Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing researcher
Open accessAbstract
This article discusses good practice in thematic analysis and common problems researchers should avoid when conducting and reporting thematic analysis.
AI snapshot
Written from the paper’s full text.
TL;DR
This commentary reviews 20 thematic analysis (TA) papers published in the *International Journal of Transgender Health* that cite the authors' own TA work, and distils guidance for producing methodologically coherent TA. It argues that good TA practice requires researchers to understand which approach within the TA "family" they are using, to align procedures with underlying research values, and to treat themes as meaning-based interpretive stories rather than topic summaries.
Key findings
- The reviewed papers mostly reported qualitative studies (the remainder mixed methods), typically using interviews, focus groups or qualitative surveys, and mostly took an experiential orientation focused on transgender people's lived experience, underpinned by realist or critical realist ontology; a minority used TA within a critical orientation.
- Three recurring problems are identified: unacknowledged diversity within TA (some papers referred to a "standardised TA"), confusion between themes-as-meaning-unified-interpretive-stories and themes-as-topic-summaries, and incomplete ownership of the researcher's perspective.
- Methodological "mash-ups" were common — e.g. combining reflexive TA with consensus coding, intercoder agreement, codebook development, or positivist notions of researcher bias alongside Big Q reflexivity — usually without justification.
- Two papers are singled out as good practice examples: Fraser et al. (2021), which reported two meaning-based themes ("proving gender" and "the trans narrative"), and Frohard-Dourlent et al. (2020), which reported three themes and seven sub-themes on surgical readiness assessments and gave a clear thematic structure table plus an account of the analytic process.
Methods
- Commentary based on the authors' critical review of 20 papers published in IJTH that cite their work, most commonly Braun and Clarke (2006), with most authors claiming to have "followed" their approach and a minority citing it while using other approaches.
- The authors situate TA as a family of methods, using a typology of coding reliability, codebook, reflexive TA and thematic coding, and drawing on the small q/Big Q qualitative distinction (Kidder & Fine, 1987; Finlay, 2021) to analyse coherence between procedures and research values.
- The commentary closes with ten recommendations for researchers and reviewers rather than presenting new empirical data.
Limitations
- The authors state they deliberately do not list the reviewed papers, to avoid "naming and shaming," and reference examples of poor practice only in general terms (Note 1).
- The authors note that they do identify by name two papers exemplifying good practice, so the review is illustrative rather than a systematic or exhaustive sample.
- Evident from the text: the review covers only 20 papers from a single journal, and the authors are commenting on use of their own approach, so the snapshot is field- and method-specific rather than generalisable.
Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
3 of 25 cited sources checked · 2 supported · 0 flagged · accuracy not yet measured
- Premisecitation§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing
Codebook approaches to TA combine structured procedures of coding reliability TA with qualitative research values of reflexive TA.
“Codebook approaches to TA-such as framework (Gale et al., 2013) or template (King & Brooks, 2018) analysis-combine some of the more structured procedures of coding reliability TA 3 with some of the qualitative research values of reflexive TA.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 2 sources checked - Findingown data§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing
Most reviewed papers exemplified an experiential orientation to qualitative research, focusing on lived experience and perspectives of transgender folx, underpinned by a realist or critical realist ontology.
“Most exemplified an experiential orientation to qualitative research, with a focus on the lived experience and perspectives of transgender folx (and some interest in the views of others, such of parents of transgender adolescents), or the factors that influence and contextualize certain behaviors and choices, underpinned by a realist or critical realist ontology.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
- Findingown data§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing
Some researchers in transgender health are using TA to interrogate the social construction of meaning within a critical orientation to qualitative research.
“We were heartened that some researchers in the field of transgender health are also using TA to interrogate the social construction of meaning within a critical orientation to qualitative research”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
- Findingown data§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing
Several reviewed papers used Big Q reflexive TA approach and procedures with conceptually incoherent additions, such as small q consensus coding, measuring intercoder agreement, adding a codebook development/recoding phase, referencing both positivist researcher bias and Big Q reflexivity, or expressing concern for accuracy and objectivity of coding.
“There were several examples in the papers we reviewed of researchers using Big Q reflexive TA approach and procedures, with conceptually incoherent additions, such as small q consensus coding and measuring intercoder agreement, or adding a codebook development/recoding the data phase, or referencing both positivist notions of researcher bias and Big Q notions of reflexivity, or expressing concern”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
- Findingcitation
Reflexivity in the reviewed papers rarely extended beyond personal framing.
