Thematic analysis is a way to study information that people give in interviews, surveys, focus groups, etc. (Thematic analysis is used to help find patterns and themes, which are big ideas that come up again and again. This method is good for beginners because it is easy to use, but also for experts who want to work with other people or share their research with the public (Braun et al., 2016).
There are two ways to use this method. One is to be very strict and use codes and multiple people to make sure that everyone is seeing the same thing (Boyatzis, 1998). Another is to be more flexible and look at the data in a more general way, which is what is often done is sport research (Braun et al., 2016).
When researchers use this method, they need to decide what level they want to look at the data. Do they want to look at what people are saying directly or do you want to look for ideas that are hidden? They also need to decide if they want to use a theory to help them or if you want to start from scratch (Braun et al., 2016).
To use this method, researchers generally follow six steps: (1) look at the data to get familiar with it, (2) start looking for patterns, (3) see if there are larger themes in the patterns, (4) review to make sure you have all the right themes, (5) give each theme a name, and (6) write up your report (Braun & Clarke, 2006).
It is important to remember, the themes that researchers find are not just there on their own. They come from a combination of things, like what the researcher already knows, what they are trying to find out, and what the people be researched are saying (Braun & Clarke, 2006).
Boyatzis, R. (1998). Transforming qualitative information: Thematic analysis and code development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77101.
Braun, V., Clarke, V., & Weate, P. (2016). Using thematic analysis in sport and exercise research. In B. Smith, & A. C. Sparkes (Eds.), Routledge handbook of qualitative research in sport and exercise (pp. 191205). New York, NY:
Routledge.
