scholarly journals Conducting Thematic Analysis with Qualitative Data

Author(s):  
Chad Lochmiller

This article discusses one approach to conducting thematic analysis using structured qualitative data collected from focus groups. Thematic analysis is one of the most used but often poorly defined approaches in the qualitative research community. The method is principally concerned with the identification of patterns which are then reported as researcher-generated themes. In this article, I use data obtained from the Qualitative Data Repository to demonstrate how secondary qualitative data can be analyzed to produce themes. I note the ways in which this process unfolds as well as how it differs from other techniques.

Author(s):  
Alessia Milo ◽  
Nick Bryan-Kinns ◽  
Joshua D. Reiss

This chapter presents an overview of 3 graphical tools supporting soundscape assessment in different settings, indoors and outdoors. These research prototypes support the spatial organization of the perceptual information available to the participants and are designed based on surveying techniques used in architectural training to create a foundation for acoustic design education in architecture schools. This chapter reports the contexts of the focus groups investigations, presenting advantages and drawbacks related to their use. It has been found that participants often added explanatory verbal data and arrows to the provided diagrams. The diagrams and their use have been interpreted with the support of the qualitative data captured along the studies through thematic analysis. Finally, paper prototypes are useful for educational approaches, but future more comprehensive studies will require integrating these tools in existing or yet-to-be-designed systematic frameworks for soundscape analysis and design.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 160940692095511
Author(s):  
David L. Morgan ◽  
Andreea Nica

Because themes play such a central role in the presentation of qualitative research results, we propose a new method, Iterative Thematic Inquiry (ITI), that is guided by the development of themes. We begin by describing how ITI uses pragmatism as a theoretical basis for linking beliefs, in the form of preconceptions, to actions, in the form of data collection and analysis. Next, we present the four basic phases that ITI relies on: assessing beliefs; building new beliefs through encounters with data; listing tentative themes; and, evaluating themes through coding. We also review several notable differences between ITI and existing methods for qualitative data analysis, such as thematic analysis, grounded theory, and qualitative content analysis. The use of ITI is then illustrated through its application in a study of exiters from fundamentalist religions. Overall, the two most notable features of ITI are that it begins the development of themes as early as possible, through an assessment of initial preconceptions, and that it relies on writing rather than coding, by using a continual revision of tentative results as the primary procedure for generating a final set of themes.


2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 58-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martina Angela Caretta ◽  
Elena Vacchelli

This article aims at problematizing the boundaries of what counts as focus group and in so doing it identifies some continuity between focus group and workshop, especially when it comes to arts informed and activity laden focus groups. The workshop [1] is often marginalized as a legitimate method for qualitative data collection outside PAR (Participatory Action Research)-based methodologies. Using examples from our research projects in East Africa and in London we argue that there are areas of overlap between these two methods, yet we tend to use concepts and definitions associated with focus groups because of the lack of visibility of workshops in qualitative research methods academic literature. The article argues that focus groups and workshops present a series of intertwined features resulting in a blending of the two which needs further exploration. In problematizing the boundaries of focus groups and recognizing the increasing usage of art-based and activity-based processes for the production of qualitative data during focus groups, we argue that focus groups and workshop are increasingly converging. We use a specifically feminist epistemology in order to critically unveil the myth around the non-hierarchical nature of consensus and group interaction during focus group discussions and other multi-vocal qualitative methods and contend that more methodological research should be carried out on the workshop as a legitimate qualitative data collection technique situated outside the cycle of action research.


Author(s):  
Eric Dishongh

Jamie Harding’s (2013) Qualitative Data Analysis from Start to Finish is a new, user-friendly book for beginning qualitative research students. The thrust of the book deals with analyzing qualitative data from interviews and focus groups. This reviewer considers the relevance of Harding’s book for a Qualitative Research course in an MFT doctoral program.


2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1217
Author(s):  
Yolande Hefer ◽  
Michael. C. Cant

Several consumers think they only purchase products when they go shopping, however time and time again they purchase the experience of shopping as well. The experience of shopping is highly influenced by the visual merchandising displays (also known as feature areas where merchandise is presented) used in store. Much has been said about visual merchandising displays and the effect it has on consumer behaviour. The way products are displayed and promoted in apparel retail stores can have a vast impact on consumer responses and how much merchandise the retailer sells. The main research question explored the effect visual merchandising displays have on consumer behaviour. Explorative research was deemed to be the most appropriate for this study and qualitative data was collected. Focus groups were used to collect the first round of data, where after nae sketches were used to support the findings. The focus groups and nae sketches were analysed by means of thematic analysis. The findings indicated that the visual merchandising displays guide consumers in the direction of the products they are seeking and that it also guides their decisions. The participants agreed that their buying behaviour is influenced on a subconscious level, based on the eminence of the visual merchandising displays, as well as their personal preferences and gender.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Nina Lester ◽  
Yonjoo Cho ◽  
Chad R. Lochmiller

Given the vast and diverse qualitative analytic landscape, what might be a generative starting point for researchers who desire to learn how to produce quality qualitative analyses? This question is particularly relevant to researchers new to the field and practice of qualitative research and instructors and mentors who regularly introduce students to qualitative research practices. In this article, we seek to offer what we view as a useful starting point for learning how to do qualitative analysis. We begin by discussing briefly the general landscape of qualitative research methodologies and methods. To contextualize our suggestions, we review the qualitative analytic practices commonly used within human resource development (HRD). Following this, we describe thematic analysis in more detail, including why we believe it is a particularly useful analytic approach to consider when first learning about qualitative analysis. We share seven common practices or important considerations for carrying out a thematic analysis and conclude by highlighting key considerations for assuring quality when conducting a thematic analysis.


