qualitative-analysis

Thematic analysis follows Braun and Clarke's six phases: familiarize yourself with data, generate initial codes, group codes into candidate themes, review themes against data, define and name themes, then write up findings with supporting quotes.

Thematic analysis identifies patterns across data and suits most qualitative studies, while grounded theory builds theory through open, axial, and selective coding toward a core category. Choose grounded theory when your goal is theory development rather than theme description.

A codebook lists each code with a name, definition, when-to-use and when-not-to-use criteria, and an example quote from your data. Start with 5-10 codes from your first two transcripts, then refine after coding additional sources.

Reflexivity is documenting how your assumptions, background, and biases shape interpretation during analysis. Keep a reflexivity journal noting what surprised you, what you might be over-coding, and how another researcher might interpret the data differently.

Use member checking after developing candidate themes by sharing them with two or three participants and asking whether the themes capture their experience. It strengthens validity but is optional when participants are unavailable.