can you use thematic analysis in quantitative research

However, thematic analysis is a flexible method that can be adapted to many different kinds of research. The approach to analyze data in qualitative research cannot be the same as in the quantitative research. How to Do Thematic Analysis | Step-by-Step Guide & Examples / How to Do Formal analysis, We selected three existing qualitative datasets to which we applied the bootstrapping method. Quantitative research focuses on numeric data and therefore the aim to achieve objectivity is far easier than in the qualitative research. Quantitative research is the opposite of qualitative research, which involves collecting and . Qualitative vs Quantitative Research: Methods & Data Analysis Interested in Can Thematic Analysis Be Used In Quantitative Research?? San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Their calculation incorporates: (1) the estimated prevalence of a theme within the population, (2) the number of desired instances of that theme, and (3) the desired power for a study. here. Interested in ChatGPT For 1-on-1 Interviews? (Under our approach, however, a measure of percent saturation as defined by these authors will not be available.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Saturation is conceptualized as a relative measure. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. here. To choose the right statistical methods and techniques, you need to consider the, Qualitative Data Analysis Methods 101: The Big 6 Methods (Including Examples), Sampling Methods & Strategies 101: What You Need To Know, Qualitative Data Coding 101: Everything You Need To Know. It is not a research method in itself but rather an analytic approach and synthesizing strategy used as part of the meaning-making process of many methods, including case study research. This can be especially useful when the researcher is looking for relationships between the data and other variables. During the past two decades, scholars have conducted empirical research and developed mathematical/statistical models designed to estimate the likely number of qualitative interviews needed to reach saturation for a given study. The results section of the review will comprise thematic synthesis of quantitative studies, thematic synthesis of qualitative studies, and the aggregation of the two. Revised on At run length 3 it was 14 interviews plus three more to confirm no new information. With statistics, you can summarize your sample data, make estimates, and test hypotheses. Yes We will prospectively calculate saturation using a base size of 4 interviews and run length of 2 interviews. Quantitative research measures numerical results to help predict possible outcomes. The results or findings section usually addresses each theme in turn. When collecting and analyzing data, quantitative research deals with numbers and statistics, while qualitative research deals with words and meanings. We might decide that a better name for the theme is distrust of authority or conspiracy thinking. This study included 40 individual interviews with African American men in the Southeast US about their health seeking behaviors [29]. TimesMojo is a social question-and-answer website where you can get all the answers to your questions. Themes are identified with any form of qualitative research method, be it phenomenology, narrative analysis, grounded theory, thematic analysis or any other form. Can qualitative and quantitative variables be used to describe both samples and populations? That said, a researcher could, with this approach, run and report on saturation analyses of two or more codebooks that contain differing levels of coding granularity. To further illustrate how saturation may have been affected by doing additional interviews, we include 20 interviews in Fig 3. This means that relative to the total number of unique codes identified in the first four, five, or six interviews, the amount of new information contributed by interviews 8, 9, and 10 was less than or equal to 5% of the total. This kind of in-depth understanding is well suited to qualitative approaches. Citation: Guest G, Namey E, Chen M (2020) A simple method to assess and report thematic saturation in qualitative research. Estimates are based on (specified) assumptions, and expectations regarding various elements in a particular study. He found the probability of identifying a concept (theme) among a sample of six individuals is greater than 99% if that concept is shared among 55% of the larger study population. The most important elements of research methodology expected to be covered in business dissertation at Bachelor's, Master's and PhD levels include research philosophy, types of . Themes get identified by physically sorting the examples into piles of similar meaning. No credit card is required. Merriam, S. B. Many existing definitions are constrained by a dichoto-mous typology that contrasts qualitative and quantitative research or assumes a particular epistemological foundation. At the 0% new information threshold, saturation was indicated at 12+2 and 16+3, consistent across base sizes. At a run length of two interviews, the median number of interviews required before a drop in new information was observed was six. No, Is the Subject Area "Probability theory" applicable to this article? Tutors' Association ID: 55870609, Join Grad Coach On: Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | LinkedIn. Can Thematic Analysis Be Used In Quantitative Research? This body of work has advanced the evidence base for sample size estimation in qualitative inquiry during the design phase of a study, prior to data collection, but it does not provide qualitative researchers with a simple and reliable way to determine the adequacy of sample sizes during and/or after data collection. When researchers have to analyse audio or video transcripts, they give preference to thematic analysis. Understanding and Identifying 'Themes' in Qualitative Case Study Research We acknowledge and agree with these assertions. Thematic analysis is used in qualitative research and focuses on examining themes or patterns of meaning within data. Many qualitative data analyses, however, do not use the specific grounded theory method, but rather a more general inductive thematic analysis. Note that their model assumes a random sample. Which type you choose depends on, among other things, whether . Some types of research questions you might use thematic analysis to answer: The method we propose facilitates qualitative researchers choice among levels of assessment criteria along with a common description of those criteria that will allow readers to interpret conclusions regarding saturation with more or less confidence, depending on the strictness of the criteria used. (2010), for example, consider runs of three data collection events each time they (re)assess the number of new themes for the numerator, whereas Coenen et al. Finally, our conclusion explains the main takeaways and shows how the analysis has answered our research question. [23] for discussion on this as it relates to saturation). Roles Check out the dedicated article the Speak Ai team put together on What Is A Acoustic Model In Speech Recognition to learn more. Using the 5% new information threshold, our findings indicate that typically 67 interviews will capture the majority of themes in a homogenous sample (6 interviews to reach 80% saturation). 2022 - 2023 Times Mojo - All Rights Reserved Theres also the distinction between a semantic and a latent approach: Ask yourself: Am I interested in peoples stated opinions (semantic) or in what their statements reveal about their assumptions and social context (latent)? What is the difference between thematic analysis and framework analysis? Can research be done using both qualitative and quantitative data Why or why not? How many qualitative interviews are enough? Data saturation is the conceptual yardstick for estimating and assessing qualitative sample sizes. In the typical application of thematic analysis to systematic reviews of qualitative research, the goal is to locate themes that apply across the results of the various studies . While qualitative research methodologies are now mature, there often remains a lack of fine detail in their description both at submitted peer reviewed article level and in textbooks. November 25, 2022. Over time, the broader term data saturation has become increasingly adopted, to reflect a wider application of the term and concept. This might involve transcribing audio, reading through the text and taking initial notes, and generally looking through the data to get familiar with it. Get a 14-day fully-featured trial. The longer the run length, the greater number of interviews required to reach saturation. Assign preliminary codes to your data in order to describe the content. In this example, were using a run length of two, so include data for the next two interviews after the base seti.e., interviews 5 and 6. Regards. We test and validate our method using a bootstrapping technique on three distinctly different qualitative datasets. Quantitative variables are interval and ratio. That is where we rely on the empirical research that shows the rate at which new information emerges decreases over time and that the most common and salient themes are generated early, assuming that we keep the interview questions, sample characteristics, and other study parameters relatively consistent. Thematic analysis is a popular six-phased approach to analysing qualitative data; however, very few studies adopting this approach have explicitly demonstrated step-by-step and explained the whole . The size of run length effect is smallestvery minimalif employing the 5% new information threshold. Selecting and interpreting levels of rigor, precision, and confidence is a subjective enterprise. When to use thematic analysis. Quantitative research is a data-driven approach to understanding phenomena, typically through the collection of numerical data. Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? Based on these thresholds from 10,000 resamples, for each dataset we computed the median and the 5th and 95th percentiles for number of interviews required to reach each new information threshold across different base sizes and run lengths. It can be used to find patterns and averages, make predictions, test causal relationships, and generalize results to wider populations. We also know from previous studies [9, 16, 29] that most novel information in a qualitative dataset is generated early in the process, and generally follows an asymptotic curve, with a relatively sharp decline in new information occurring after just a small number of data collection/analysis events. comparing reflexive thematic analysis and other patternbased qualitative analytic approaches. The results for Dataset 2 were nearly identical to Dataset 1 (Table 3). It can be done quickly and with no statistical expertise. Check out the dedicated article the Speak Ai team put together on ChatGPT For Academic Textbooks to learn more. It is a method for identifying, analyzing, organizing, describing, and reporting themes found within a data set (Braun & Clarke, 2006). