E. Bull, J. Hart, 2023, British Journal of Health Psychology)
政策与治理/概念建模导向的主题分析:批判性建构、制度改进与管理漏洞识别
该组文献共同点在于:主题分析结果服务于政策与实践层面的改进、能力/要素建模或批判性理解(如健康社会要素、公共卫生能力陈述),并常以制度/管理漏洞或实践路径为导向,而非仅提供描述性主题归纳。
- Developing a Method of Critical Thematic Analysis for Qualitative Communication Inquiry(Brandi Lawless, Yea-Wen Chen, 2019, Howard Journal of Communications)
- A thematic analysis of UK healthy planning frameworks and tools designed to support the inclusion of health in urban planning(A. De La Haye, Ruth Gow, Amelia A. Lake, Caitlin Ball, S. van Herk, Marta Rofín Serrà, A. Jones, M. Chang, H. Moore, 2024, Cities & Health)
- Patient perspectives on interventional pain management: thematic analysis of a qualitative interview study(J. Hambraeus, Kjerstin S. Hambraeus, Klas-Göran Sahlén, 2020, BMC Health Services Research)
- Management and reporting of safety incidents by residential care facilities in Ireland: A thematic analysis of statutory notifications.(N. McGrane, Stephaine O'Regan, P. Dunbar, Mary Dunnion, I. Leistikow, Laura Keyes, 2022, Health & Social Care in the Community)
- What Are Healthy Societies? A Thematic Analysis of Relevant Conceptual Frameworks(Kent Buse, Amy Bestman, Siddharth Srivastava, R. Marten, Sonam Yangchen, Devaki Nambiar, 2023, International Journal of Health Policy and Management)
- Developing public health competency statements and frameworks: a scoping review and thematic analysis of approaches(M. MacKay, Caitlin Ford, Lauren E Grant, Andrew Papadopoulos, J. McWhirter, 2023, BMC Public Health)
- Developing public health competency statements and frameworks: a scoping review and thematic analysis of approaches(M. MacKay, Caitlin Ford, Lauren E Grant, Andrew Papadopoulos, J. McWhirter, 2023, BMC Public Health)
- A Thematic Analysis of Health Care Workers’ Adoption of Mindfulness Practices(M. Valley, L. Stallones, 2018, Workplace Health & Safety)
文本与知识综合的主题分析:文献/报告/审计材料的框架建构与质量审视
该组关注TA用于“非单一访谈数据”的综合性研究:对大量文献、报告、创新分期与质量审计文本进行主题性归纳,从而形成分析框架、识别知识空白或评估质量与阶段特征。
- Developing a Framework for Transferring Knowledge Into Action: A Thematic Analysis of the Literature(Vicky Ward, A. House, S. Hamer, 2009, Journal of Health Services Research & Policy)
- Understanding stage of innovation of invasive procedures and devices: protocol for a systematic review and thematic analysis(D. Scroggie, D. Elliott, S. Cousins, K. Avery, J. Blazeby, N. Blencowe, 2022, BMJ Open)
- A thematic analysis of the quality audit reports in developing a framework for assessing the achievement of the graduate attributes(Alrence S. Halibas, Shameena Mehtab, A. Al-Attili, B. Alo, Ronald S. Cordova, M. E. Cruz, 2020, International Journal of Educational Management)
- A Hybrid Approach to Thematic Analysis in Qualitative Research: Using a Practical Example(J. Swain, 2018, Sage research methods)
主题分析的数字化/AI辅助:LLM支持编码与主题生成一致性评估
该组文献的共同研究重点是TA在数字化工具条件下的可操作化:使用LLM/自动化工具协助编码与主题生成,并通过一致性/相似性评估或对比方式检验与人工分析的匹配程度,讨论AI辅助流程的可行性与评估问题。
- Thematic analysis of interview data with ChatGPT: designing and testing a reliable research protocol for qualitative research(Manuel Goyanes, Carlos Lopezosa, B. Jordá, 2025, Quality & Quantity)
- Thematic analysis of interview data with ChatGPT: designing and testing a reliable research protocol for qualitative research(Manuel Goyanes, Carlos Lopezosa, B. Jordá, 2025, Quality & Quantity)
合并后的最终分组围绕TA综述的主线展开:①方法内涵与边界(含与相邻方法区分、适用性定位);②如何做得严谨(反思性TA、可报告性、质量控制与饱和度论证);③主题生成机制(混合归纳-演绎、理论/框架驱动编码与层级建构);④核心比较关系(TA与扎根理论的差异及融合);⑤跨场域实证案例(医疗/教育/性健康/体育等);⑥面向政策与治理的批判性/制度改进导向;⑦文本与知识综合(文献/报告/审计材料的框架建构);⑧数字化/AI辅助(LLM协助与一致性评估)。
总计65篇相关文献
ACCESSIBLE SUMMARY What is known on the subject? Stress can impact students on mental health nurse training. This can have implications at the individual level (e.g. their own mental health) and at the level of the organization (e.g. sickness absence and attrition). What this paper adds to existing knowledge? We interviewed 12 mental health nursing students regarding the stress they experienced during training. Participants described how the academic demands can at times be unbearable during clinical placements. There were also issues with 'being a student' on some placements, with participants describing negative attitudes towards them from staff. The younger participants reported feeling overwhelmed on their initial placements and described some of the main challenges of mental health work for them. Raising concerns about the quality of care on wards was also described as particularly challenging for the students. What are the implications for practice? This paper can be useful to help training providers support mental health nursing students. Recommendations include reducing academic demands during clinical placements and extending and promoting existing support services beyond normal 9 am-5 pm working hours, even if these services are limited. Younger students could be better supported by being allocated to the more well-resourced placements in the early stages of their training. Raising awareness among staff of the tasks students can and cannot perform can help improve staff/student relations. Finally, students should be educated about the issues around raising concerns on placements to help the government's drive for a more open and transparent National Health Service (NHS). ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Previous studies investigating stress in nursing students focus on general nursing students or adopt quantitative measures. PURPOSE OF STUDY A qualitative study focusing specifically on mental health nursing students is required. METHOD One-to-one interviews were carried out with mental health nursing students (n = 12). Data were thematically analysed. RESULTS Participants reported unreasonable demands during clinical blocks, and described how control/support is lowest on placements with staff shortages. Negative attitudes towards students from staff and related issues were also discussed. Younger participants described struggling with mental health work during the early stages of training. DISCUSSION Training providers should strive to provide adequate support to students to help them manage stress during training. Implications for practice Academic demands should be reasonable during clinical blocks and support services outside normal working hours should be available for students, even if these are limited in scope. Greater consideration to the allocation of placements for younger students in the mental health branch could be helpful. Furthermore, staff on placements should be aware of the tasks students can and cannot perform, to help improve staff/student relations. Educating students on the issues of raising concerns can help the government's drive for a more open and transparent National Health Service (NHS).
