L18: QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN PRACTISE

Question 1

Who developed the widely used approach to thematic analysis in 2006?

Answer 1

Braun and Clarke.

Question 2

Is thematic analysis a methodology or a method?

Answer 2

It is a method—a flexible set of tools for analysing qualitative data.

Question 3

What does thematic analysis aim to identify?

Answer 3

Patterns or themes (units of meaning) across the data.

Question 4

What kinds of data can thematic analysis be applied to?

Answer 4

Interviews, focus groups, diaries, qualitative surveys, vignettes, and more.

Question 5

Are there strict sampling requirements in thematic analysis?

Answer 5

No, it has no specific sampling requirements.

Question 6

What is coding in qualitative analysis?

Answer 6

Marking short segments of text with a word or short phrase to label meaning.

Question 7

What is selective coding?

Answer 7

Coding only the instances of the specific phenomenon you are interested in.

Question 8

What is complete coding?

Answer 8

Coding everything in the data, then identifying what is relevant—usually done only for the first few transcripts

Question 9

What are some ‘straightforward’ analytic possibilities in thematic analysis?

Answer 9

Describes, summarises, and ‘gives voice’ to participants’ experiences.

Question 10

What are some ‘complex’ analytic possibilities in thematic analysis?

Answer 10

Tells a story and interprets the deeper meaning behind the data

Question 11

What is semantic coding?

Answer 11

Coding that captures the surface, explicit meaning of the data without interpretation.

Question 12

What is latent coding?

Answer 12

Coding that identifies deeper, implicit meanings in the data and involves interpretation.

Question 13

Is one type of coding better than the other?

Answer 13

No, both semantic and latent codes are valuable and often used together in analysis.

Question 14

What type of codes is analysis often more reliant on at the start?

Answer 14

Descriptive (semantic) codes.

Question 15

Can coding be informed by existing frameworks or theories?

Answer 15

Yes, researchers can draw on existing theories to guide coding

Question 16

How is a code created in thematic analysis?

Answer 16

By reading the text line by line to identify meaningful segments and assigning a label that captures their meaning

Question 17

What happens after codes are created?

Answer 17

They are clustered into potential themes or subthemes.

Question 18

What is a theme in thematic analysis?

Answer 18

A pattern in the data that either describes and organizes observations or interprets aspects of the phenomenon.

Question 19

What makes a theme significant?

Answer 19

It captures something crucial about the data in relation to the research question and shows a patterned response.

Question 20

How are themes understood in relation to the researcher’s role?

Answer 20

Themes are actively created by the researcher, shaped by their interests, positioning, and theoretical framework, in interaction with the data.

Question 21

What influences the themes you develop in thematic analysis?

Answer 21

Your research questions and consideration of what issues are most relevant and meaningful to your study.

Question 22

What are the two main approaches to theme development?

Answer 22

Inductive (data-driven) and deductive (theory-driven)—or a combination of both.

Question 23

What kinds of patterns can be the basis for themes?

Answer 23

Frequently mentioned subjects (e.g., relationships with healthcare professionals)
Specific experiences or views (e.g., fear)
Ways of talking about something (e.g., negative self-talk)

Question 24

What is reflexivity in qualitative research?

Answer 24

It is the practice of reflecting on how the researcher’s background, beliefs, and subjectivity influence the research process.

Question 25

Why is reflexivity important?

Answer 25

It promotes credibility by acknowledging the researcher’s role in the construction of meaning.

Question 26

What aspects of research can be shaped by the researcher’s ideology?

Answer 26

The research question, data collection methods, sample, coding, and analysis

Question 27

What does reflexivity take into account?

Answer 27

The subjective nature of perception and how it affects interpretation.

Question 28

What should researchers consider about how research affects them?

Answer 28

How the research process impacts them both personally and professionally.

Question 29

Why is it important for researchers to reflect critically on their findings?

Answer 29

To avoid accepting findings at face value and to acknowledge how their own perspective may shape interpretation

Question 30

In a study on breast cancer survivors, how might a researcher’s feelings influence the research?

Answer 30

They may project personal emotions into interviews. Their emotional responses could shape the questions they ask. Their own experiences (e.g., with illness or loss) could bias how they interpret or emphasise findings.

Question 31

How can reflexivity help mitigate researcher bias?

Answer 31

By recognising personal influences and adjusting the approach in future interviews and reporting.

Question 32

What should good thematic analysis start with?

Answer 32

Codes that accurately represent the data.

Question 33

Should themes simply mirror the data collection questions?

Answer 33

No, good analysis goes beyond just using the questions as themes

Question 34

What kind of themes should be developed in good thematic analysis?

Answer 34

Themes that provide nuanced and complex interpretations of the data

Question 35

Is it enough to just present data extracts with little interpretation?

Answer 35

No, good thematic analysis interprets the data and uses extracts as evidence.

Question 36

What role does reflexivity play in good thematic analysis?

Answer 36

It should show evidence of reflexivity, acknowledging the researcher’s influence.

Question 37

What is the overall goal of good thematic analysis?

Answer 37

To provide a rich, coherent analysis that answers the research questions.

Question 38

What is a key feature of coding in thematic analysis? Codes are always derived from existing frameworks or theories Codes describe the content of the text Codes label the language used by participants Codes are applied after themes have been identified

Answer 38

Codes describe the content of the text