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232076.t004. For each resample, we calculated the proportion of new themes found in run lengths of two or three new events relative to a base size of four, five or six interviews. Naming themes involves coming up with a succinct and easily understandable name for each theme. The run length is the number of interviews within which we look for, and calculate, new information. Thematic analysis describes an iterative process as to how to go from messy data to a map of the most important themes in the data. Now we have to make sure that our themes are useful and accurate representations of the data. EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Limited Or Anthology Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie. In other words, what is the minimum number of data collection events (i.e., interviews) we should review/analyze to calculate the amount of information already gained? Now that you have a final list of themes, its time to name and define each of them. Your email address will not be published. Thematic analysis remains a goods approach to research where you're trying to find out something about people's views, considerations, skills, adventures or values from a set to qualitative data - for example, interview transcripts, social media profiles, or survey responses. Can thematic analysis be used in literature review? https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232076.g001. How do you identify a theme in quantitative research? Check out the dedicated article the Speak Ai team put together on What Is Back End Speech Recognition to learn more. There are several benefits to using thematic analysis in quantitative research. Basing assessments of saturation on probabilistic assumptions (e.g., Lowe et al. Description. How to Do a Thematic Analysis of User Interviews | IxDF At a run length of three interviews, the median number of interviews required before a drop in new information was observed was seven. Would the theme identification pattern in a dataset of 20 interviews look the same if interviews #10 through #20 were conducted first? Saturation will inevitably occur in a retrospectively-assessed, fully-analyzed, fixed-size dataset. If you can identify the central organising concept of a theme, you can capture the core of what your theme is about. Thematic analysis is frequently used to analyse qualitative data in psychology, healthcare, social research and beyond. What is the difference between thematic analysis and IPA? Methodology, Boyatzis (1998) described thematic analysis as a translator for those speaking the languages of qualitative and quantitative analysis . Thematic Analysis: What it is and How to Do It | QuestionPro Using a meta-analytic approach, Galvin [20] reviewed and statistically analyzedusing binomial logic54 qualitative studies. The method we outline eliminates this problem by using a subset of data items in the denominator instead of the entire dataset, facilitating better prospective assessment of saturation and offering the advantage of allowing researchers to stop before reaching a pre-specified number of interviews. This method can emphasize both organization and rich description of the data set and theoretically informed interpretation of meaning. In other words, no new information was observed after a median of 11 interviews using a run-length of 2, nor after 14 interviews using a run length of 3. PDF INTRODUCTION TO APPLIED THEMATIC ANALYSIS - SAGE Publications Inc Not surprisingly, researchers have recently begun asking two follow up questions about data saturation that go beyond estimation: How can we better operationalize the concept of saturation? Themes are generally broader than codes. Generate accurate APA, MLA, and Chicago citations for free with Scribbr's Citation Generator. In your research, you might only use descriptive statistics, or you might use a mix of both, depending on what you're trying to figure out. Empirical research to address this issue began appearing in the literature in the early 2000s. September 6, 2019 Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. Summarizing a quantitative study is relatively clear: you scored 25% better than the competition, let's say. If we wanted to be more conservative, and confident in our conclusion of reaching saturation in this example, we could adjust two parameters of our assessment. Data Availability: All relevant data are within the manuscript's Supporting Information files. Thematic analysis goes beyond simply counting phrases or words in a text (as in content analysis) and explores explicit and . This renders a quotient of 11%, still not below our 5% threshold. The same can be said for how a researcher chooses to report and interpret statistical findings. The results from the bootstrapping analyses are presented by dataset, in Tables 2, 3 and 4. Coding means highlighting sections of our text usually phrases or sentences and coming up with shorthand labels or codes to describe their content. [22]). What Is a Research Design | Types, Guide & Examples - Scribbr Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. What can we change to make our themes work better? Thematic analysis is often quite subjective and relies on the researchers judgement, so you have to reflect carefully on your own choices and interpretations. The first is that the results are within the range of what we would have expected based on previous empirical