This book provides a user-friendly introduction to the qualitative methods most commonly used in the mental health and psychotherapy arena. Chapters are written by leading researchers and the editors are experienced qualitative researchers, clinical trainers, and mental health practitioners. Provides chapter-by-chapter guidance on conducting a qualitative study from across a range of approaches. Offers guidance on how to review and appraise existing qualitative literature, how to choose the most appropriate method, and how to consider ethical issues. Demonstrates how specific methods have been applied to questions in mental health research. Uses examples drawn from recent research, including research with service users, in mental health practice and in psychotherapy.
Background Chronic pain is a widespread problem that is usually approached by focusing on its psychological aspects or on trying to reduce the pain from the pain generator. Patients report that they feel responsible for their pain and that they are disempowered and stigmatized because of it. Here, we explored interventional pain management from the patient’s perspective to understand the process better. Methods A purposive sample of 19 subjects was interviewed by an independent interviewer. The interviews were transcribed into text and thematic analysis was performed. Results The subjects’ perceptions covered three key themes: themselves as objects; the caregivers, including the process of tests and retests, the encounters and interactions with professionals, and the availability of the caregivers; and finally the outcomes, including the results of the tests and treatments and how these inspired them to think of other people with pain. Linking these themes, the subjects reported something best described as “gained empowerment” during interventional pain management; they were feeling heard and seen, they gained knowledge that helped them understand their problem better, they could ask questions and receive answers, and they felt safe and listened to. Conclusions Many of the themes evolved in relation to the subjects’ contact with the healthcare services they received, but when the themes were merged and structured into the model, a cohesive pattern of empowerment appeared. If empowerment is a major factor in the positive effects of interventional pain management, it is important to facilitate and not hinder empowerment. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov 2013-04-24 (Protocol ID SE-Dnr-2012-446-31 M-3, ClinicalTrials ID NCT01838603 ).
… you to thematic analysis (TA), one of the many methods of analysis for qualitative research. TA is … , as is typical in qualitative interview research more generally, the interviews were audio…
… and open-ended interviews were performed asking about … interviews were included in the secondary analysis had a BRCA mutation. For the secondary analysis, thematic analysis was …
… Virtually any data type can be analyzed, from widely used qualitative techniques such as interviews and focus groups, to emerging methods such as qualitative surveys and story …
… on the utility of thematic analysis to analyze qualitative research interviews and everyday … ) criterion for thematic analysis by encouraging a critical reading of interview data that asks why …
ISSUE We are seeing the use of qualitative research methods more regularly in health professions education as well as pharmacy education. Often, the term "thematic analysis" is used in research studies and subsequently labeled as qualitative research, but saying that one did this type of analysis does not necessarily equate with a rigorous qualitative study. This methodology review will outline how to perform rigorous thematic analyses on qualitative data to draw interpretations from the data. METHODOLOGICAL LITERATURE REVIEW Despite not having an analysis guidebook that fits every research situation, there are general steps that you can take to make sure that your thematic analysis is systematic and thorough. A model of qualitative data analysis can be outlined in five steps: compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and concluding. MY RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS Nine practical recommendations are provided to help researchers implement rigorous thematic analyses. POTENTIAL IMPACT As researchers become comfortable in properly using qualitative research methods, the standards for publication will be elevated. By using these rigorous standards for thematic analysis and making them explicitly known in your data process, your findings will be more valuable.
BACKGROUND Large language models (LLMs) are generative artificial intelligence that have ignited much interest and discussion about their utility in clinical and research settings. Despite this interest there is sparse analysis of their use in qualitative thematic analysis comparing their current ability to that of human coding and analysis. In addition, there has been no published analysis of their use in real-world, protected health information. OBJECTIVE Here we fill that gap in the literature by comparing an LLM to standard human thematic analysis in real-world, semi-structured interviews of both patients and clinicians within a psychiatric setting. METHODS Using a 70 billion parameter open-source LLM running on local hardware and advanced prompt engineering techniques, we produced themes that summarized a full corpus of interviews in minutes. Subsequently we used three different evaluation methods for quantifying similarity between themes produced by the LLM and those produced by humans. RESULTS These revealed similarities ranging from moderate to substantial (Jaccard similarity coefficients 0.44-0.69), which are promising preliminary results. CONCLUSION Our study demonstrates that open-source LLMs can effectively generate robust themes from qualitative data, achieving substantial similarity to human-generated themes. The validation of LLMs in thematic analysis, coupled with evaluation methodologies, highlights their potential to enhance and democratize qualitative research across diverse fields.
Background In Denmark, the treatment of COPD is mainly managed by general practitioners (GPs). Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is available to patients with COPD in the local community by GP referral, but in practice, many patients do not participate in rehabilitation. The aim of our study was to explore 1) GPs’ perceptions of their role and responsibility in the rehabilitation of patients with COPD, and 2) GPs’ perceptions of how patients manage their COPD. Methods The study was based on a qualitative design with semi-structured key-informant interviews with GPs. Investigator triangulation was applied during data generation, and analysis was done using thematic analysis methodology. Results Our main findings were that GPs relied on patients themselves to take the initiative to make clinic appointments and on professionals at health centers to provide the PR including consultations on lifestyle changes. The GPs experienced that patients chose to come to the clinic when they were in distress and that patients either declined or had poor adherence to rehabilitation when offered. The GPs were relieved that the health centers had taken over the responsibility of rehabilitation as GPs lacked the resources to discuss rehabilitation and follow up on individual plans. Conclusion Our study suggested a potential self-reinforcing problem with the treatment of COPD being mainly focused on medication rather than on PR. Neither GPs nor patients used a proactive approach. Further, GPs were not fully committed to discuss non-pharmacological treatment and perceived the patients as unmotivated for PR. As such, there is a need for optimizing non-pharmacological treatment of COPD and in particular the referral process to PR.
… The analysis is based on 25 semi-structured interviews from … I begin with a definition of thematic analysis, followed by a … of analysis. The main part of this case outlines the process of …
… , we provide a six-step guide for conducting thematic analysis using ChatGPT, including examples of prompts and a dataset comprised of 30 interviews, in the hope that it will serve as a …
INTRODUCTION Mental health problems are common in trauma survivors. In particular, depression, anxiety, acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Yet little is known about how these can be brought to the early attention of medical professionals through patients' accounts of trauma within days of being admitted to emergency care. This study aims to understand how physical trauma patients with early signs of psychological distress, stemming from the trauma, might be supported through their communications with healthcare professionals. METHODS 42 semi-structured interviews with trauma victims attending the Royal London Hospital Trauma Clinic, taken as part of a larger project, were analysed using a qualitative thematic analysis method with a critical realist approach. RESULTS Four key themes were highlighted: Pain and Death, Positivity, Powerlessness, and Remembering and Blame, each with relating subthemes such as Facing Death, Heroism, Waiting Time and Self-blame. DISCUSSION The themes present within the data suggest that there are cues shared by trauma survivors that medical professionals should attend to with regard to the future mental health of their patients. Results may further equip nurses and clinical staff to spot early signs immediately and shortly after trauma.
