Posters · How it works
What is thematic analysis?
Thematic analysis is a qualitative method for finding, interpreting and reporting patterns of shared meaning, called themes, across a set of data such as interview transcripts, focus groups or open survey answers. The researcher codes the data, builds codes into candidate themes, reviews them against the data and names each theme with a clear central idea.
Braun and Clarke's 2006 paper on the method is among the most cited academic articles of this century, and their later reflexive version is now the default in much health and social research. It is also easy to do badly, by listing topics instead of interpreting them, which is the main thing a reviewer looks for.
Nuwan Madhusanka · Co-founder
4 min read · Published
| Code | Theme | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A label for one feature of the data relevant to the question | A pattern of shared meaning organised around one central idea |
| Scale | Many, often dozens or hundreds | Usually two to six reported |
| Example | Forms repeated at every respite booking | Respite as something to earn, not a right |
| Built by | Reading line by line | Clustering and interpreting codes, then testing against the whole dataset |
| On the poster | Rarely shown | Named, defined in one line, with a short quote |
- 1
Familiarise yourself with the data
Read and reread transcripts or responses, listen to recordings where possible, and note first impressions and questions, without coding yet.
- 2
Code the data
Work systematically through the whole dataset and attach short, specific labels to every segment relevant to the research question, keeping both obvious and less obvious meanings.
- 3
Generate initial themes
Cluster codes that share a central idea into candidate themes, and set aside codes that do not fit yet.
- 4
Develop and review themes
Check each candidate theme against its coded extracts and against the whole dataset, then split, merge or discard themes that do not hold.
- 5
Refine, define and name themes
Write a short definition of each theme saying what it is about and what it is not, and choose a name that states its central idea.
- 6
Write up
Weave the analytic story together with vivid extracts, relating each theme to the question and the existing literature.
Reflexive, codebook and coding reliability approaches
Braun and Clarke now separate three families. Reflexive thematic analysis treats the researcher's interpretation as the analytic tool, uses flexible codes and does not count agreement between coders. Codebook approaches such as framework analysis fix a coding frame early so a team can apply it consistently. Coding reliability approaches measure agreement between coders, often with a statistic such as Cohen's kappa. Mixing the vocabulary, for example claiming a reflexive analysis and then reporting inter rater reliability, is a mismatch Braun and Clarke have written about repeatedly, so name the version you used and follow its logic.
What makes a theme a theme
A theme is not a topic heading such as barriers or experiences of care. It is a claim about meaning that a reader can disagree with, for example that carers experience respite as something they have to earn. Good themes have a central organising concept, are distinct from each other, and are supported by data from across participants rather than one vivid interview. The six phases are not strictly linear: analysts move back and forth, and themes often change name several times before the write up.
Reporting it so reviewers trust it
The Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research ask for the approach, the researcher characteristics and reflexivity, the sampling and data collection, the analysis process and the techniques used to enhance trustworthiness. The reflexive reporting guidelines proposed by Braun and Clarke's collaborators add a statement of the theoretical assumptions and an honest account of how the researchers' positions shaped the analysis. On a poster that compresses to a method block of a few lines: who was interviewed and how they were chosen, the version of thematic analysis, who coded, and how many themes were developed.
Common mistakes
Presenting interview questions as themes. Reporting codes counted as percentages in a reflexive analysis. Claiming themes emerged, as if they were sitting in the data, rather than being developed by the researchers. Using saturation as the only justification for sample size in a reflexive analysis. Quoting the same one or two participants for every theme. And skipping the definitions, so a reader sees only names.
Showing themes on a poster board
Most layouts carry a list slot (36 of the 40 boards) and a callout block for the key message (35), which suit a short list of themes with a one line definition each and one highlighted quote. The qualitative study example lays out a reflexive thematic analysis of 36 interviews with unpaid carers, with four themes and one short quote under each. Write the theme names, the definitions and the quotes in the brief exactly as you want them, since the generator fills the board from what it is given.
Questions people ask
How many themes should a thematic analysis have?
There is no fixed number. A handful of well defined themes, each with a clear central idea, usually reads better than a long list of thin ones, and Braun and Clarke caution against treating more themes as more thorough. On a poster, three or four themes with one line each and a short quote fit comfortably; any more and the theme panel turns into a table of contents.
Is thematic analysis the same as content analysis?
No. Content analysis often counts how frequently codes or words appear and can be largely quantitative. Thematic analysis interprets patterns of meaning and, in its reflexive form, does not treat frequency as importance. Some codebook approaches sit between the two, which is why a methods section should name the specific approach used.
Do I need software for thematic analysis?
No. Many researchers code on paper or in a word processor. Software such as NVivo, ATLAS.ti or Taguette helps organise codes and extracts in larger datasets, but it does not do the analysis. The interpretive work of building and reviewing themes is the same with or without it.
Can thematic analysis be used on open ended survey answers?
Yes. Open text answers are coded and built into themes in the same way, although they tend to give shorter extracts from many more people than interviews do. Expect each theme to be supported by more but briefer extracts, and report how many people answered the open question, since many skip it.
Should two people code the data?
It depends on the version. Coding reliability approaches need at least two coders and a measure of agreement. In reflexive thematic analysis a second coder is optional and is used to discuss and deepen interpretation, not to reach a reliability score, so report it as a reflexive discussion rather than as agreement.
Make one with posters
The button opens the generator with this use case already described. Change the wording to match your own.
Create a poster with OneCraftRelated questions
- What is a pilot study?A pilot study runs a future trial, or part of it, on a small scale to test whether it can be done. Pilot against feasibility study, and progression criteria.
- What is an e-poster?An e-poster is a conference poster shown on a screen instead of printed. The usual 16:9 landscape PDF rules, file limits, narration and design for screens.
- What is a hazard ratio?A hazard ratio compares how fast an event happens in two groups over time. What HR 0.6 or 1.5 means, how to read its interval, and how to report it on a poster.
- What is IMRaD?What is IMRaD: the introduction, methods, results and discussion structure behind most research papers and posters, and how each part maps to a board.
Step by step in the builder: Choose the template, theme and size.
Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked .