What Is Thematic Analysis? Merits, Demerits and Its Approach

11 Apr 2024 169 share it:

Most of you raise a common query, How do you find a good theme?. Thematic analysis answers this question, but here is a problem. Most of you do not know about this topic, which becomes an issue when implementing it. That is not specific to this; it is a universal process. If you read the quote below, you can understand that:

"Knowledge is a gem that glows in the dark only when you possess it."

So, learning what is thematic analysis will help you find this knowledge that will light up your path towards excellence. However, you do not have a way to collect all the valuable details related to this topic. Therefore, you search the web for a platform to help you understand it. However, you cannot go to the advanced aspect of any topic as you need foundational support. So, the following section presents information about thematic analysis, which starts with its meaning.

What Is Thematic Analysis? A Detailed Overview

The definition helps to understand the basic function of a specific subject. Moreover, it helps to understand where you can advance to the advanced level. So, let us first understand its meaning from the below definitions:

Though Gerald Holter founded the concept in the 1970s, Braun and Clarke have contributed to developing thematic analysis and its process. Thus, their involvement has led us to a general meaning of the concept, which is stated below:

The concept of thematic inspection is an approach to study qualitative information to derive a specific theme. This information comes from a thorough inspection of the data group and look for specific patterns.

Braun and Clarke thematic analysis definition explains the entire significance of the concept, and it is mentioned below:

"According to Braun and Clarke, thematic examination is the method for identification, analysing and reporting patterns(themes) within data."

So, the above definition establishes fundamentals to answer what is thematic analysis. However, it does not cover all the aspects, including its divisions or types. We know that it is a new topic for you so the following section properly explains the division thematic inspection carries.

Important Divisions in Thematic Analysis to Observe

A general analysis does not reveal many details. You need proper information to understand and find the theme. That is why thematic analysis contains different divisions that allow you to complete the process. However, being a newbie to this topic, you are unaware of it. Due to that, it becomes natural for you not to have any idea of its types.

It contains the following types:

• Codebook
• Reflexive
• Coding Reliability

Since you do not know about them, here is an insightful explanation to help you understand each type:

Codebook Thematic Analysis:

The more you read, the better results you can have. This Braun and Clarke thematic analysis type takes the deductive approach to scan through the data. This method works the opposite of the inductive method as it requires an in-depth study prior to its application. That improves the chances of finding themes because it gives you more chance than usual to scan the data. So, if by any chance you lose on any topic, you can find that, so it covers everything.

Reflexive Thematic Analysis:

Reflexive thematic analysis allows you to use an inductive approach that does not follow any preconception study. It lets the inspection remain active and flexible, so the themes can emerge instantly as you go through the data. One advantage of this study is that you pay more attention to it, which increases the chances of success with thematic analysis in qualitative research. However, there is an unforeseen advantage to it.

Since there is no prior study, you cannot remain sure that you will find the theme you seek. So, it may consume your time and have no result.

Coding Reliability Thematic Analysis:

In programming, the codes inserted in a data set need to be accurate, and keeping them fixed provides this. This type of thematic analysis in qualitative research is designed to observe the adaptation of various coders in implementing a specific code. Under this type, a research team including multiple coders decides which code to use instead of one coder.

These are the types you can find under this head. These types allow you to understand what you are processing. With this, you can solidify your knowledge in learning the concepts of what is thematic analysis. However, this is not the only thing you should learn and read. To conduct a method, you need to follow a process and you need proper knowledge to implement it. So, the following section covers the process that help you conduct thematic inspection.

5 Steps in Thematic Analysis Developed by Braun and Clarke

Thematic analysis is similar to other methods as it contains a process that allows you to conduct it successfully. However, extracting results will be difficult if you do not know how to implement something. So, your prime focus should be developing the required mastery of the method.

To help you with that, the following sub-heads provide insights on how to do thematic analysis:

1. Learn About the Data:

The first step is to understand your data thoroughly. It allows you to observe if the collected data is sufficient to withstand the weight of the topic. Also, while collecting the data, you do not notice much of what you gather. You do that as you see all the data as important. The first step of thematic analysis allows you to study the collected data and thoroughly scan it.

2. Work to Develop Codes:

Your next step is to draft the codes that allow you to find the specific theme. That is where you need to develop the codes, as it will help you see the pattern by scanning the collected document. However, the designed code may not work, which can result in poor results. That can affect your project, which may not work in your case, so with psychology assignment help, you can alter or change the codes.

3. Start Framing the Themes:

Now that you have developed perfect codes to scan the document, you have found the result for that step. It means that your next step is to begin the process of framing themes. You must understand the difference between themes and sub-themes. A theme in thematic analysis should be a complete sentence with proper meaning, so do not confuse sub-themes with them and select them instead.

4. Always Review Your Theme:

Once you have framed your theme after analysing the data sheet, your next step is to review your work. It is important because it may not be the most effective one that you may be looking for, or it can be a sub-theme. However, most of you ask for assignment help as you cannot review the prepared theme properly. So, asking experts in that case is a beneficial choice.

5. Lastly, Present the Narrative:

Now, the time has arrived for you to draft the document that contains your viewpoint on the same. You must develop your claim with proper arguments that can support your bias. Your arguments should be solid and strongly stand with the theme you present. However, look for a thematic analysis example if you cannot understand how to draft the end section.

These subheads show the process of conducting the thematic inspection given by Braun and Clarke. With this, you can follow and find the correct theme to work on based on the information you have. However, not everything you have always leads to merits. Sometimes, it can be a bit drastic, and you can never know when it will happen if you do not know what is thematic analysis. So, here is an insightful showcase of its pros and cons.

An Analysis of Thematic Analysis: Advantages and Disadvantages

Without learning properly about a method, if you are implementing it, you are putting a blind faith in it. So, our experts recommend that you learn about the specific topic properly and do not leave any aspect as less important. So, to help you with that, below is the inspection of the thematic analysis on the basis of advantages and disadvantages:

This explanation shows why you should look for a research paper writing service. Due to its multiple flaws, it becomes a reason for your work to find many difficulties. That is the reason why you must develop proper knowledge before applying the method. However, you can face some challenges during the process that are new for you. So, to know what is thematic analysis, you ask from experts. But where? The section below provides you an answer to this question.

Need In-Depth Knowledge on Thematic Analysis? Ask Our Experts

Working on anything new can bring challenges because there is no expertise or support from behind. Thus, in that situation, you need assistance as a top priority because you cannot do that by yourself. However, where can you find it? The only platform that can provide it is Assignment Desk. We are a platform that has the most educated team with much experience under their belt. Not just that, they have helped many students before you. So, that has increased their knowledge in handling new and old issues. So, if you want to pay for assignments to top-educated experts in the UK, you must come to us.

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