… In thematic analysis of interview data, we recommend that code definitions begin with something objective, such as ‘participant describes’. This keeps the researcher's focus on what …
… This article presents a qualitative study on Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) dropout in a developing world. Thematic analyses of semistructured interviews were conducted with 52 …
In this article, the authors describe how they used a hybrid process of inductive and deductive thematic analysis to interpret raw data in a doctoral study on the role of performance feedback in the self-assessment of nursing practice. The methodological approach integrated data-driven codes with theory-driven ones based on the tenets of social phenomenology. The authors present a detailed exemplar of the staged process of data coding and identification of themes. This process demonstrates how analysis of the raw data from interview transcripts and organizational documents progressed toward the identification of overarching themes that captured the phenomenon of performance feedback as described by participants in the study.
ARTICLE DETAILS ABSTRACT History: Accepted 30 Nov 2020 Available Online 31 Dec 2020 Thematic analysis has widely been used in qualitative data analysis for theory development. This paper illustrates step-by-step procedure of qualitative data analysis through thematic analysis. Thematic analysis was performed on ten in-depth interviews which were transcribed for analysis. Coding in qualitative research is a systematic process through which the collected data were condensed into smaller analyzable units, called as codes, which were further categorized and developed into themes. Coding process eventually helped researchers to build a general theoretical concept about the qualitative evidence. Major themes that emerged in this analysis include (i) the management issues and (ii) employees’ apprehensions. Findings were interpreted and their implications were discussed in detail in the section of conclusion.
… codes, difficulty maintaining focus. Forms the building blocks for meaningful theme development and analysis… The second phase of thematic analysis, generating initial codes, marks the …
Thematic analysis has received increased attention from the research academic community, echoing Braun and Clarke’s (2006) influential argument of its theoretical accessibility and flexibility. Along with its current status, dilemmas have arisen in regard to its practice as a result of escalated demand for analytical software programs. Synchysis, the rhetorical practice of creating bewilderment by scattering words, endures in critical reviews and in the analysis of data derived from social media platforms. This paper departs from a simple replication of existing studies by addressing current issues as a result of the evolution of thematic analysis. Furthermore, it outlines specific implications (step-by-step guidance) while incorporating the somewhat overlooked phase of the creation of conceptual diagrams and theory-development during the stages of conducting a rigorous thematic analysis.
Reaching a saturation point in thematic analysis is important to validity in qualitative studies, yet the process of achieving saturation is often left ambiguous. The lack of information about the process creates uncertainty in the timing of recruitment closure. This exploratory study was conducted to demonstrate a rigorous approach to reaching saturation through two-stage establishment of a codebook used for thematic analysis. The codebook development involved inductive analysis with six interviews, followed by a refinement of the coding system by applying them to an additional 33 interviews. These findings are discussed in relation to plausible pattern in code occurrence rate and suggested sample sizes for thematic analysis. Read More: http://www.amsciepub.com/doi/abs/10.2466/03.CP.3.4
BackgroundNavigating the world of qualitative thematic analysis can be challenging. This is compounded by the fact that detailed descriptions of methods are often omitted from qualitative discussions. While qualitative research methodologies are now mature, there often remains a lack of fine detail in their description both at submitted peer reviewed article level and in textbooks. As one of research’s aims is to determine the relationship between knowledge and practice through the demonstration of rigour, more detailed descriptions of methods could prove useful. Rigour in quantitative research is often determined through detailed explanation allowing replication, but the ability to replicate is often not considered appropriate in qualitative research. However, a well described qualitative methodology could demonstrate and ensure the same effect.MethodsThis article details the codebook development which contributed to thematic analysis of qualitative data. This analysis formed part of a mixed methods multiphase design research project, with both qualitative and quantitative inquiry and involving the convergence of data and analyses. This design consisted of three distinct phases: quantitative, qualitative and implementation phases.Results and conclusionsThis article is aimed at researchers and doctoral students new to thematic analysis by describing a framework to assist their processes. The detailed description of the methods used supports attempts to utilise the thematic analysis process and to determine rigour to support the establishment of credibility. This process will assist practitioners to be confident that the knowledge and claims contained within research are transferable to their practice. The approach described within this article builds on, and enhances, current accepted models.
This chapter explains how thematic analysis can be used to make values emerge from texts. Taking reflexive thematic analysis as its starting point, it begins by giving a general overview of the processes of coding and generating themes from codes. The chapter then presents three ways of generating themes from coded values: Grouping synonyms, grouping based on value type, and grouping based on semantic meaning. It also distinguishes between and gives examples of thematic coding of values at the explicit, implicit, and latent level. Overall, the chapter presents a five-step approach to thematic analysis of values: (1) assigning codes, (2) generating themes, and if possible (3) organizing themes, (4) identifying aggregate dimensions, and (5) making visual representations of codes and themes.
Background: Reflexive thematic analysis is widely used in qualitative research published in Palliative Medicine, and in the broader field of health research. However, this approach is often not used well. Common problems in published reflexive thematic analysis in general include assuming thematic analysis is a singular approach, rather than a family of methods, confusing themes and topics, and treating and reporting reflexive thematic analysis as if it is atheoretical. Purpose: We reviewed 20 papers published in Palliative Medicine between 2014 and 2022 that cited Braun and Clarke, identified using the search term ‘thematic analysis’ and the default ‘relevance’ setting on the journal webpage. The aim of the review was to identify common problems and instances of good practice. Problems centred around a lack of methodological coherence, and a lack of reflexive openness, clarity and detail in reporting. We considered contributors to these common problems, including the use of reporting checklists that are not coherent with the values of reflexive thematic analysis. To support qualitative researchers in producing coherent and reflexively open reports of reflexive thematic analysis we have developed the Reflexive Thematic Analysis Reporting Guidelines (the RTARG; in Supplemental Materials) informed by this review, other reviews we have done and our values and experience as qualitative researchers. The RTARG is also intended for use by peer reviewers to encourage methodologically coherent reviewing. Key learning points: Methodological incoherence and a lack of transparency are common problems in reflexive thematic analysis research published in Palliative Medicine. Coherence can be facilitated by researchers and reviewers striving to be knowing – thoughtful, deliberative, reflexive and theoretically aware – practitioners and appraisers of reflexive thematic analysis and developing an understanding of the diversity within the thematic analysis family of methods.
Graduates are expected to possess the knowledge and right skillset, commonly known as graduate attributes, which they need to become employable and work-ready. This study describes the approaches that were employed by an academic institution in developing an assessment framework for measuring the student achievement of the graduate attributes and learning outcomes.,It used thematic analysis in analyzing the 43 audit reports of higher educational institutions (HEIs) in Oman which have undergone the regional quality audit as well as the outcomes of the institutional standards assessment.,The analysis exposed the critical issues necessary for embedding graduate attributes and learning outcomes in higher education. Likewise, the study revealed that the assessment of the graduate attributes (GAs) and learning outcomes (LOs) is the area that garnered the most number of comments from the audit panel, and 69 per cent of the HEIs are still problematic in this area. Moreover, most of the HEIs in Oman lack the mechanisms to assess student learning as evidenced in the regional accreditation outcomes. Only 43.8 per cent of the HEIs, which have undergone the institutional accreditation process, have garnered a Met Rating in the Graduate Attributes and Student Learning Outcome criterion. Hence, this study presupposes its high relevance and usefulness to the work in this area, drawing from the experience of an HEI in Oman.,This study will present the relevant and meaningful content, especially good practices and potential gaps that inform HEIs regarding the current trends, policies, and practices relevant to the assessment of graduate attributes and learning outcomes in higher education.,This study extends the limited literature on the assessment of graduate attributes and learning outcomes, especially among the HEIs in Oman.
