Page 14 - Braun06ThematicAnalysis

90 V Braun and V Clarke

Figure 2 Initial thematic map, showing five main themes (final analysis presented in Braun and
Wilkinson, 2003)

sub-themes within them). Some initial You end this phase with a collection of
codes may go on to form main themes, candidate themes, and sub-themes, and all
whereas others may form sub-themes, and extracts of data that have been coded in
others still may be discarded. At this stage, relation to them. At this point, you will start
you may also have a set of codes that do not to have a sense of the significance of
seem to belong anywhere, and it is perfectly individual themes. However, do not aban-
acceptable to create a ‘theme’ called ‘mis- don anything at this stage, as without
cellaneous’ to house the codes / possibly looking at all the extracts in detail (the
temporarily / that do not seem to fit into next phase) it is uncertain whether the
your main themes. themes hold as they are, or whether some

Figure 3 Developed thematic map, showing three main themes (final analysis presented in Braun and
Wilkinson, 2003)