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Qualitative research results in large amounts of contextually laden, subjective, and richly detailed data. This data usually originates from interview transcripts or observation notes and must be pared down to represent major themes or categories that describe the phenomenon being studied. Data reduction facilitates communicating findings simply and efficiently. This paring and sieving of data often is termed thematic analysis.
BACKGROUND
All qualitative research studies are unique and thus demand unique strategies for analysis. Qualitative data analysis consists of identifying, coding, and categorizing patterns found in the data. The clarity and applicability of the findings, however, depend on the analytic intellect of the researcher. This dependence on the human factor can be the greatest strength or the greatest weakness of a qualitative research study. It is incumbent on the researcher to report and document his or her analytic processes and procedures fully and truthfully so others may evaluate the credibility of the researcher and his or her findings.
THEMATIC ANALYSIS
Thematic analysis is a way of seeing, as well as a process for coding qualitative information.2 An analogy of thematic analysis is sorting a box of buttons. One can determine different strategies or categories to describe the buttons. They could be grouped according to size, number of holes, color, or type. In the same manner, the researcher must make many decisions about the process of identifying themes, and he or she must inform...