Data analysis is central to credible qualitative research. Indeed the qualitative researcher is often described as the research instrument insofar as his or her ability to understand, describe and interpret experiences and perceptions is key to uncovering meaning in particular circumstances and contexts. While much has been written about qualitative analysis from a theoretical perspective we noticed that often novice, and even more experienced researchers, grapple with the ‘how’ of qualitative analysis. Here we draw on Braun and Clarke’s (2006) framework and apply it in a systematic manner to describe and explain the process of analysis within the context of learning and teaching research. We illustrate the process using a worked example based on (with permission) a short extract from a focus group interview, conducted with undergraduate students.
Competencies ensure public health students and professionals have the necessary knowledge, skills, values, and behaviours to do their jobs effectively. Public health is a dynamic and complex field requiring robust competency statements and frameworks that are regularly renewed. Many countries have public health competencies, but there has been no evidence synthesis on how these are developed. Our research aim was to synthesize the extent and nature of the literature on approaches and best practices for competencies statement and framework development in the context of public health, including identifying the relevant literature on approaches for developing competency statements and frameworks for public health students and professionals using a scoping review; and, synthesizing and describing approaches and best practices for developing public health competency statements and frameworks using a thematic analysis of the literature identified by the scoping review. We conducted a scoping review and thematic analysis of the academic and grey literature to synthesize and describe approaches and best practices for developing public health competency statements and frameworks. A systematic search of six databases uncovered 13 articles for inclusion. To scope the literature, articles were assessed for characteristics including study aim, design, methods, key results, gaps, and future research recommendations. Most included articles were peer-reviewed journal articles, used qualitative or mixed method design, and were focused on general, rather than specialist, public health practitioners. Thematic analysis resulted in the generation of six analytical themes that describe the multi-method approaches utilized in developing competency statements and frameworks including literature reviews, expert consultation, and consensus-building. There was variability in the transparency of competency framework development, with challenges balancing foundational and discipline-specific competencies. Governance, and intersectoral and interdisciplinary competency, are needed to address complex public health issues. Understanding approaches and best practices for competency statement and framework development will support future evidence-informed iterations of public health competencies.
Developing a Framework for Transferring Knowledge Into Action: A Thematic Analysis of the Literature
… 193 papers and reports were read in detail. For each we used a standardized framework to … components of the knowledge transfer process, our thematic analysis of the literature also …
Introduction Surgical innovation has generally occurred in an unstandardised manner. This has led to unnecessary exposure of patients to harm, research waste and inadequate evidence. The IDEAL (Idea, Development, Exploration, Assessment, Long-term follow-up) Collaboration provided a set of recommendations for evaluating surgical innovations based on their stage of innovation. Despite further refinements and guidance, adoption of the IDEAL recommendations has been slow; an important reason may be that determining the stage of innovation is often difficult. To facilitate evaluation of surgical innovations, there is a need for a detailed insight into what stage of innovation means, and how it can be determined. The aim of this study is to understand the concept of stage of innovation as reported in the literature. Methods and analysis A systematic review is being conducted. Ovid MEDLINE and Embase databases were searched from their inception until July 2021 using an iteratively developed strategy based on the concepts of stage of innovation, invasive procedures or devices and guidance. Articles were included if they described an approach to evaluating surgical innovations in stages, described a method for determining stage of innovation, described indicators of stage of innovation, defined stages or described potential sources of stage-related information. Conference abstracts and non-English language articles were excluded. Other articles were detected from citations within included articles and suggestions from experts in surgical innovation. Data will be extracted regarding approaches to evaluating surgical innovations, methods for determining stage of innovation, indicators of stage of innovation, definitions of stages and potential sources of stage-related information. A thematic analysis will be conducted, and findings summarised in a narrative report. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval will not be required. This systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at appropriate conferences. PROSPERO registration number CRD42021270812.
Sukhmeet Panesar and colleagues classified reports of patient-safety-related hospital deaths in England to identify patterns of cases where improvements might be possible. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary
The prevention of safety incidents (SI) in health and social care settings is an ongoing undertaking. Limited research has been conducted on SIs outside of acute care. Internationally residential care facilities (RCFs) are typically regulated to promote quality and safeguarding. A part of this regulation is the statutory responsibility of RCFs to notify the regulator about SIs. Notifications include details surrounding SIs and are used to inform the regulatory monitoring approach. The recent development of the Database of Statutory Notifications from Social Care in Ireland facilitates in-depth analysis of notifications which can be used to inform the management of SIs and thus, improve quality and safety. The aim of this study was to analyse narratives provided in statutory notifications for older persons and people with disability, in order to identify current management of SIs, system vulnerabilities and reporting practices. A Qualitative Descriptive approach was taken. A random sample of notifications received in 2018 was drawn and stratified by service-type and notification-type. Data extraction was conducted against priori agreed target areas of management, system vulnerabilities and reporting practices. Inductive thematic analysis was used identifying two parent themes: 'chronology' and 'regulatory input'. 'Chronology' subthemes included 'pre-event', 'immediate response' and 'continued response'. Measures that are resident focused and follow policies and protocols in RCFs to prevent or mitigate the seriousness of SIs were evident in the immediate response and continued response. The actions taken in the immediate and continued response in turn became part of the pre-event of future SIs. Under 'regulatory input' subthemes included 'inaccurate reporting', 'lines of inquiry', 'requests for further information', 'identification of repetitive patterns' and 'satisfactory conclusion'. In conclusion, RCFs manage SIs with short and longer term actions focused on resident wellbeing. These actions in turn become part of the pre-event of future SIs. Regulatory input highlighted regulatory burden.
Thematic analysis is a highly popular technique among qualitative researchers for analyzing qualitative data, which usually comprises thick descriptive data. However, the application and use of thematic analysis has also involved complications due to confusion regarding the final outcome’s presentation as a conceptual model. This paper develops a systematic thematic analysis process for creating a conceptual model from qualitative research findings. It explores the adaptability of the proposed process across various research methodologies, including constructivist methodologies, positivist methodologies, grounded theory, and interpretive phenomenology, and justifies their application. The paper distinguishes between inductive and deductive coding approaches and emphasizes the merits of each. It suggests that the derived systematic thematic analysis model is valuable across multiple disciplines, particularly in grounded theory, ethnographic approaches, and narrative approaches, while also being adaptable to more descriptive, positivist-based methodologies. By providing a methodological roadmap, this study enhances the rigor and replicability of thematic analysis and offers a comprehensive strategy for theoretical conceptualization in qualitative research. The contribution of this paper is a systematic six-step thematic analysis process that leads to the development of a conceptual model; each step is described in detail and examples are given.
