thematic analysis

  • frequency of pattern isn’t enough, but significance to participants and topic
  • themes identified through inductive active-reading emerging from data, or from deductive theory-driven looking for evidence for ideas
  • don’t just quote or paraphrase to fit - build an argument or story about the data with quotes as evidence - go beyond what is said to explore meaning/implication/pattern - what the data reveals not what it says
  • be a part of the unfolding
  • what is being said and HOW is it being said. commentary to connect and explain your quotes - contradictions and shared logics
  • coherent narrative on how the themes matter