(2009). This type of data can be collected using diary accounts or in-depth interviews and analyzed using grounded theory or thematic analysis. 17). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232076.g001. After reviewing those interviews, lets say we identified four new themes in interview 5 and three new themes in interview 6. In practice, most researchers agree that combining quantitative and qualitative techniques (sometimes called mixed method research) produces a richer and more comprehensive understanding of a research area. 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. What is the difference between thematic analysis and IPA? Framework analysis involves a systematic analysis of content summaries of participants views/experiences in the latter stage. Though there were 14 questions on the guide, only data from three questions were included in the thematic analysis referenced here. When to use thematic analysis. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232076.t004. How to achieve trustworthiness in thematic analysis. Selecting and interpreting levels of rigor, precision, and confidence is a subjective enterprise. Using descriptive statistics, you can summarize your sample data in terms of: The distribution of the data (e.g., the frequency of each score . 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. To further illustrate how saturation may have been affected by doing additional interviews, we include 20 interviews in Fig 3. Note that their model assumes a random sample. Conceptualization, 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 . We therefore propose initially two levels of new information that represent the proportion of new information we would accept as evidence that saturation has been reached at a given point in data collection: 5% new information and no (0%) new information. [9], Hennink et al. The study sample was highly homogenous. Some types of research questions you might use thematic analysis to answer: If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Naming themes involves coming up with a succinct and easily understandable name for each theme. Yes, thematic analysis can be used in quantitative research. All three datasets were analyzed using a systematic inductive thematic approach [2], and all codes were explicitly defined in a codebook following a standard template [34]. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232076.t006. The number of themes evident across 1114 interviews corresponded with a median degree of saturation of 87% to 89%. Check out the dedicated article the Speak Ai team put together on Can Thematic Analysis Be Used In Quantitative Research? 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. Tutors' Association ID: 55870609, Join Grad Coach On: Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | LinkedIn. (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. Because the data is collected and analyzed in a statistically valid way, the results of quantitative analysis can be easily standardized and shared among researchers. An extract from one interview looks like this: In this extract, weve highlighted various phrases in different colors corresponding to different codes. 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. Abstract. Check out the dedicated article the Speak Ai team put together on What Is A Acoustic Model In Speech Recognition to learn more. Search for patterns or themes in your codes across the different interviews. 21st Jun, 2021. Published on Thematic analysis is a powerful tool that can be used in quantitative research. Data curation, The two branches of quantitative analysis, How to choose the right quantitative methods. Citation: Guest G, Namey E, Chen M (2020) A simple method to assess and report thematic saturation in qualitative research. Themes are generally broader than codes. Researchers have options for how they describe saturation and can also use the term with more transparency and precision. 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)? https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232076, Editor: Andrew Soundy, University of Birmingham, UNITED KINGDOM, Received: January 4, 2020; Accepted: April 3, 2020; Published: May 5, 2020. Once units of analysis for the numerator and denominator are determined the proportional calculation is simple. We could increase the run length to 3 (or an even larger number), and/or we could set a more stringent new information threshold of no new information. Even in cases where random sampling is employed, the open-ended nature of qualitative inquiry doesnt lend itself well to probability theory or statistical inference to a larger population because response categories are not structured, so are not mutually exclusive. 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). At the 0% new information threshold saturation was indicated at the same points as in Dataset 1: 11+2 and 14+3, consistent across all base sizes. A run can be defined as a set of consecutive events or observations, in this case interviews. The practical implication of this finding is that researchers can choose a longer run lengthe.g., three interviews (or more)to generate a more conservative assessment of saturation. What is the difference between thematic analysis and content analysis? Interested in ChatGPT For Academic Papers? Second, thematic analysis can be used to identify patterns in the data that could not be identified through other methods. After weve been through the text, we collate together all the data into groups identified by code. [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.]. Over the past 20 years, scholars using both empirical research and mathematical/statistical models have made significant contributions to the question: How many qualitative interviews are enough? We propose that furnishing researchers with optionsrather than a prescriptive thresholdis a more realistic, transparent and accurate practice. Using probability sampling methods. Can research be done using both qualitative and quantitative data Why or why not? Writing original draft, Thematic analysis is a good approach to research where you're trying to find out something about people's views, opinions, knowledge, experiences or values from a set of qualitative data - for example, interview transcripts, social media profiles, or survey responses. TimesMojo is a social question-and-answer website where you can get all the answers to your questions. Most of the time, youll combine several codes into a single theme. Examples of data analysis methods Research methods is a broad term. No, Is the Subject Area "Probability theory" applicable to this article? The number of new themes evident across 812 interviews corresponded with a median degree of saturation of 62% to 71%. The number of new themes found in the run defines the numerator in the saturation ratio. Thematic analysis can be used to analyze quantitative data sets in order to identify patterns and themes. In triangulation methods of research, thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) could be used to analysed for open . Have a human editor polish your writing to ensure your arguments are judged on merit, not grammar errors. Most recent answer. . For Dataset 1 (Table 2), at the 5% new information threshold, the median number of interviews needed to reach a drop-off in new information was consistent across all base sizes. Saturation was indicated at 6 interviews at a run length of 2 (6+2) and 78 interviews at run length 3 (7+3 or 8+3). 