2022 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 0-0

This paper investigates consumers' response to conditional promotions (CP) offered in an offline retail store. Using qualitative research inquiry, we decipher the consumer decision-making process by finding the linkages between 'pre-cart' and the 'post-cart' add-on purchases. Thematic analysis of qualitative data (focus groups and personal interviews) resulted in four themes, i.e. 'Criticality of Product Utility,' 'Mode of Payments,' 'Loss Aversion by Consumers,' and 'Inability to Think Out-of-Box by the Consumers.' We add value to the existing marketing literature by finding the relationship between products purchased in 'pre-cart', i.e., without the knowledge of CP and 'post-cart', defined as add-on products added to the cart to avail the CP offer while purchasing in an offline retail store. Further, we find that consumers' willingness to avail CP varies with different relative distances from the target purchase cart value (high vs. low) and mode of payments (cash vs. digital). We discuss the theoretical and managerial implications of the research.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa D McCradden ◽  
Tasmie Sarker ◽  
P Alison Paprica

ABSTRACTObjectivesGiven widespread interest in applying artificial intelligence (AI) to health data to improve patient care and health system efficiency, there is a need to understand the perspectives of the general public regarding the use of health data in AI research.DesignA qualitative study involving six focus groups with members of the public. Participants discussed their views about AI in general, then were asked to share their thoughts about three realistic health AI scenarios. Data were analysed using qualitative description thematic analysis.SettingsTwo cities in Ontario, Canada: Sudbury (400 km north of Toronto) and Mississauga, (part of the Greater Toronto Area).ParticipantsForty-one purposively sampled members of the public (21M:20F, 25-65 years, median age 40).ResultsParticipants had low levels of prior knowledge of AI and mixed, mostly negative, perceptions of AI in general. Most endorsed AI as a tool for the analysis of health data when there is strong potential for public benefit, providing that concerns about privacy, consent, and commercial motives were addressed. Inductive thematic analysis identified AI-specific hopes (e.g., potential for faster and more accurate analyses, ability to use more data), fears (e.g., loss of human touch, skill depreciation from over-reliance on machines) and conditions (e.g., human verification of computer-aided decisions, transparency). There were mixed views about whether consent is required for health data research, with most participants wanting to know if, how and by whom their data were used. Though it was not an objective of the study, realistic health AI scenarios were found to have an educational effect.ConclusionsNotwithstanding concerns and limited knowledge about AI in general, most members of the general public in six focus groups in Ontario, Canada perceived benefits from health AI and conditionally supported the use of health data for AI research.STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS OF THIS STUDYA strength of this study is the analysis of how diverse members of the general public perceive three realistic scenarios in which health data are used for AI research.The detailed health AI scenarios incorporate points that previous qualitative research has indicated are likely to elicit discussion (e.g., use of health data without express consent, involvement of commercial organisations in health research, inability to guarantee anonymity of genetic data) and may also be useful in future qualitative research studies and for educational purposes.The findings are likely to be relevant to organisations that are considering making health data available for AI research and development.Notwithstanding the diverse ethnic and educational backgrounds of participants, overall the sample represents the general (mainstream) population of Ontario and results cannot be interpreted as presenting the views of specific subpopulations and may not be generalisable across Ontario or to other settings.Given the low level of knowledge about AI in general it is possible that the views of participants would change substantially if they learned and understood more about AI.TRANSPARENCY STATEMENTP. Alison Paprica affirms that the manuscript is an honest, accurate and transparent account of the study being reported; that no important aspects of the study have been omitted; and that there were no discrepancies from the study as originally approved by the University of Toronto Research Ethics Board.


Author(s):  
Anthony Onwuegbuzie ◽  
Nancy Leech ◽  
Kathleen Collins

This article provides an innovative meta-framework comprising strategies designed to guide qualitative data collection in the 21st century. We present a meta-framework comprising strategies for collecting data from interviews, focus groups, observations, and documents/material culture. We present a template for collecting nonverbal data during interviews and discuss the concept of debriefing the interviewer. We identify types of data that can be collected in focus groups in addition to the actual statements made by the participants and provide templates for categorizing these data. Also, we outline the role that social networking websites can play in focus group interviews. Further, we provide models for observations that include photographs and videos. Finally, we outline ways of accessing and collating documents/material culture that can be used for document analyses.


Author(s):  
Michael Belotto

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of some of the principles of data analysis used in qualitative research such as coding, interrater reliability, and thematic analysis. I focused on the challenges that I experienced as a first-time qualitative researcher during the course of my dissertation, in the hope that how I addressed those difficulties will better prepare other investigators planning endeavors into this area of research. One of the first challenges I encountered was the dearth of information regarding the details of qualitative data analysis. While my text books explained the general philosophies of the interpretive tradition and its theoretical groundings, I found few published studies where authors actually explained the details pertaining to exactly how they arrived at their findings. Some authors even confirmed my own experience that few published studies described processes such as coding and methods to evaluate interrater reliability. Herein, I share the sources of information that I did find and the methods that I used to address these challenges. I also discuss issues of trustworthiness and how matters of objectivity and reliability can be addressed within the naturalistic paradigm.


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