Last update:
03-Jun-2018

Data analysis in qualitative research is divided into deductive and inductive methodology, of which the latter is the more frequent. The inductive method includes various different approaches, of which thematic analysis is used the most often. Thematic analysis is applied to analyze transcript data that emerge from interviews and focus groups, and less usually from observations. The aim of thematic analysis is to create a comprehensive and systematic record of the codings and themes that are raised in interviews or observations. In thematic analysis, the researchers identify the themes in transcript data from participants, and then attempt to confirm, verify and expand these themes, and also repeat the procedure in order to find out new themes. The researchers first read the transcripts of the interviews or observations and create the appropriate initial coding framework. Codings with similar content are then compiled into themes with a wider range. The initial coding framework and themes are created according to the theoretical framework of each study, based on the personal judgment and experience of the researchers. Thematic analysis in qualitative research is a more subjective process than analysis in quantitative research, since, for example, different researchers may create a different initial coding framework and identify different themes. For this reason, in thematic analysis, examination of validity is very important in order to decrease bias and produce more rigorous analysis. Respondent validation and researcher validation provide the main approach for checking the validity in thematic analysis, but unfortunately, there is no definitive answer to the issue of validity in thematic analysis. For good results, the analysis should: (a) Be performed according to clear methodological principles, (b) include all the data that are collected, and (c) be comprehensive and systematic. The researchers should always search for contrary or deviant data that are different from the main findings, since these data could improve the overall results of the analysis. Finally, in their publications the researchers should provide a detailed explanation of how their data were collected and analyzed, in order to help readers to make critical assessment of the study

Key words: Interview, Methodology, Qualitative research, Thematic analysis, Validity.