“However, reflexivity rarely extended beyond this more personal framing (Wilkinson, 1988).”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked- cites Wilkinson, 1988 source
- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
- Findingnone given
These conceptualisations often don't map onto what happens in practice.
“But these conceptualisations often don't map onto what happens in practice.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
- Premisecitation§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing
Big Q researchers typically conceptualize mind-dependent truths rather than a mind-independent truth.
“Big Q researchers typically conceptualize mind-dependent truths, rather than a mind-independent truth (Tebes, 2005).”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked- cites Tebes, 2005 source
- Interpretationreasoning
TA does not fulfil all requirements of a methodology because it does not inherently provide a theoretically-informed framework for research.
“we don't think it fulfils all of the requirements of a methodology because it doesn't inherently provide researchers with a theoretically-informed framework for research.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim - Interpretationcitation
Unlike grounded theory or discourse analysis, TA offers few directives around philosophical and theoretical positioning, appropriate research questions, data collection methods, or participant group/dataset size.
“Unlike methodologies such as grounded theory or discourse analysis, TA offers few directives around philosophical and theoretical positioning, appropriate research questions, data collection methods, or the size or constitution of the participant group/dataset (see Braun & Clarke, 2022a).”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked- cites Braun & Clarke, 2022a source
- Interpretationcitation
Saturation is not a meaningful concept for reflexive TA.
“whether saturation is a meaningful concept for reflexive TA (TL; DR no it isn't!; Braun & Clarke, 2021b)”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked- cites Braun & Clarke, 2021b
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Interpretationcitation§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing
Methodological incoherence beckons when researchers unknowingly mash together different approaches to TA.
“Methodological incoherence beckons when researchers seemingly unknowingly mash together different approaches to TA (see Braun & Clarke, 2022a).”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked- cites Braun & Clarke, 2022a source
- Interpretationreasoning
The claim that Braun and Clarke (2006) don't provide a plan for doing TA is spurious.
“this stands as one of the many spurious claims that exist about TA”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
- Classified as probably not a substantial claim. 33
- May combine two claims. 15
Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).
FindingcitationFrohard-Dourlent et al. (2020) reported three themes and seven sub-themes in their study of experiences of surgical readiness assessments in Canada.
“Frohard-Dourlent et al. (2020) explored experiences of surgical readiness assessments in Canada and reported three themes and seven sub-themes”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 1 sources checked- cites Frohard-Dourlent et al., 2020 source
- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing).
Interpretationcitation§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowingResearchers cannot coherently be both a descriptive scientist and an interpretative artist.
“Researchers cannot coherently be both a descriptive scientist and an interpretative artist (Finlay, 2021).”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 1 sources checked- cites Finlay, 2021 source
The indexed copy’s Abstract says thematic analysis can be systematic or intuitive and lists both rigour and resonance as evaluation criteria. It does not address whether a researcher can coherently be both a descriptive scientist and an interpretative artist; searches for that phrase and for scientific–artistic incompatibility found no decisive passage. (LLM, conf=0.70)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.
Findingown data§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowingMost papers reviewed reported qualitative studies, with the rest mixed-method designs, typically based on interview, focus group or qualitative survey data.
“Most papers reported qualitative studies-with the rest mixed-method designs-typically based on interview, focus group or qualitative survey data.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.
FindingcitationFrohard-Dourlent et al. provide a clear overview of the thematic structure and a brief but effective account of their analytic process and engagement with reflexive TA.
“Frohard-Dourlent et al. also provide an example of a clear overview of the thematic structure (in the form of a table), and a brief but effective account of the authors' analytic process and engagement with reflexive TA, both important elements of a high-quality TA report (Braun & Clarke, 2022b).”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked- cites Braun & Clarke, 2022b source
- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
Classified as probably not a substantial claim.
Findingnone givenThe reviewed papers exemplified both good and bad practice in researchers striving to own their perspective.
“The papers we reviewed exemplified both good and bad practice with regard to researchers striving to own their perspective.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
May combine two claims.
Findingown dataBoth positivism creep and the use of topic summary themes in reflexive TA were evident in the reviewed papers.
“Both problems-positivism creep, and the use of topic summary themes in reflexive TA-were evident in the papers we reviewed.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).
