THEMATIC ANALYSIS

• What is Thematic Analysis?

  • Form of content analysis (shares STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES)
  • Aims to produce themes (more descriptive than coding units)
• How does Thematic Analysis work?

  • Text or recordings (transcribed so turned into text) are read to spot patterns- coded 
  • Transcriptions / text / codes- re-read (looking for emergent themes)
• Strengths:

  • High ecological validity- real, current communications e.g. recent newspapers 
  • Sources can be easily retained / accessed by others- findings can be replicated 
  • Many ethical issues may not apply- sources already public, no need to get consent 
• Weaknesses:

  • Observer bias- may reduce validity / objectivity- different observers may interpret the meaning of the categories differently 
  • Only describes the data- causality cannot be established