can you use thematic analysis in quantitative research

Check out the dedicated article the Speak Ai team put together on ChatGPT For Academic Textbooks to learn more. A latent approach involves reading into the subtext and assumptions underlying the data. Base size refers to how we circumscribe the body of information already identified in a dataset to subsequently use as a denominator (similar to Francis et al.s initial analysis sample). How to Do Thematic Analysis | Step-by-Step Guide & Examples. This method can emphasize both organization and rich description of the data set and theoretically informed interpretation of meaning. There are several benefits to using thematic analysis in quantitative research. The median number of interviews required were 11+2 and 14+3. One may still raise two logical questions after reviewing the example process above. Many policy researchers are predisposed to use either quantitative or qualitative research methods regardless of the research questions at hand, leading to varying degrees of gaps in . 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. 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%. Note that in our analyses, successive runs overlap: each set of interviews shifts to the right or forward in time by one event. Qualitative data do not, however, have a standardised scale. You can manage to achieve trustworthiness by . https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232076.t006. To approximate population-level statistics and broaden our validation exercise, we drew empirical bootstrap samples from each of the datasets described above. [23] for discussion on this as it relates to saturation). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232076.t008. We start by looking at the first four interviews conducted and summing the number of unique themes identified within this group. In this paper we present a way of assessing thematic saturation in inductive analysis of qualitative interviews. Many existing definitions are constrained by a dichoto-mous typology that contrasts qualitative and quantitative research or assumes a particular epistemological foundation. Thematic Analysis - A Guide with Examples. Next up, we need to code the data. Participants from the two sites were similar demographically with the exceptions of education and marital status. Formal analysis, The researcher closely examines the data to identify common themes topics, ideas and patterns of meaning that come up repeatedly. Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia? It is similar to a literature review, which is a critical survey and assessment of the existing research on your particular topic. At the 0% new information threshold, saturation was indicated at 12+2 and 16+3, consistent across base sizes. If we encounter problems with our themes, we might split them up, combine them, discard them or create new ones: whatever makes them more useful and accurate. We offer personal insights and practical examples, while exploring issues of rigor and trustworthiness. 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. We are advocating for similar flexibility and transparency in assessing and reporting on thematic saturation. If analyzing data in real time, the results of this initial assessment can then determine whether or not more interviews are needed. As well as highlighting all the phrases and sentences that match these codes, we can keep adding new codes as we go through the text. 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. First, it can help researchers to identify relationships between the data and other variables. Is the Subject Area "Qualitative studies" applicable to this article? 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? In triangulation methods of research, thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) could be used to analysed for open . Hagaman and Wutich (2017) and Francis et al. As Morse pointed out more than 20 years ago, saturation is an important component of rigor. Quantitative and qualitative data are both used for research and statistical analysis. 17). Qualitative data is descriptive data that is not expressed numerically. 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. Given that both qualitative and quantitative market research provides vital ingredients of the understanding you are looking for (the Why and the What), combining them should deliver significant benefits, enabling you to compare and contrast results and gain much deeper insights. Check out the dedicated article the Speak Ai team put together on What Is A Normal Speech Recognition Threshold to learn more. What is the difference between thematic analysis and IPA? A researcher needs to look keenly at the content to identify the context and the message conveyed by the . In this technique, researchers identify key words and then systematically search the corpus of text to find all instances of the word or phrase. What type of qualitative research is thematic analysis? This type of analysis can be particularly useful when the data is complex or when the researcher is looking to uncover relationships between the data and other variables. This might involve transcribing audio, reading through the text and taking initial notes, and generally looking through the data to get familiar with it. In our example, we might start combining codes into themes like this: At this stage, we might decide that some of our codes are too vague or not relevant enough (for example, because they dont appear very often in the data), so they can be discarded. Some types of research questions you might use thematic analysis to answer: Just to be clear, thematic analysis (TA), like many qualitative research methods, is based on the "constant comparative method". [22]). 