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Thematic analysis of qualitative data

Edexcel IAL Psychology · WPS01 Social and Cognitive Psychology

Open questions and interviews produce qualitative data: words rather than numbers. Spec 1.2.8 requires thematic analysis, which finds patterns of meaning (themes) in such data.

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The six phases (Braun and Clarke, 2006)

1. Familiarise yourself with the data: transcribe, read and re-read, note first ideas.

2. Generate initial codes: label interesting features systematically across the whole data set.

3. Search for themes: group codes into possible themes and gather the data for each.

4. Review themes: check they fit the coded extracts and the whole data set.

5. Define and name themes: decide what each theme covers and give it a clear name.

6. Produce the report: choose vivid quotes as examples and relate them to the research question.

An example

Open question: 'Describe a time you went along with a group when you disagreed.'

Answers mention 'didn't want to look stupid', 'everyone was laughing at me', 'I wanted my friends to like me' (codes: fear of ridicule, wanting acceptance) and 'I wasn't sure, so I followed them' (code: uncertainty).

Themes: fear of rejection (links to normative influence) and uncertainty (links to informational influence). Pearson's guide asks for themes to be qualified with examples where needed.

Evaluation

Strengths: keeps the richness and meaning of people's answers; can reveal ideas the researcher did not expect; flexible.

Weaknesses: subjective, as the researcher's views may influence which themes are seen (low objectivity); time-consuming; hard to replicate. Improve reliability by having two researchers code independently and compare (inter-rater reliability).

Worked example

Explain how a researcher could improve the reliability of a thematic analysis.

  1. Use two or more researchers.
  2. Each codes the data independently.
  3. Compare the themes; high agreement shows inter-rater reliability.

Answer: Have at least two researchers code the data independently and check they agree (inter-rater reliability).

Key idea: Thematic analysis: familiarise, code, search for themes, review, define and name, report with quotes. Rich but subjective; improve reliability with independent coders.

Check yourself

  1. What is the first phase of thematic analysis?
    • Becoming familiar with the data by reading it repeatedly
    • Naming the themes
    • Calculating the mean
    • Writing the report
    Show answer

    Becoming familiar with the data by reading it repeatedly. Familiarisation comes first.

  2. What does 'coding' mean in thematic analysis?
    • Converting answers into a secret code
    • Giving each participant a number for confidentiality
    • Labelling features of the data that relate to the research question
    • Carrying out a statistical test
    Show answer

    Labelling features of the data that relate to the research question. Codes are labels attached to meaningful bits of text.

  3. Which kind of data is thematic analysis used for?
    • Qualitative data such as answers to open questions
    • Quantitative data such as reaction times
    • Nominal data from a tally chart
    • Standard deviations
    Show answer

    Qualitative data such as answers to open questions. It analyses words and meanings.

  4. What is the main weakness of thematic analysis?
    • It loses all the detail in the data
    • It can only be used with large samples
    • It requires a Wilcoxon test
    • It can be subjective, as themes depend on the researcher's interpretation
    Show answer

    It can be subjective, as themes depend on the researcher's interpretation. Interpretation can be biased.

  5. Which phase comes straight after generating initial codes?
    • Producing the report
    • Searching for themes
    • Familiarisation
    • Defining and naming themes
    Show answer

    Searching for themes. Codes are grouped into possible themes next.

  6. A participant writes: 'I agreed with the others because I didn't want them to think I was weird.' Suggest a theme and link it to an explanation of conformity.
    Show answer

    A theme of fear of rejection or wanting to fit in, which links to normative social influence.. Wanting to avoid seeming odd is normative influence.

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Sources

Last updated 8 November 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.