Objectives This study compares rapid and traditional analyses of a UK health service evaluation dataset to explore differences in researcher time and consistency of outputs. Design Mixed methods study, quantitatively and qualitatively comparing qualitative methods. Setting Data from a home birth service evaluation study in a hospital in the English National Health Service, which took place between October and December 2014. Two research teams independently analysed focus group and interview transcript data: one team used a thematic analysis approach using the framework method, and the second used rapid analysis. Participants Home birth midwives (6), midwifery support workers (4), commissioners (4), managers (6), and community midwives (12) and a patient representative (1) participated in the original study. Primary outcome measures Time taken to complete analysis in person hours; analysis findings and recommendations matched, partially matched or not matched across the two teams. Results Rapid analysis data management took less time than thematic analysis (43 hours vs 116.5 hours). Rapid analysis took 100 hours, and thematic analysis took 126.5 hours in total, with interpretation and write up taking much longer in the rapid analysis (52 hours vs 8 hours). Rapid analysis findings overlapped with 79% of thematic analysis findings, and thematic analysis overlapped with 63% of the rapid analysis findings. Rapid analysis recommendations overlapped with 55% of those from the thematic analysis, and thematic analysis overlapped with 59% of the rapid analysis recommendations. Conclusions Rapid analysis delivered a modest time saving. Excessive time to interpret data in rapid analysis in this study may be due to differences between research teams. There was overlap in outputs between approaches, more in findings than recommendations. Rapid analysis may have the potential to deliver valid, timely findings while taking less time. We recommend further comparisons using additional data sets with more similar research teams.
… ERG reports were then coded using these agreed themes following a process akin to that described for framework analysis [… by two reviewers (CC, EK) for the remaining 20 ERG reports. …
… In response to the increasing use of thematic analysis (TA), … in producing and reporting methodologically coherent TA and … ’re not arguing that analytic procedures should be followed …
ABSTRACT Thematic analysis (TA) is one of the most popular methods in social science. There are several different approaches to TA that hold different ontological commitments, ranging from positivistic coding reliability TA to constructivist reflexive TA. However, there has been less focus on developing an approach that is informed by critical realism, with the notable exception of Wiltshire and Ronkainen. The first part of this paper proposes a five-step critical realist approach to TA. This approach aims to produce nuanced causal explanations of events, countering the mistaken assumption that qualitative research cannot produce causal knowledge. The second part of the paper brings this critical realist approach to TA into conversation with three alternatives: coding reliability, reflexive, and Wiltshire and Ronkainen’s approach. The approach to TA in this paper builds on the strengths of these alternatives, offering an accessible way to adopt a critical realist philosophical grounding when doing TA.
ABSTRACT Thematic analysis (TA) is the most widely used method for analysing qualitative data. Recent debates, highlighting the binary distinctions between reflexive TA grounded within the qualitative paradigm and codebook TA with neo-positivist orientations, have emphasized the existence of numerous tensions that researchers must navigate to produce coherent and rigorous research. This article attempts to resolve some of these tensions through developing an approach to TA underpinned by realist philosophy of science. Focusing on interview data, we propose the use of three types of themes (experiential, inferential and dispositional) and the use of corresponding validity indicators (empirical adequacy, ontological plausibility and explanatory power). Using an illustrative example, we outline the conceptual foundations of a realist approach to TA and present recommendations for conducting it in practice. This approach, we claim, reconciles several existing binaries between distinctive types of TA by incorporating the contributions of both for the development of different types of themes.
ABSTRACT This article provides a critical realist (CR) alternative to the standard approaches to Thematic Analysis (TA) in qualitative research, namely the Braun-Clarke approach (reflexivity while coding themes), the Attride-Sterling approach (clustering basic, global and organizing themes), and Boyatzis' approach (clarifying criteria for assessing the absence/presence of themes in the raw material). In the CR traditions, the experiential themes /inferential themes /dispositional themes and the data/codes/themes distinctions have been proposed recently as the methodological device for answering the question “what is the theme”. The aim of this article is threefold. First, I bring to light the inconsistencies of the non-CR approaches to TA, second, I discuss critically the CR approaches to TA and finally I offer a CR-based approach to TA which builds upon them by introducing specific innovations from social network analysis which make abductive and retroductive reasoning a shareable procedure for answering “what is the theme?”.
… constructionism or poststructuralism, could produce a very similar … realism, which assumes a singular reality that can be directly observed or discovered through research, critical realism …
Thematic analysis (TA) is widely used in qualitative psychology. In using TA, researchers must choose between a diverse range of approaches that can differ considerably in their …
Abstract Using the concept of methodological congruence—where the different elements of a study ‘fit’ together—we explore both problematic and good practice in (reflexive) thematic analysis (TA) as reported in Health Promotion International (HPI). Aligning with the importance we place on ‘owning your perspectives’ we situate this exploration in relation to our understanding of the variation in approaches to TA and qualitative research more broadly. This contextualization is necessary for highlighting why we judge practices to be in/congruent, and to facilitate more knowing congruence in future research. We critically reviewed a ‘sample’ of 31 papers published in HPI between 2010 and 2023 citing Braun and Clarke as reference for TA. We overview a range of problematic and good features of the use of TA in HPI, before focusing on two domains that seemed to present key challenges: theory and themes. Methodological incongruence can occur when postpositivist values and practices unwittingly creep into ostensibly non-positivist TA; we encourage thoughtfully and what we term ‘knowing’ consideration of theory, and quality practices and criteria. Methodological incongruence can also occur through mismatched conceptualizations of themes—notably, the use of ‘topic summaries’ as themes for reflexive TA (and fragmented thematic structures with ‘thin’ themes). We provide examples from the reviewed papers to demonstrate good practice in researcher reflexivity, articulation of theoretical and methodological frameworks and congruent themes. However, mindful of power dynamics, we only discuss problematic practice in general terms, to protect author anonymity. To facilitate thoughtful, quality TA—of all kinds—we provide eight pointers for researchers (and reviewers) to guide quality practice, and facilitate the use of concepts, procedures and criteria that promote knowing methodological congruence.