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. For example, we might decide upon looking through the data that changing terminology fits better under the uncertainty theme than under distrust of experts, since the data labelled with this code involves confusion, not necessarily distrust. The process can be applied either prospectively during the data collection and analysis process or retrospectively, after data collection and analysis are complete. . In reviewing these studies to inform the development of our approach to assessing saturation, we identified three limitations to the broad application of saturation assessment processes which we sought to overcome: lack of comparability of metrics, reliance on probability theory or random sampling, and retrospective assessment dependent on having a fully coded/analyzed dataset. An important stage in planning a study is determining how large a sample size may be required, however current guidelines for thematic analysis are varied, ranging from around 2 to over 400 and it is unclear how to . Summarizing a quantitative study is relatively clear: you scored 25% better than the competition, let's say. If you cannot The question of analysis in mixed methods research is an important topic of contemporary debate. Morgan et al. 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. The new information threshold selected affects the point at which saturation is indicated, as one would expect. Quantitative research is the process of collecting and analyzing numerical data. These codes allow us to gain a a condensed overview of the main points and common meanings that recur throughout the data. Results will aim to offer an account of current understandings of patient experiences and perspective regarding PICC, Hickman-type, and Port devices in the context of anti-cancer . We tested our method on single-tier codebooks, but qualitative researchers often create hierarchical codebooks. Given that both qualitative and quantitative market research provide vital ingredients of the understanding you are looking for (the Why and the What), combining them should deliver significant benefits, enabling you to compare and contrast results and gain much deeper insights. Most of the time, youll combine several codes into a single theme. 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. We acknowledge and agree with these assertions. Navigating the world of qualitative thematic analysis can be challenging. This can help the researcher to better understand the data and draw more meaningful conclusions. Yes Here again, despite a different total number of themes in the overall dataset, the number of new themes evident across 1114 interviews corresponded with a median degree of saturation of 87% to 89%. We continue to the next run. (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. Search for patterns or themes in your codes across the different interviews. Can thematic analysis be used in literature review? Why Do Cross Country Runners Have Skinny Legs? However, it also involves the risk of missing nuances in the data. We can also draw other lessons to inform application of this process: There are, of course, still limitations to this approach. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232076.t002. Divide the number of new themes in this run (seven) by the number of unique themes in the base set (37). The number of themes evident across 1114 interviews corresponded with a median degree of saturation of 87% to 89%. Yes, thematic analysis can be used in quantitative research. At this stage, we want to be thorough: we go through the transcript of every interview and highlight everything that jumps out as relevant or potentially interesting. If we consider the hypothetical data set used here (see Fig 3) and kept the run length of 2, the 0% new information threshold would have been reached at interview 10+2. Each table presents median and percentiles of the bootstrap distribution using bases of 4, 5 or 6 and run lengths of 2 and 3, at new information thresholds of 5% and no new information. This can be especially useful when the researcher is looking for relationships between the data and other variables. But, to further check this, we use a bootstrapping technique on three actual datasets to corroborate findings from these earlier studies and to assess the distributional properties of our proposed metrics. Some types of research questions you might use theme-oriented analysis to answer: The bootstrap method is a resampling technique that uses the variability within a sample to estimate the sampling distribution of metrics (in this case saturation metrics) empirically [35]. How many qualitative interviews are enough? P-values can be expressed either in absolute terms (e.g., p = .043) or in several commonly used increments (e.g., p < .05, p < .01, etc.). Qualitative data of mixed method requires thematic analysis in one way or another. We then identified the number of transcripts needed to meet a new information threshold of 5% or 0%. It can be used to find patterns and averages, make predictions, test causal relationships, and generalize results to wider populations. Are we missing anything? 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. Current operationalizations of saturation vary widely in the criteria used to arrive at a binary determination of saturation having been reached or not reached (e.g., Francis et al. For any method of assessing saturation, including ours, researchers need to decide at which level they will identify and include themes/codes. Yes Thematic analysis is one of the most important types of analysis used for qualitative data. What are the benefits of using both qualitative and quantitative research? Across four datasets, approximately 80% to 92% of all concepts identified within the dataset were noted within the first 10 interviews. Data curation, Thematic analysis is a powerful tool that can be used in quantitative research. 