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. data analysis, the data items to be used in our analysis, and the types of analyses we perform on our data. Thematic analysis is often quite subjective and relies on the researchers judgement, so you have to reflect carefully on your own choices and interpretations. It is an idea or concept that captures and summarises the core point of a coherent and meaningful pattern in the data. Could new themes start emerging later in the data collection process? A researcher needs to look keenly at the content to identify the context and the message conveyed by the . Thematic analysis is one of the most important types of analysis used for qualitative data. [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]. In cases where most of the numbers are quite close to the average, the standard deviation will be relatively low. Basing assessments of saturation on probabilistic assumptions (e.g., Lowe et al. Quantitative data analysis. Both types can be used to get a full picture with samples and populations because the data can be gathered from the same data unit based on whether the variable of interest if categorical or numerical. 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. Whats the difference between thematic analysis and IPA? through semi-structured interviews or open-ended survey questions) and explaining how we conducted the thematic analysis itself. Conceptualization, It is similar to a literature review, which is a critical survey and assessment of the existing research on your particular topic. No, Is the Subject Area "Statistical data" applicable to this article? After youve decided thematic analysis is the right method for analyzing your data, and youve thought about the approach youre going to take, you can follow the six steps developed by Braun and Clarke. Would the theme identification pattern in a dataset of 20 interviews look the same if interviews #10 through #20 were conducted first? This study included 40 individual interviews with African American men in the Southeast US about their health seeking behaviors [29]. Now that you have a final list of themes, its time to name and define each of them. While these three studies offer diverse and analytically rigorous case studies, they provide limited generalizability. What is the difference between thematic analysis and framework analysis? 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. Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? Inductive probing was employed throughout all interviews. Automatically generate transcripts, captions, insights and reports with intuitive software and APIs. Similarly, the method allows for different optionsand greater clarity and transparencyin describing and reporting on saturation. Inductive probing was employed throughout all interviews. In most research contexts, sample size specification and justification is required by funders, ethics committees, and other reviewers before a study is implemented [14, 15]. Benefits of Using Thematic Analysis in Quantitative Research. 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. Since the last two interviews did not add substantially to the body of information collected, we would say that saturation was reached at interview 6 (each of the next two interviews were completed to see how much new information would be generated and whether this would fall below the set threshold). The two main types of quantitative data are discrete data and continuous data. When collecting and analyzing data, quantitative research deals with numbers and statistics, while qualitative research deals with words and meanings. Assign preliminary codes to your data in order to describe the content. ], https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232076.g003. Similarly, Guest et al. However, it also involves the risk of missing nuances in the data. Powered by Speak Ai Inc. Made in Canada with. For this example, we have selected a new information threshold of 5% to indicate that we have reached adequate saturation. 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. This is compounded by the fact that detailed descriptions of methods are often omitted from qualitative discussions. Abstract. This can be particularly useful when the data is complex or when the researcher is looking to uncover . Get a 14-day fully-featured trial. Their definition was specifically intended for the practice of building and testing theoretical models using qualitative data and refers to the point at which the theoretical model being developed stabilizes. This renders a quotient of 11%, still not below our 5% threshold. Can thematic analysis be used in literature review? Hagaman and Wutich (2017) and Francis et al. 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. Finally, our conclusion explains the main takeaways and shows how the analysis has answered our research question. Data Availability: All relevant data are within the manuscript's Supporting Information files. 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%. The above studies are foundational in the field of qualitative sample size estimation. The number of themes evident across 68 interviews corresponded with a median degree of saturation of 79% to 82%. September 6, 2019 But the next question is a purely subjective one: What level of paucity of new information should we accept as indicative of saturation? This study included 60 interviews with women at higher risk of HIV acquisition30 participants in Kenya and 30 in South Africa [31]. Check out the dedicated article the Speak Ai team put together on ChatGPT For Academic Textbooks to learn more. Are these themes really present in the data? Roles Designing and conducting mixed methods research (3rd ed.). Thematic analysis can be used to draw conclusions about the data, as well as to identify relationships between the data and other variables. 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). Can a dissertation be both qualitative and quantitative? There are several benefits to using thematic analysis in quantitative research. Across academic disciplines, and for about the past five decades, the answer to this question has usually revolved around reaching saturation [1, 59]. As I mentioned, quantitative analysis is powered by statistical analysis methods.There are two main "branches" of statistical methods that are used - descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Although the datasets were all generated from individual interviews analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis approach, the studies from which they were drawn differed with respect to study population, topics of inquiry, sample heterogeneity, interviewer, and structure of data collection instrument, as described below. The longer the run length, the greater number of interviews required to reach saturation. We would annotate these two extra interviews (indicative of run length) by appending a superscript +2 to the interview number, to indicate a total of eight interviews were completed. The number of new themes evident across 1216 interviews corresponded with a median degree of saturation of 69% to 76%. We can also draw other lessons to inform application of this process: There are, of course, still limitations to this approach. Its important to get a thorough overview of all the data we collected before we start analyzing individual items. 