This study proceeds with a critical view of Grounded Theory (GT) and Thematic Analysis (TA) as possible bases for qualitative research, intending to make their philosophical underpinnings, methodological procedures, practical application, and ongoing relevance clearer. The purpose is to help researchers decide between methods through consideration of the epistemological assumptions, analytic procedures, and usage trends in GT and TA. It looks at the strengths, weaknesses, and practical considerations of each method, while maintaining a view of what gaps remain and giving suggestions for improved practice. Methodologically, the paper critically synthesizes the literature to trace GTs' and TA's development, use, positioning in epistemology, and their considerations regarding the research method. It examines peer-reviewed documents, including the original texts and more recent developments in constructivist GT and reflexive TA. The main differences are elaborated in terms of data collection, coding, theoretical expectations, and applicability to digital tools and interdisciplinary research. Findings reveal that GT provides an orderly and rigorous framework for theory generation through the processes of iterative coding, theoretical sampling, and constant comparison. However, the GT approach continues to remain mired in terms of epistemological uncertainty, difficulties in attaining complete theoretical saturation, which demands high methodological skill on the part of the practitioner. TA, in contrast, offers rather straightforward and flexible techniques to pinpoint patterns that could be contrasted across different data sets. TA's reflexive and codebook types are suitable for different analytic needs; however, TA suffers from risks of superficial interpretations, inconsistent theme development, and lack of methodological transparency. The review contributes to qualitative methodology by embracing the comparative viewpoint to shed light upon the philosophical and procedural discrepancies between GT and TA, thus guiding researchers toward an informed selection of methods. It further highlights the need for improvement in epistemological clarity, digital literacy, and reflexive practice to build more rigorous analyses. The paper proceeds to suggest ways to combine GT and TA in mixed-methods designs as a step toward theoretically and methodologically coherent innovation. In sum, the review acts as a call to responsible methodological pluralism to move qualitative research forward in current times.
… Critical and constructionist; analysis informed by a theoretical framework of “Māori self… Furthermore, TA is frequently limited to descriptive – realist/essentialist – analyses, with limited or …
… of analysis may quickly become unsustainable. Accordingly, a researcher must utilize Social Constructionism in a more realistic … Then, using a thematic analysis approach, each set of …
ABSTRACT Grounded theory (GT) and thematic analysis (TA) are commonly used in qualitative healthcare research. Published by Glaser and Strauss in 1967, GT was the first set of qualitative research strategies described. TA has since been compared with selected GT strategies. This narrative review aims to examine and illustrate how TA can be informed by GT and elucidate a TA informed by GT (TAG) methodology. Utlizing models of researching practice wisdom and reflexive inquiry, fifty author-published TAG studies (1996–2024) were examined. Analysis delineated a TAG methodology and clarifies Glaser and Strauss’s foundational roles in its development. TAG adheres to constructivism. Main GT strategies informing TAG include: comparative, predominantly inductive, and iterative analysis; and coding (data segment labels), category (code group), and thematic (category group) development. TAG can also encompass four-level thematic abstraction, and qualitative inter-rater reliability procedures enhance trustworthiness. TAG is a practical and effective methodological approach for qualitative healthcare research.
Content analysis and thematic analysis: Implications for conducting a qualitative descriptive study.
… comparison of the main characteristics of thematic analysis … , content analysis, and thematic analysis is suitable for … , in contrast to grounded theory or hermeneutic phenomenology, in …
LEARNING OBJECTIVES \nBy the end of this chapter, readers should understand: \n• The main tenets of content analysis, thematic analysis and discourse analysis; \n• The assumptions of, approaches within, and applications of these methodologies; \n• The stages of analysis in studies using content analysis, thematic analysis and discourse analysis; \n• How to conduct content analysis, thematic analysis and discourse analysis in relation to the same text; \n• How to evaluate studies using content analysis, thematic analysis and discourse analysis; \n• The potential pitfalls of the three approaches.
The misconceptions researchers have about thematic analysis lead to various problems, which include publishing papers without mentioning the techniques they used to analyze their data. One reason such problems occur is that thematic analysis has been a poorly demarcated method for many years. Another has to do with the lack of literature on how this method differs from other approaches to research. In this paper, I aim to close this gap by explaining how different versions of thematic analysis vary from each other and discussing the controversies associated with each version. My conclusions are based on an analysis of what leading authors have published about this topic. I used a purposeful sample consisting of publications written by notable authors. I then analyzed this content to write a conceptual paper designed to enhance the understanding of different versions of thematic analysis and to document the controversies associated with each type.
The best meaning for the term “research” is in the term itself. Research methods are under the impact of philosophy and ideology. As the type of view and understanding is various in different individuals, different research methods have been developed and used so far. Qualitative research methods are one type of research and emphasize facts and relative knowledge and the knowledge is formed in the framework of time. Thematic analysis is one of the types of qualitative research methods which has become applicable in different fields. This study explores different types of thematic analysis and phases of doing thematic analysis. Then the issues and advantages of thematic analysis are discussed.
… The objective of this paper is to describe two methods of qualitative analysis – thematic analysis and content analysis – and to examine their use in a mental health context. …
… epistemological assumptions, I use a single data excerpt to demonstrate three qualitative analytic approaches: thematic analysis, critical discourse analysis (CDA), and conversation …
… to identify common ideas or themes that emerge based on the … kinds of thematic analysis, including basic thematic analysis (… analysis, narrative analysis, discourse analysis, and content …
Increasingly, adult Indigenous language learners are being identified as the “missing generation” of learners who hold great potential to contribute to the revival of Indigenous languages by acting as the middle ground between Elders, children and youth within their communities. Our research project NEȾOLṈEW̱ ‘one mind, one people’ investigated adult Indigenous language learning through the popular Mentor-Apprentice Program (MAP) method (Leanne Hinton, 2001). Over the course of 14 months, our team conducted 133 interviews with four groups of participants involved in MAP. The participants were current and past apprentices, mentors, and administrators of MAP programs in British Columbia, Canada. Our primary interest was to learn about the successes and challenges of MAP for language learning, but we also included interview questions that gave participants space to share how participating in MAP may have affected them. During thematic analysis of the interviews (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2014) we noticed repeating comments across all four participant groups on how their involvement with MAP impacted their own and their community’s wellbeing. Six exploratory themes were identified: • Language loss negatively impacts the wellbeing of Indigenous people: “[the word] doesn’t just mean a bad, misbehaving child, it also means a poor child that has been uprooted […] and is disconnected from their culture” • The relationship between burden and wellbeing among participants in MAP: “there’s so much to be done. […] that’s the exhausting part of it. It’s trying to learn and teach at the same time” • Strengthening MAP apprentices to become future community leaders: “it brings a huge sense of pride […] and helps me be an inspiration to anyone else” • Elder’s healing through becoming language mentors: “we once again have that believe in ourselves where we can feel free” • Cultural and spiritual health and healing: “I am keeping something very precious alive by speaking my language” • Health outcomes: “it was […] the language that... pushed me to sobriety, […] it gave me... a sense of who I was”. Although studies have reported protective effects of Indigenous language use on health (Ball & Moselle, 2013; Hallett, Chandler, & Lalonde, 2007; McIvor, 2013), health-related outcomes of language revitalization efforts, including MAP, remain underexplored (Whalen, Moss, & Baldwin, 2016). In addition to discussing the six exploratory themes from our study, our paper also proposes that these themes can inform future research in the area of language revitalization and wellbeing. References Ball, J., & Moselle, K. (2013). Contributions of culture and language in aboriginal head start in urban and northern communities to children’s health outcomes: A review of theory and research. Prepared for Division of Children, Seniors & Healthy Development, Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Branch. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77–101. http://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2014). What can “thematic analysis” offer health and wellbeing researchers? International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being, 9, 26152. http://doi.org/10.3402/qhw.v9.26152 Hallett, D., Chandler, M. J., & Lalonde, C. E. (2007). Aboriginal language knowledge and youth suicide. Cognitive Development, 22(3), 392–399. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2007.02.001 Hinton, L. (2001). The master-apprentice language learning program. In L. Hinton & K. Hale (Eds.), The green book of language revitalization in practice (pp. 217–226). San Diego, CA: Academic Press. McIvor, O. (2013). Protective effects of language learning, use and culture on the health and well-being of Indigenous people in Canada. In Proceedings of the 17th FEL Conference, FEL XVII: Endangered Languages Beyond Boundaries: Community Connections, Collaborative Approaches and Cross-Disciplinary Research (pp. 123–131). Foundation for Endangered Languages in association with the University of Carleton. Whalen, D. H., Moss, M., & Baldwin, D. (2016). Healing through language: Positive physical health effects of indigenous language use. F1000Research, 5(852). http://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.8656.1
… This chapter is concerned with the thematic analysis (TA) of data from interviews, (policy) documents or other verbal expressions in relation to media and creative industries policy …
ABSTRACT Despite the persistent dominance of a ‘scientific psychology’ paradigm in health psychology, the use of qualitative research continues to grow. Qualitative approaches are often based on fundamentally different values from (post)positivistempiricism, raising important considerations for quality, and whether qualitative work adheres to, and is judged by, appropriate publication standards. Thematic analysis (TA) has become a particularly popular method in qualitative health psychology, but poor practice is widespread. To support high quality, methodologically coherent TA practice and reporting, we critically reviewed 100 systematically selected papers reporting TA, published in five prominent health psychology journals. Our review assessed reported practice, and considered this in relation to methodological and quality recommendations. We identified 10 common areas of problematic practice in the reviewed papers, the majority citing reflexive TA. Considering the role of three ‘arbiters of quality’ in a peer review publication system – authors, reviewers, and editors – we developed 20 recommendations for authors, to support them in conducting and reporting high quality TA research, with associated questions for reviewers and editors to consider when evaluating TA manuscripts for publication. We end with considerations for facilitating better qualitative research, and enriching the understandings and knowledge base from which health psychology is practiced.
Background: While support for the idea of fostering healthy societies is longstanding, there is a gap in the literature on what they are, how to beget them, and how experience might inform future efforts. This paper explores developments since Alma Ata (1978) to understand how a range of related concepts and fields inform approaches to healthy societies and to develop a model to help conceptualize future research and policy initiatives. Methods: Drawing on 68 purposively selected documents, including political declarations, commission and agency reports, peer-reviewed papers and guidance notes, we undertook qualitative thematic analysis. Three independent researchers compiled and categorised themes describing the domains of a potential healthy societies approach. Results: The literature provides numerous frameworks. Some of these frameworks promote alternative endpoints to development, eschewing short-term economic growth in favour of health, equity, well-being and sustainability. They also identify values, such as gender equality, collaboration, human rights and empowerment that provide the pathways to, or underpin, such endpoints. We categorize the literature into four "components": people; places; products; and planet. People refers to social positions, interactions and networks creating well-being. Places are physical environments—built and natural—and the interests and policies shaping them. Products are commodities and commercial practices impacting population health. Planet places human health in the context of the ‘Anthropocene.’ These components interact in complex ways across global, regional, country and community levels as outlined in our heuristic. Conclusion: The literature offers little critical reflection on why greater progress has not been made, or on the need to organise and resist the prevailing systems which perpetuate ill-health.
INTRODUCTION Health partnerships in global health aim to build capacity by strengthening training and education. Health psychology has an important role to play, as traditionally health partnerships focus upon increasing capability such as increasing knowledge but do not tackle opportunity and motivation. The Change Exchange recruits applied psychologist volunteers to utilize health psychology in global health partnerships, which is a novel approach. This study aimed to understand the experiences of applied psychologist volunteers working in health partnerships and how such interventions were implemented. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were carried out. Interviews were analysed using inductive thematic analysis to explore the translation and implementation of health psychology in health partnerships. A deductive approach was then taken using the higher level constructs of the Normalization Process Theory to inform and interpret the themes into recommendations. RESULTS Fifteen applied psychologists, all of whom were from the UK and had volunteered in health partnerships between the UK and low- to middle-income countries participated. Key themes and sub-themes were identified: (1) The challenges of the application of behavioural science within the health partnerships, (2) Building relationships within the health partnership, (3) Exploring the communal and individual effort carried out within the health partnership and (4) Reflecting on the work carried out within the health partnership. DISCUSSION Barriers exist in regards to the implementation of health psychology in health partnerships but capacity building is possible. Recommendations suggest, future work should establish clear roles for applied psychologists in health partnerships and critical evaluation of current psychological models, methods and measures for use outside of Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic societies.
Thematic analysis is a widely cited method for analyzing qualitative data. As a team of graduate students, we sought to explore methods of data analysis that were grounded in qualitative philosophies and aligned with our orientation as applied health researchers. We identified reflexive thematic analysis, developed by Braun and Clarke, as an interpretive method firmly situated within a qualitative paradigm that would also have broad applicability within a range of qualitative health research designs. In this approach to analysis, the subjectivity of the researcher is recognized and viewed not as problematic but instead valued as integral to the analysis process. We therefore elected to explore reflexive thematic analysis, advance and apply our analytic skills in applied qualitative health research, and provide direction and technique for researchers interested in this method of analysis. In this paper, we describe how a multidisciplinary graduate student group of applied health researchers utilized Braun and Clarke’s approach to reflexive thematic analysis. Specifically, we explore and describe our team’s process of data analysis used to analyze focus group data from a study exploring postnatal care referral behavior by traditional birth attendants in Nigeria. This paper illustrates our experience in applying the six phases of reflexive thematic analysis as described by Braun and Clarke: (1) familiarizing oneself with the data, (2) generating codes, (3) constructing themes, (4) reviewing potential themes, (5) defining and naming themes, and (6) producing the report. We highlight our experiences through each phase, outline strategies to support analytic quality, and share practical activities to guide the use of reflexive thematic analysis within an applied health research context and when working within research teams.
The field of health and wellbeing scholarship has a strong tradition of qualitative research*and rightly so. Qualitative research offers rich and compelling insights into the real worlds, experiences, and perspectives of patients and health care professionals in ways that are completely different to, but also sometimes complimentary to, the knowledge we can obtain through quantitative methods. (Published: 16 October 2014) Citation: Int J Qualitative Stud Health Well-being 2014, 9 : 26152 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/qhw.v9.26152
Public health initiatives seek to modify lifestyle behaviours associated with risk (e.g., diet, exercise, and smoking), but underpinning psychological and affective processes must also be considered to maximize success.