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 7 and 8 was less than or equal to 5% of the total. Copyright: 2020 Guest et al. For example, a researcher may use thematic analysis to analyze a survey data set in order to identify themes in the responses. Thus, comparison is an inherent part of the analysis. What can we change to make our themes work better? That said, if . Quantitative research focuses on numeric data and therefore the aim to achieve objectivity is far easier than in the qualitative research. Those three questions generated 55 codes. What a quantitative researcher accepts, for example, as a large enough effect size or a small enough p-value is a subjective determination and based on convention in a particular field of study. 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. 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. This is not below our 5% threshold, so we continue. Of note, the 48 interviews were conducted, 12 each, using different modes of data collection: in-person, by video (Skype-like platform), email (asynchronous), or text chat (synchronous). Yes No, Is the Subject Area "Research design" applicable to this article? The second question is to a degree related to the first question and pertains to possible order effects. We have provided researchers with a method to easily calculate saturation during or after data collection. Can you use thematic analysis in systematic review? should I use TA? Finally, well write up our analysis of the data. The same can be said for how a researcher chooses to report and interpret statistical findings. At the 5% new information threshold, the median number of interviews required to reach saturation at a run length of 2 was 89 (higher for base size 4). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. Though there were 14 questions on the guide, only data from three questions were included in the thematic analysis referenced here. We should also include a methodology section, describing how we collected the data (e.g. Saturation will inevitably occur in a retrospectively-assessed, fully-analyzed, fixed-size dataset. Quantitative research measures numerical results to help predict possible outcomes. Dataset 1. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232076.g002. Quantitative data analysis. Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? Our approach involves only simple arithmetic and calculation of percentages. For this third run we add the number of new themes identified within interviews 7 and 8. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232076.t007. The quotient reveals 19% new information. To provide the foundation for this approach, we define saturation and then review the work to date on estimating saturation and sample sizes for in-depth interviews. A thematic analysis is used in qualitative research to focus on examining themes within a topic by identifying, analysing and reporting patterns (themes) within the research topic. Take the number of new themes in the latest run (four) and divide by the number of themes in the base set (37). For Dataset 3, two coders conducted this type of inter-coder reliability assessment on 20% of the interviews (a standard, more efficient approach than double-coding all interviews [2]). Finally, our conclusion explains the main takeaways and shows how the analysis has answered our research question. Methodology, This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Methods that calculate saturation based on the proportion of new themes relative to the overall number of themes in a dataset (e.g., Guest et al. 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. All interviews were conducted in a local language. The process contains six steps: Familiarize yourself with your data. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. No, PLOS is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation, #C2354500, based in San Francisco, California, US, Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232076. The expression of Theme A is not necessarily to the exclusion of Theme B, nor does the absence of the expression of Theme A necessarily indicate Not-A. We want to create potential themes that tell us something helpful about the data for our purposes. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232076.g001. The two "branches" of quantitative analysis. Selecting and interpreting levels of rigor, precision, and confidence is a subjective enterprise. September 6, 2019 That is while ordinal data is sometimes classified under quantitative data. Thematic analysis is a process of analyzing qualitative data to identify patterns (themes) within the data. Qualitative variables are nominal and ordinal. The purpose of this article is to guide researchers using thematic analysis as a research method. [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]. Designing and conducting mixed methods research (3rd ed.). 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. And, like power calculations, they are moot once data collection begins. Yes Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Though it is possible an important theme will emerge later in the process/dataset, the empirical studies referenced above demonstrate that the most prevalent, high-level, themes are identified very early on in data collection, within about six interviews.

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