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
This course focuses on thematic analysis as a suitable method for identifying relationships between themes and clusters of themes, creating second-level constructs and generating meta-themes across people, places and processes in a dataset. We open with the type of research questions that are suited to a thematic analysis and consider the core concepts underlying the method — pattern recognition and labelling consistency — as representing two analytical skills required to recognise and interpret repetitive occurrences of an item over time. We implement the four stages of the method in NVivo. We start by looking at two key aspects of sampling procedures, namely, units of analysis and coding units and then consider the four approaches to identifying themes in the data and generate codes. Code validation is the next step, which is followed by two strategies to conduct the thematic analysis; namely, verbal description and quantitative translation. In considering each, we look at different techniques such as scoring, scaling and clustering themes which, in qualitative terms, are equivalent to the reporting of themes by frequency or intensity, the creation of meta-themes and the generation of second-level constructs. We conclude with a critical appraisal of the methodological quality of studies that used thematic analysis and the best data visualisations to present its 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.
This course was taught at
As a freelance methodologist, I train social scientists and humanitarian practitioners in qualitative analysis, decolonising research and participatory methodologies. I coach research teams, teach doctoral-level courses in method schools and I consult for humanitarian aid agencies worldwide.