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? Interested in What Is A Normal Speech Recognition Threshold? It is usually applied to a set of texts, such as an interview or transcripts. This reflects similar developments in primary research in mixing methods to examine the relationship between theory and empirical data which . [9] conducted a stepwise inductive thematic analysis of 60 in-depth interviews among female sex workers in West Africa and discovered that 70% of all 114 identified themes turned up in the first six interviews, and 92% were identified within the first 12 interviews. Interested in What Is A Acoustic Model In Speech Recognition? We are advocating for similar flexibility and transparency in assessing and reporting on thematic saturation. 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. Yes 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]). Quantitative content analysis is a research method in which features of textual, visual, or aural material are systematically categorized and recorded so that they can be analyzed. One may still raise two logical questions after reviewing the example process above. It's a site that collects all the most frequently asked questions and answers, so you don't have to spend hours on searching anywhere else. They further argue that the stopping point for an inductive study is typically determined by the judgement and experience of researchers. For more information about PLOS Subject Areas, click For our analyses we provide both options for run lengths in our calculationstwo events and three eventsto afford researchers more flexibility. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232076.t005. 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 . The fact that IPA is better thought of as a methodology (a theoretically informed framework for how you do research) rather than a method (a technique for collecting/analysing data), whereas TA is just a method. Some types of research questions you might use theme-oriented analysis to answer: Can I use TA? A two-tier structure with primary (parent) codes and constituent secondary (child) codes is a common form, but researchers may also want to identify and look for higher-level, meta-themes (e.g., Hagaman and Wutich [19]). Now we have to make sure that our themes are useful and accurate representations of the data. 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. 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. How both quantitative and qualitative data is collected and Analysed? 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. Another common descriptive practice is to The results for Dataset 2 were nearly identical to Dataset 1 (Table 3). Samples and populations can both be represented by a qualitative variable and/or a quantitative variable, because the definition of sample and population does not include anything about the type of variables that can be used within it. The results or findings section usually addresses each theme in turn. Can qualitative and quantitative research be used together? The unit of analysis for base size is the data collection event; the items of analysis are unique codes representing themes. Many qualitative data analyses, however, do not use the specific grounded theory method, but rather a more general inductive thematic analysis. Retrieved May 1, 2023, Say were researching perceptions of climate change among conservative voters aged 50 and up, and we have collected data through a series of interviews. 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. [23] for discussion on this as it relates to saturation). Widely employed in the field of communication, it also has utility in a range of other fields. 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. and Namey et al. Boyatzis (1998) described thematic analysis as a translator for those speaking the languages of qualitative and quantitative analysis . Themes get identified by physically sorting the examples into piles of similar meaning. Quantitative research is a data-driven approach to understanding phenomena, typically through the collection of numerical data. Some types of research questions you might use thematic analysis to answer: Counselling and Psychotherapy Research , 21(1), 37-47. Thematic analysis is a process of analyzing qualitative data to identify patterns (themes) within the data. Quantitative research is the opposite of qualitative research, which involves collecting and . At a run length of two interviews, the median number of interviews required before a drop in new information was observed was six. Central to content analysis is the process of coding, which . We acknowledge and agree with these assertions. Employing this same logic, Fugard and Potts [21] developed a quantitative tool to estimate sample sizes needed for thematic analyses of qualitative data. Many existing definitions are constrained by a dichoto-mous typology that contrasts qualitative and quantitative research or assumes a particular epistemological foundation. 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). At a run length of 3, the median number of required interviews was 1112 (again higher for base size 4). Methodology, 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. 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. Are codes in thematic analysis quantitative or qualitative? Assign preliminary codes to your data in order to describe the content. Using the principle of saturation as a foundation, we describe and validate a simple-to-apply method for assessing and reporting on saturation in the context of inductive thematic analyses. Navigating the world of qualitative thematic analysis can be challenging. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Options for each metric can be specified prior to analysis or reported after data analysis. As Morse pointed out more than 20 years ago, saturation is an important component of rigor. 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? The interviews following Interview 12, though yielding four additional themes, remained at or below the 5% new information threshold. 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. Can I use thematic analysis in case study? Jack Caulfield. Mixed methods reviews. Check out the dedicated article the Speak Ai team put together on ChatGPT For 1-on-1 Interviews to learn more. A latent approach involves reading into the subtext and assumptions underlying the data. The purpose of this article is to guide researchers using thematic analysis as a research method. Quantitative data is data that can be counted or measured in numerical values. This type of analysis is often used to uncover the underlying structure of a data set. In quantitative research, you'll most likely use some form of statistical analysis. Just to be clear, thematic analysis (TA), like many qualitative research methods, is based on the "constant comparative method". Height in feet, age in years, and weight in pounds are examples of quantitative data. Caulfield, J. 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.

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