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Using thematic analysis in psychology 83

but it is important to note there is no right or scription is maintained. This might be a
wrong method for determining prevalence. particularly useful method when you are
Part of the flexibility of thematic analysis investigating an under-researched area, or
is that it allows you to determine themes you are working with participants whose
(and prevalence) in a number of ways. What views on the topic are not known.
is important is that you are consistent in An alternative use of thematic analysis is
how you do this within any particular to provide a more detailed and nuanced
analysis. account of one particular theme, or group of
There are various ‘conventions’ for repre- themes, within the data. This might relate to
senting prevalence in thematic (and other a specific question or area of interest within
qualitative) analysis that does not provide a the data (a semantic approach / see below),
quantified measure (unlike much content or to a particular ‘latent’ theme (see below)
analysis, Wilkinson, 2000) / for instance: across the whole or majority of the data set.
‘the majority of participants’ (Meehan et al., An example of this would be Victoria’s talk
2000: 372), ‘many participants’ (Taylor and show paper, discussed previously (Clarke
Ussher, 2001: 298), or ‘a number of and Kitzinger, 2004), which examined nor-
participants’ (Braun et al., 2003: 249). malization in lesbians’ and gay men’s ac-
Such descriptors work rhetorically to counts of parenting.
suggest a theme really existed in the data,
and to convince us they are reporting Inductive versus theoretical thematic
truthfully about the data. But do they tell analysis
us much? This is perhaps one area where Themes or patterns within data can be
more debate is needed about how and why identified in one of two primary ways in
we might represent the prevalence of thematic analysis: in an inductive or ‘bot-
themes in the data, and, indeed, whether, tom up’ way (eg, Frith and Gleeson, 2004),
if, and why prevalence is particularly im- or in a theoretical or deductive or ‘top
portant. down’ way (eg, Boyatzis, 1998; Hayes,
1997). An inductive approach means the
A rich description of the data set, or a themes identified are strongly linked to the
detailed account of one particular aspect data themselves (Patton, 1990) (as such, this
It is important to determine the type of form of thematic analysis bears some simi-
analysis you want to do, and the claims larity to grounded theory). In this approach,
you want to make, in relation to your data if the data have been collected specifically
set. For instance, you might wish to provide for the research (eg, via interview or focus
a rich thematic description of your entire group), the themes identified may bear little
data set, so that the reader gets a sense of the relation to the specific questions that were
predominant or important themes. In this asked of the participants. They would also
case, the themes you identify, code, and not be driven by the researcher’s theoretical
analyse would need to be an accurate reflec- interest in the area or topic. Inductive
tion of the content of the entire data set. In analysis is therefore a process of coding
such an analysis, some depth and complex- the data without trying to fit it into a pre-
ity is necessarily lost (particularly if you are existing coding frame, or the researcher’s
writing a short dissertation or article with analytic preconceptions. In this sense, this
strict word limits), but a rich overall de- form of thematic analysis is data-driven.