Findingown dataAll reviewed papers included some statement of researchers' personal positioning and/or professional experience with regard to gender identity.
“All included some kind of statement of the researchers' personal positioning and/or professional experience with regard to gender identity, which is particularly important when researching socially minoritized groups and when researchers may be more socially powerful and privileged outsiders.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).
Findingnone givenOne reviewed paper justified the use of grounded theory coding techniques to do TA on the grounds that Braun and Clarke (2006) don't provide a plan for doing TA.
“One paper justified the use of grounded theory coding techniques to do TA on the grounds that Braun and Clarke (2006) don't provide a plan for doing TA.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked- cites Braun & Clarke, 2006 source
- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).
Findingown dataTwo reviewed papers provided clear examples of themes as meaning-based interpretative stories.
“Two of the reviewed papers provided clear examples of themes as meaning-based interpretative stories.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.
Findingnone givenAssessments were also experienced as positive by some participants, who felt supported by the assessor and prepared for next steps.
“Assessment were also conversely experienced as positive by some, with participants feeling supported by the assessor and prepared for the next steps.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.
FindingcitationParticipants in Frohard-Dourlent et al. often experienced assessment as aversive gatekeeping, with health professionals having power to deny care and compel conformity to an archetypal binary trans narrative.
“Similar to experiences reported by Fraser et al., participants often experienced the assessment process as aversive gatekeeping, with health professionals having the power to deny access to care, and compel conformity to an archetypal and outdated binary trans narrative.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).
Findingnone givenTA was occasionally described as a methodology in the reviewed papers.
“TA was occasionally described as a methodology in the papers reviewed”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).
Findingnone givenAssessments were experienced as difficult to access because of opaqueness, bureaucracy and a lack of socio-economic privilege.
“Assessments were experienced as difficult to access because of opaqueness, bureaucracy and a lack of socio-economic privilege.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
Classified as probably not a substantial claim.
Premisecitation§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowingReflexive TA is an example of a Big Q or non-positivist qualitative approach.
“Our approach, which we now call reflexive TA to acknowledge the plurality of TA and better distinguish it from other approaches (see Braun & Clarke, 2019), is an example of a Big Q or non-positivist qualitative approach”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked- cites Braun & Clarke, 2019 source
Classified as probably not a substantial claim.
Premisecitation§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowingThe authors developed a typology of TA approaches designated coding reliability, codebook, reflexive TA, and thematic coding.
“we have developed a typology of similar approaches, which we designate coding reliability, codebook and reflexive TA, and thematic coding”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked- cites Braun & Clarke, 2022b source
Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).
Premisecitation§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowingThematic coding was more common before TA was widely recognized as a distinct method.
“it was more common before TA was widely recognized as a distinct method.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked- cites Flick, 2018
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- cites Rivas, 2018
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing), S4 (based).
Premisenone given§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowingThematic coding involves the use of grounded theory coding procedures to develop themes from data.
“Finally, thematic coding involves the use of grounding theory coding procedures to develop themes from data.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claimClassified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.
Interpretationcitation§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowingReflexive TA approaches embrace researcher subjectivity as a resource, view TA as inherently subjective, emphasize researcher reflexivity, and reject the notion that coding can ever be accurate.
“Reflexive TA approaches embrace researcher subjectivity as a resource for research (rejecting positivist notions of researcher bias, see Varpio et al., 2021), view the practice of TA as inherently subjective, emphasize researcher reflexivity, and reject the notion that coding can ever be accurate-as it is an inherently interpretative practice, and meaning is not fixed within data.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked- cites Varpio et al., 2021 source
Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.
InterpretationcitationThe authors' thinking around TA has evolved since 2006, including now using the specific name reflexive TA.
“Our thinking around TA has evolved since 2006, including now using the specific name reflexive TA (Braun & Clarke, 2019).”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked- cites Braun & Clarke, 2019 source
Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.
Premisenone givenTopic summaries as themes are common in coding reliability and some codebook TA, and thematic coding; themes in reflexive and some codebook TA are conceptualized as meaning-based interpretative stories.
“Topic summaries as themes are common in coding reliability and some codebook TA, and thematic coding; themes in reflexive, and some codebook, TA are conceptualized as meaning-based, interpretative stories.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claimProbably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).
InterpretationcitationThe key to selecting methodologically coherent quality standards and tools is knowing practice-reasoning through the assumptions embedded in particular concepts and practices.