studies. What qualitative and quantitative data have in common with one and another? They provide empirically-based guidance for approximating how many qualitative interviews might be needed for a given study and serve a role analogous to power calculations in quantitative research design (albeit in some case without the math and degree of precision). The number of new themes evident across 812 interviews corresponded with a median degree of saturation of 62% to 71%. It is present in all qualitative research but, unfortunately, it is evident mainly by declaration [1]. When to use thematic analysis. Yes Inductive probing was employed throughout all interviews. Writing review & editing, Affiliation Quantitative data is data that can be counted or measured in numerical values. Height in feet, age in years, and weight in pounds are examples of quantitative data. Interestingly, empirical research on saturation began with efforts to determine when one might expect it to be reached. How to Do Thematic Analysis | Step-by-Step Guide & Examples. Powered by Speak Ai Inc. Made in Canada with. Attempting rigour and replicability in thematic analysis of qualitative Counselling and Psychotherapy Research , 21(1), 37-47. Yes Content analysis, on the other hand, can be used as a quantitative or qualitative method of data analysis. Quantitative data analysis. All three studies were reviewed and approved by the FHI 360 Protection of Human Subjects Committee; the study which produced Dataset 3 was also reviewed and approved by local IRBs in Kenya and South Africa. Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia? Thematic analysis is not particular to any one research method but is used by scholars across many fields and disciplines. Benefits of Using Thematic Analysis in Quantitative Research. This can help the researcher to better understand the data and draw more meaningful conclusions. How to transcribe a Microsoft Teams Meeting, What Is A Acoustic Model In Speech Recognition, What Is A Normal Speech Recognition Threshold. The qualitative thematic analysis included 10 of these questions and generated 85 unique codes. This can then be compared across base sizes, run lengths, and new information thresholds. Though a study may be powered to certain parameters (quantitative) or have a sample size based on empirical guidance (qualitative), after data collection is completed the resulting data may not conform to either. Search for patterns or themes in your codes across the different interviews. Both quantitative and qualitative data has an order or scale to it. Can You Do Thematic Analysis In Quantitative Research? Interested in What Is A Acoustic Model In Speech Recognition? Our approach includes three primary elements in its calculation and assessment: Base Size, Run Length, and New Information Threshold. And lastly, these descriptive statistics help. Search for patterns or themes in your codes across the different interviews. Substantially more women from the Kenya sample were married and living with their partners (63% versus 3%) and were less likely to have completed at least some secondary education. Qualitative variables are nominal and ordinal. Taken together, the concepts of base size, run length, and new information threshold allow researchers to choose how stringently they wish to apply the saturation conceptand the level of confidence they might have that data saturation was attained for a given sample (Fig 2). Eliminate grammar errors and improve your writing with our free AI-powered grammar checker. It was developed with applied inductive thematic analyses in mindthose for which the research is designed to answer a relatively narrow question about a specific real-world issue or problemand the datasets used in the bootstrapping analyses were generated and analyzed within this framework. Writing original draft, The median number of interviews required were 11+2 and 14+3. What type of qualitative research is thematic analysis? After reviewing those interviews, lets say we identified four new themes in interview 5 and three new themes in interview 6. There are various approaches to conducting thematic analysis, but the most common form follows a six-step process: familiarization, coding, generating themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and writing up. For inductive thematic analyses this is a subjective decision that depends on the degree of coding granularity necessary for a particular analytic objective, and how the research team wants to discuss saturation when reporting study findings. For more information about PLOS Subject Areas, click Qualitative research, on the other hand, relies on the collection of non-numerical data, such as words and phrases, to gain insights. Can qualitative and quantitative researchRead More This is indicated by a superscript +2 or +3. As Morse pointed out more than 20 years ago, saturation is an important component of rigor. Qualitative research seeks to understand why people react and how they feel about a specific situation. These codes allow us to gain a a condensed overview of the main points and common meanings that recur throughout the data. Following a review of the empirical research on data saturation and sample size estimation in qualitative research, we propose an alternative way to evaluate saturation that overcomes the shortcomings and challenges associated with existing methods identified in our review. We describe how this method circumvents many of the limitations associated with other ways of conceptualizing, assessing and reporting on