Understanding Thematic Analysis and the Debates Involving Its Use

Abstract

The misconceptions researchers have about thematic analysis lead to various problems, which include publishing papers without mentioning the techniques they used to analyze their data. One reason such problems occur is that thematic analysis has been a poorly demarcated method for many years. Another has to do with the lack of literature on how this method differs from other approaches to research. In this paper, I aim to close this gap by explaining how different versions of thematic analysis vary from each other and discussing the controversies associated with each version. My conclusions are based on an analysis of what leading authors have published about this topic. I used a purposeful sample consisting of publications written by notable authors. I then analyzed this content to write a conceptual paper designed to enhance the understanding of different versions of thematic analysis and to document the controversies associated with each type.

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