“The key to selecting methodologically coherent quality standards and tools is knowing practice-reasoning through the assumptions embedded in particular concepts and practices.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claimProbably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable). May combine two claims.
InterpretationreasoningThe practice of reflexive TA requires depth of engagement, creative and reflexive thinking about data, and an intensive organic coding process to move beyond obvious or superficial meanings.
“The practice requires depth of engagement, thinking creatively and reflexively about the data, an intensive and organic coding process designed to parse out different facets of data meaning, and to help the researcher move beyond the most obvious or superficial meanings in the data.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claimProbably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).
InterpretationreasoningThe Big Q research values of reflexive TA make a simple or naive realist reflexive TA a tricky proposition.
“We originally stated that reflexive TA could be underpinned by (simple) realism (Braun & Clarke, 2006), but we now think the Big Q research values of reflexive TA make a simple or naive realist reflexive TA a tricky proposition.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked- cites Braun & Clarke, 2006 source
Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.
PremisecitationTracy (2010) highlighted member reflections as a Big Q alternative to member checking, which is not about verification or accessing truth or reality.
“Tracy (2010) highlighted the concept of member reflections as a Big Q alternative to member checking, which is not about verification, or accessing truth or reality.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked- cites Tracy, 2010 source
Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).
Interpretationnone givenThemes as interpretative stories built around uniting meaning cannot be developed in advance of analysis.
“By contrast, themes as interpretative stories built around uniting meaning cannot be developed in advance of analysis.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claimProbably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).
Interpretationreasoning§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowingThe procedures developed by TA methodologists are thought-through manifestations of underlying research values.
“The procedures we and other TA methodologists have developed are thought-through manifestations of underlying research values”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claimProbably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).
Interpretationnone givenThe procedures and conceptualisations of key concepts associated with different iterations of TA reflect particular underlying paradigmatic assumptions or research values.
“We say closer to because the procedures and conceptualisations of key concepts associated with different iterations of TA reflect particular underlying paradigmatic assumptions or research values.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claimProbably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).
PremisecitationQualitative methodologists have already presented thoughtful considerations of what is assumed and at stake in various supposedly universal criteria.
“Luckily, qualitative methodologists have already done a lot of the heavy lifting here (e.g., Braun & Clarke, 2021b;Smith & McGannon, 2018;Varpio et al., 2017Varpio et al., , 2021)), presenting thoughtful considerations of what's assumed and at stake in various supposedly universal criteria.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 3 sources checkedClassified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.
Interpretationnone givenReflexive TA is premised on the researcher always shaping their research, being infused with their subjectivity, and never being a neutral conduit conveying directly accessed truth.
“Reflexive TA is premised on the researcher always shaping their research; it will always be infused with their subjectivity, and they are never a neutral conduit, simply conveying a directly-accessed truth of participants' experience.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claimProbably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable). May combine two claims.
InterpretationreasoningTopic summaries make no conceptual sense in reflexive TA, and reflexive TA procedures are designed to support deep understanding and interpretative stories about meanings that cut across a dataset.
“Simply put, topic summaries make no conceptual sense in reflexive TA, and the procedures have been designed to support the development of deep understanding and the telling of interpretative stories about meanings (sometimes obvious, sometimes subtle) that cut across a dataset and capture an important aspect of whatever you are trying to understand!”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claimClassified as probably not a substantial claim.
PremisecitationMember checking in theory controls for or corrects subjective bias-misinterpretation or misemphasis-of the researcher.
“This practice in theory controls for or corrects any subjective bias-misinterpretation, misemphasis-of the researcher (Smith & McGannon, 2018).”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked- cites Smith & McGannon, 2018 source
Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).
Interpretationnone givenTA is better understood as closer to a method than a methodology.
“Because TA is better understood as closer to a method than a methodology, and because of its theoretical flexibility, it's vital that researchers locate their use of TA theoretically”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claimMay combine two claims.
PremisecitationBraun and Clarke's 2006 paper was the first place they outlined a clear six-phase approach to reflexive TA and critiqued the use of grounded theory techniques to do TA.
“Given that the purpose of our 2006 paper was precisely to do that, and it was the first place we outlined a clear six-phase approach to reflexive TA-and critiqued the use of grounded theory techniques to do TA”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked- cites Braun & Clarke, 2006 source
May combine two claims.