Mindfulness training, which teaches individuals to bring awareness and acceptance to the present moment, has been effective in improving the well-being of health care workers. Limited research examines the adoption of mindfulness practices using health behavior theories. The current study sought to conceptualize hospital health care workers’ experiences in adopting mindfulness practices using the Health Belief Model (HBM), a theoretical framework used by health promotion practitioners to design and implement health behavior change interventions. Hospital health care workers in Colorado participated in an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course. Participants (n = 19) answered open-ended questions about their experiences adopting mindfulness practices. A theory-driven thematic analysis approach was used to analyze data with key constructs of the HBM acting as the framework for the analysis. Results showed that HBM constructs, including internal cues to action, perceived benefits and barriers, and self-efficacy, helped portray the participants’ experiences and challenges in adopting and adhering to the mindfulness practices taught in the MBSR course.
BACKGROUND Self-regulatory behaviour change techniques (BCTs) appear less effective in promoting physical activity amongst older than younger adults. This study aimed to identify reasons for this by examining how participants of different ages understand, experience, and use these BCTs. METHODS Twelve participants (aged 39-75) in a walking intervention study were interviewed twice: immediately post-intervention and 3 months later to examine understanding and enactment of self-regulation BCTs. Thematic analysis was used, organised using the framework approach. RESULTS Participants acknowledged the importance of setting realistic goals and found pedometers useful. In older adults, the use of goal setting was influenced by previous experience in work settings of this BCT. Occupational status appeared to influence the participants' responses to action planning, irrespective of age, with retired participants preferring not to restrict themselves to specific times. Self-monitoring with diaries appeared to be more useful in assisting the memory of older adults. For most BCTs, differences in understanding and enactment were apparent according to participant age. CONCLUSIONS Problems with using self-regulation BCTs were apparent, which appeared more common with older adults. Occupational status, cognitive status, or a perceived lack of value of physical activity or of some BCTs are all promising explanations that warrant further investigation.
Background Behavioural science and its contribution towards improving public health is receiving increased recognition. Yet, the translation of these insights into public health practice is under-researched. This study explored the factors influencing the use of behavioural science within public health at a local authority level. Methods Fourteen local authority staff (n = 13 female) in the south of England participated in semi-structured interviews, which were analysed inductively to identify key themes. These were later mapped deductively to the COM-B model and Theoretical Domains Framework. Findings Nine themes were identified as factors that influence the use of behavioural science in local authority public health: (1) “Limited past experience,” (2) “Narrow understanding,” (3) “Perceived value of behavioural science,” (4) “Translational gap from theory-to-practice,” (5) “No protected time,” (6) “Old ways of working,” (7) “Political influence and organisational culture,” (8) “Relationships with key stakeholders,” (9) “Access to behavioural science resources”. Deductive mapping of these themes revealed that five of the COM constructs (excluding Physical Capability) and eleven of the TDF domains influenced behavioural science use, with “Social influences” and “Knowledge” being the most prominent. Discussion Use of behavioural science within local authority public health practice is limited and inconsistent. For it to be successfully implemented, there must be an understanding of its role and value, alongside strategies to overcome a translational gap from theory to practice. Public health teams would benefit from protected time to enable application and strategies to break old habits of using a common-sense approach. System-wide buy-in, particularly related to senior leadership and system partners is needed, which would benefit from organisational and political culture change. Training opportunities, practical resources and expert in-house support should be considered a priority across public health teams.
Background Hypertension affects over 15% of the world’s population and is a significant global public health and socioeconomic challenge. Mobile health (mHealth) services have been increasingly introduced to support hypertensive patients to improve their self-management behaviors, such as adherence to pharmacotherapy and lifestyle modifications. Objective This study aims to explore patients’ perceptions of mHealth services and the mechanisms by which the services support them to self-manage their hypertension. Methods A semistructured, in-depth interview study was conducted with 22 outpatients of the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from March to May 2019. In 2015, the hospital introduced an mHealth service to support community-dwelling outpatients with self-management of hypertension. Content analysis was conducted by following a grounded theory approach for inductive thematic extraction. Constant comparison and categorization classified the first-level codes with similar meanings into higher-level themes. Results The patient-perceived mechanisms by which the mHealth service supported their self-management of hypertension were summarized as 6A: access, assessment, assistance, awareness, ability, and activation. With the portability of mobile phones and digitization of information, the mHealth service provided outpatients with easy access to assess their vital signs and self-management behaviors. The assessment results gave the patients real-time awareness of their health conditions and self-management performance, which activated their self-management behaviors. The mHealth service also gave outpatients access to assistance, which included health education and self-management reminders. Both types of assistance could also be activated by abnormal assessment results, that is, uncontrolled or deteriorating blood pressure values, discomfort symptoms, or not using the service for a long period. With its scalable use to handle any possible information and services, the mHealth service provided outpatients with educational materials to learn at their own pace. This led to an improvement in self-management awareness and ability, again activating their self-management behaviors. The patients would like to see further improvements in the service to provide more useful, personalized information and reliable services. Conclusions The mHealth service extended the traditional hypertension care model beyond the hospital and clinician’s office. It provided outpatients with easy access to otherwise inaccessible hypertension management services. This led to process improvement for outpatients to access health assessment and health care assistance and improved their awareness and self-management ability, which activated their hypertension self-management behaviors. Future studies can apply the 6A framework to guide the design, implementation, and evaluation of mHealth services for outpatients to self-manage chronic conditions.
ABSTRACT While there are a number of frameworks and tools available to support the integration of health into urban planning, they have not been systematically evaluated. With health increasingly on the planning agenda, it is crucial to understand the role frameworks play and how they can best be designed/used to support the integration of health in urban planning. We conducted a thematic analysis, drawing on desk research and semi-structured interviews, of seven UK urban planning frameworks and tools designed to integrate health considerations into planning, to identify information on the challenges, considerations, and best practices of framework design and implementation. Through thematic analysis, shared challenges, best practices, and considerations for success were identified in the following themes: framework design and conceptualisation, framework recommendations and content, implementation outcomes and impact, framework evaluations, and general challenges. Main findings included the need to consult all relevant stakeholders, especially communities, developers, and local authorities, to design a useful framework. Simple, clear recommendations aligning with relevant policies around place and health were useful for enabling framework take-up. While anecdotally frameworks were found to facilitate conversations with local communities, data on framework impact was lacking, suggesting better evaluation of framework use would be beneficial in future.
… Thematic analysis in the context of grounded theory offers a systematic approach to the analysis of qualitative interview data in the healthcare setting. However it is time-consuming and …
合并后的最终分组围绕TA综述的主线展开:①方法内涵与边界(含与相邻方法区分、适用性定位);②如何做得严谨(反思性TA、可报告性、质量控制与饱和度论证);③主题生成机制(混合归纳-演绎、理论/框架驱动编码与层级建构);④核心比较关系(TA与扎根理论的差异及融合);⑤跨场域实证案例(医疗/教育/性健康/体育等);⑥面向政策与治理的批判性/制度改进导向;⑦文本与知识综合(文献/报告/审计材料的框架建构);⑧数字化/AI辅助(LLM协助与一致性评估)。