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Thematic Analysis
Researchers conducting thematic analysis look for recognizable reoccurring topics, ideas, or patterns (themes) occurring within the data that provide insight into communication. Often a researcher may choose to conduct a thematic analysis when investigating a phenomenon for which little prior understanding exists. Flexible by nature, thematic analysis may be used to uncover issues, problems, similarities, and differences as applied to communication. Thematic analysis may be applied to single texts, a collection of similar texts or a variety of texts regarding a similar phenomenon or time period. Thematic analysis provides a comprehensive understanding of an overall experience of a communication event, series of interactions, or messages within a variety of communication contexts. Themes work together providing a fuller picture of the communication experience under investigation. Themes go beyond topical reporting, to provide depth of understanding within an interaction, text, or message, often revealing information about a process or processes that are occurring. Thematic analysts make sense of recurring observations found within data in effort to interpret what is occurring within communication. When a researcher uncovers themes commonly occurring throughout the data, those themes may indicate areas in communication that help explain phenomena or point out areas of needed improvement. A first step to make sense of recurring observations is locating themes within the data. This entry examines the process of locating themes, including inductive and deductive approaches to study design. This entry further explores common pitfalls to avoid while conducting thematic analysis. Finally, this entry examines the ways in which thematic analysis contributes to the vast field of communication.
Locating Themes Within the Data
To locate themes within the data, the researcher reads the data multiple times to identify patterns occurring within the data set. Often thematic analyses are conducted by first identifying themes within a case, text, or interview document (transcript) from one participant. From there the researcher locates additional and similar themes in the next document reviewed. During the process of theme development, information that supports the theme is pulled directly from the data the researcher is analyzing (e.g., web page information, interview, book). Often multiple iterative passes through the documents or transcripts under investigation to identify recurring themes evident in the data occurs. At the initial phases of theme development, remaining open to the presence of multiple themes and new themes occurring in the data is recommended. As the analysis proceeds, the researcher revisits the data throughout the analysis process to ensure the understandings elicited within the data contribute to the research questions.
A theme indicates a common line of understanding occurring within the data. There is no particular quantifiable amount of times the theme must present. Nor is there a minimum to the depth of detail provided in the content of the data for the information to constitute a theme. A theme may contribute explicit or implicit information. Meaning the theme may come from what is openly stated in the information or may come from a deeper understanding that is implied. Themes may be overarching, providing a general umbrella idea under which subthemes exist and contribute to understanding. Recognition of a recurring theme can result from a researcher hearing items over and over in interviews relating to views, emotions, and ideas. Themes may overlap and may or may not be related.
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