InterpretationcitationThe use of member checking is infused with assumptions about reality and knowledge production that sit uncomfortably with reflexive TA, including that there is a truth of participants' experiences accessible if researcher influence is checked.
“However, the use of member checking is infused with assumptions about reality and knowledge production that sit (conceptually) uncomfortably with reflexive TA-including that there is a truth of participants' experiences that we can access if we can keep the potentially distorting effects of researcher influence in check (see Smith & McGannon, 2018).”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked- cites Smith & McGannon, 2018 source
Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).
InterpretationreasoningTA cannot be conducted in a theoretical vacuum; researchers inescapably bring assumptions about reality, knowledge, and what data represent.
“TA cannot be conducted in a theoretical vacuum-researchers inescapably bring in assumptions about the nature of reality, about what constitutes meaningful knowledge and knowledge production, and what their data represent or give them access to, even if these are not discussed.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claimProbably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable). May combine two claims.
InterpretationreasoningThemes as interpretative stories contain diversity but have a central idea that unifies the diversity.
“They contain diversity, but they have a central idea that unifies the diversity”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
The paper relies on this without support.
The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
“This commentary is based on a review of 20 papers published in IJTH citing our work”
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Unthinking compliance with the RTARG will not necessarily improve reporting quality, because knowing practice is key.
“Unthinking compliance with the RTARG will not necessarily improve reporting quality, because knowing practice is key.”
From Supporting best practice in reflexive thematic analysis reporting in <i>Palliative Medicine</i> : A review of published research and introduction to the <i>Reflexive Thematic Analysis Reporting Guidelines</i> (RTARG) (2024) · cites this paper as [7]
In “Ten recommendations for producing and reporting methodologically coherent TA,” the authors say their recommendations should not be treated as a narrow checklist but as prompts for knowing practice. This supports the warning against unthinking compliance, but our copy does not address the RTARG specifically or assess whether compliance with it improves reporting quality. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredCoding complex domains such as personal strength or relating to others involves a degree of researcher subjectivity, as these categories are not fixed entities but are instead co-constructed through the interaction between the participant's narrative and the researcher's interpretive lens.
“Coding complex domains such as personal strength or relating to others involves a degree of researcher subjectivity, as these categories are not fixed entities but are instead co-constructed through the interaction between the participant’s narrative and the researcher’s interpretive lens [53].”
From The coexistence and trajectories of posttraumatic growth and depreciation: a 36-month longitudinal qualitative narrative analysis (2026) · cites this paper as [53]
The research team recognized that its composition concentrated the analytic gaze and that its shared identity as health professions education scholars predisposed it to read the data through a competency and curriculum lens; these orientations were treated as interpretive resources rather than biases to be eliminated, and were discussed explicitly during analytic meetings to question candidate.
“We recognize that this composition concentrated our analytic gaze and that our shared identity as health professions education scholars predisposed us to read the data through a competency and curriculum lens. We treated these orientations as interpretive resources rather than biases to be eliminated [16], discussing them explicitly during analytic meetings to question candidate themes.”
From Role-Differentiated AI Competencies and Curriculum Implications for Health Professions Education: Qualitative Study (2026) · cites this paper as [16]
Sample size was determined through iterative monitoring of analytic stabilization rather than a prespecified target.
“Sample size was determined through iterative monitoring of analytic stabilization—sometimes termed data saturation, though we use this term cautiously given the constructivist orientation of reflexive thematic analysis [16]—rather than a prespecified target.”
From Role-Differentiated AI Competencies and Curriculum Implications for Health Professions Education: Qualitative Study (2026) · cites this paper as [16]
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Self-citationQualitative and quantitative methods: When stories converge
Kidder, L. H., & Fine, M. (1987) · New Directions for Program Evaluation · doi:10.1002/ev.1459 · Cited by 336 · see citing works
The role of reflexivity in feminist psychology
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Introduction to Research Methods and Data Analysis in Psychology
Langdridge, D., & Hagger‐Johnson, G. (2003) · Cited by 305 · see citing works
Developing the craft: reflexive accounts of doing reflexive thematic analysis
Trainor, L. R., & Bundon, A. (2020) · Qualitative Research in Sport Exercise and Health · doi:10.1080/2159676x.2020.1840423 · Cited by 300 · see citing works
Methodolatry and Qualitative Health Research
Chamberlain, K. (2000) · Journal of Health Psychology · doi:10.1177/135910530000500306 · Cited by 257 · see citing works
Thematic Analysis in Organisational Research
King, N., & Brooks, J. (2018) · The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Business and Management Research Methods: Methods and Challenges · doi:10.4135/9781526430236.n14 · Cited by 180 · see citing works
Folkes, L. (2023) · Qualitative Research · doi:10.1177/14687941221098922 · Cited by 159 · see citing works
Community Science, Philosophy of Science, and the Practice of Research
Tebes, J. K. (2005) · American Journal of Community Psychology · doi:10.1007/s10464-005-3399-x · Cited by 151 · see citing works
Dancing through minefields: Toward a qualitative stance in psychology.
