Thematic Analysis
- This course teaches thematic analysis (Boyatzis, 1998) using NVivo
- You will learn the specificities of the method, type of research questions it answers, its different stages and the kind of results it generates
- This course can be taken as a standalone unit or combined with another methodological seminar, any of the method courses or an NVivo course.
Description
Thematic analysis is a research design that aims to identify relationships among themes in qualitative data, connect clusters of themes together, create second- and third-order constructs, and generate meta-themes in the form of conceptual propositions, explanatory predictions, or theoretical hypotheses. The course opens with the type of research questions suitable to thematic analysis and the core concepts of pattern recognition and label consistency which are two analytical skills required to recognise and interpret repetitive occurrences in the data over time. We move to NVivo and implement its four stages, starting by looking at two aspects of sampling procedures, namely, units of analysis and coding units and then discuss the four approaches to identifying themes in the data followed by generating codes. We then examine two strategies inherent to its design for analysing qualitative data: verbal description and quantitative translation. In considering each, we look at different QDA techniques such as scoring, scaling, and clustering themes, which, in qualitative terms, are equivalent to reporting themes by frequency, creating meta-themes, and generating second- and third-order constructs. We critically appraise the methodological quality of studies that used thematic analysis and the best data visualisations to present their findings.
Prerequisites
Although no previous knowledge of any of the four methods of qualitative data analysis is required, participants should have some familiarity with qualitative research.
Schedule
Half-day from 9:00 to 12:00 or full-day from 9:00 to 16:00.
Location
This course is taught online in Zoom as well as onsite on a request basis.
Teaching methods
Lectures, demos with NVivo and hands-on exercises.
Fee
Please email me for information on fees.
Combining courses
This course is part of a five-course series on methods of qualitative analysis that includes Methods of Qualitative Data Analysis, Qualitative Content Analysis, Cross-case Analysis and Grounded Theory. It can be taken alone or in conjunction with the other related courses. It can also be taught before, after or simultaneously with the Introduction to NVivo or Qualitative Data Analysis with NVivo courses.
Related courses
This course was taught at
As a qualitative research consultant, I am on a mission to open the black box of qualitative analysis and challenge the prejudices surrounding subjectivity, bias, and anecdotalism of qualitative research. As you will learn if you work with me, qualitative analysis is systematic, transparent, and traceable, and can yield unique knowledge and insights that quantitative research can't. I train research teams and faculty staff, provide one-on-one coaching to researchers, and teach doctoral-level courses in method schools. I consult for humanitarian aid agencies worldwide in decolonising research and participatory methodologies.