saturation within an in-depth interview context. Validation, PDF Answers to frequently asked questions about thematic analysis The applicability of this approach for qualitative research with a different epistemological or phenomenological perspective is yet untested. from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/thematic-analysis/, How to Do Thematic Analysis | Step-by-Step Guide & Examples, whos to say they dont have their own reasons for pushing this narrative, Different approaches to thematic analysis. The first is How do we know that were not missing important information by capping our sample at n when saturation is indicated? Put another way, if we had conducted, say, five more interviews would we have gotten additional and important data? (2012) include only two events in their data runs. For more information about PLOS Subject Areas, click Can a dissertation be both qualitative and quantitative? to learn more. Protocol for a systematic review and thematic synthesis of patient Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on: The first step is to get to know our data. In this paper we present a way of assessing thematic saturation in inductive analysis of qualitative interviews. If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the Cite this Scribbr article button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator. Using the total number of themes in the dataset retrospectively, the number of themes evident across 67 interviews corresponded with a median degree of saturation of 78% to 82%. What is the difference between thematic analysis and content analysis? The second question is to a degree related to the first question and pertains to possible order effects. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232076.t008. This is done by randomly resampling from the sample with replacement (i.e., an item may be selected more than once in a resample) many times in a way that mimics the original sampling scheme. In other words, at run length 2, it took 11 interviews, plus two more to confirm that no new information was contributed. Research Methods Supporting thinking on sample sizes for thematic analyses: a . Is the Subject Area "Qualitative studies" applicable to this article? This provided a percentor degreeof saturation for each run of the data, which was then used to generate a median and 5th and 95th percentile for the degree of saturation reached. You can use quantitative analysis to interpret data that was collected either: During an experiment. These new information thresholds can be used as benchmarks similar to how a p-value of <0.05 or <0.01 is used to determine whether enough evidence exists to reject a null hypothesis in statistical analysis. by Qualitative data is defined as non-numerical data, such as text, video, photographs, or audio recordings. Our method also specifically applies to contexts in which an inductive thematic analysis [24] is used, where emergent themes are discovered in the data and then transformed into codes. Discover a faster, simpler path to publishing in a high-quality journal. Could new themes start emerging later in the data collection process? Note that, as described in the example above, the number of interviews in the run length is not included in the number of interviews to reach the given new information threshold, so the total number of events needed to assess having reached the threshold is two or three more interviews than the given median, depending on the run length of choice. Some types of research questions you might use thematic analysis to answer: To answer any of these questions, you would collect data from a group of relevant participants and then analyze it. This can be helpful when the data does not fit into a traditional quantitative research model. Interested in What Is A Normal Speech Recognition Threshold? Unlike quantitative researchers using statistical analysis methods who have established options for levels of confidence intervals and other metrics to report, there are no agreed-upon metrics to help qualitative researchers interpret the strength of their saturation findings. Thematic coding, also called thematic analysis, is a type of qualitative data analysis that finds themes in text by analyzing the meaning of words and sentence structure. However, it also involves the risk of missing nuances in the data. And, like power calculations, they are moot once data collection begins. Thematic Analysis - A Guide with Examples. ], https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232076.g003. Q42 Research, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America, Roles Thematic analysis is a good approach to research where youre trying to find out something about peoples views, opinions, knowledge, experiences or values from a set of qualitative data for example, interview transcripts, social media profiles, or survey responses. Once youve decided to use thematic analysis, there are different approaches to consider. [26], Fugard & Potts [21], Galvin [20]) ignores the fact that most qualitative research employs non-probabilistic, purposive sampling suited to the nature and objectives of qualitative inquiry [28]. [Note that we include this as a further way to understand and validate the proposed approach for calculating saturation, rather than as part of the proposed process.]. The number of themes evident across 1114 interviews corresponded with a median degree of saturation of 87% to 89%. A researcher needs to look keenly at the content to identify the context and the message conveyed by the .