Marecek, J. (2003) · Qualitative research in psychology: Expanding perspectives in methodology and design. · doi:10.1037/10595-004 · Cited by 150 · see citing works
Critical participatory action research: Methods and praxis for intersectional knowledge production.
Fine, M., Torre, M. E., Oswald, A. G., & Avory, S. (2021) · Journal of Counseling Psychology · doi:10.1037/cou0000445 · Cited by 140 · see citing works
Hermeneutic phenomenological analysis: the ‘possibility’ beyond ‘actuality’ in thematic analysis
Ho, K. H. M., Chiang, V. C. L., & Leung, D. (2017) · Journal of Advanced Nursing · doi:10.1111/jan.13255 · Cited by 140 · see citing works
Finlay, L. (2021) · European Journal for Qualitative Research in Psychotherapy · doi:10.24377/ejqrp.article3062 · Cited by 131 · see citing works
YARNING AS PROTECTED SPACE: principles and protocols
Barlo, S., Boyd, W. E., Pelizzon, A., & Wilson, S. (2020) · AlterNative An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples · doi:10.1177/1177180120917480 · Cited by 115 · see citing works
The applicability of generalisability and bias to health professions education's research
Varpio, L., O'Brien, B., Rees, C. E., Monrouxe, L., Ajjawi, R., & Paradis, E. (2021) · Medical Education · doi:10.1111/medu.14348 · Cited by 100 · see citing works
Kaupapa Kōrero: a Māori cultural approach to narrative inquiry
Ware, F., Breheny, M., & Forster, M. (2017) · AlterNative An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples · doi:10.1177/1177180117744810 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Strengthening Pacific voices through Talanoa participatory action research
Cammock, R., Conn, C., & Nayar, S. (2021) · AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples · doi:10.1177/1177180121996321 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Fraser, G., Brady, A., & Wilson, M. S. (2021) · International Journal of Transgender Health · doi:10.1080/26895269.2021.1933669 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Experiences of surgery readiness assessments in British Columbia
Frohard-Dourlent, H., MacAulay, M., & Shannon, M. (2020) · International Journal of Transgender Health · doi:10.1080/26895269.2020.1742842 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
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- Finlay L., 2021, European Journal for Qualitative Research in Psychotherapy,, 11, 103
- Hayes N., 2000, Doing psychological research: Gathering and analyzing data
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Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2024) · Palliative Medicine · doi:10.1177/02692163241234800 · Cited by 954 · see citing works
Self-citationBraun, V., & Clarke, V. (2023) · Health Psychology Review · doi:10.1080/17437199.2022.2161594 · Cited by 582 · see citing works
“…re fl exive and thorough data engagement and the development of codes that are fi ne-grained enough to parse out research-relevant meaning from the dataset (similarly not conceptualising it as ‘ completing ’ coding but the point at which analysis progresses into another phase; Braun & Clarke, 2022c).”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialSelf-citationReporting guidelines for qualitative research: a values-based approach
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2024) · Qualitative Research in Psychology · doi:10.1080/14780887.2024.2382244 · Cited by 539 · see citing works
Self-citationA critical review of the reporting of reflexive thematic analysis in Health Promotion International
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2024) · Health Promotion International · doi:10.1093/heapro/daae049 · Cited by 412 · see citing works
Self-citationWutich, A., Beresford, M., & Bernard, H. R. (2024) · International Journal of Qualitative Methods · doi:10.1177/16094069241296206 · Cited by 416 · see citing works
“Braun and Clarke (2022a) argue it is impossible to estimate sample size a priori for re fl exive thematic analysis, but that an upper and lower limit for a sample range should be determined pragmatically based on the research goals and the time and resources available for the research.”
Generative AI’s Impact on Critical Thinking: Revisiting Bloom’s Taxonomy
Gonsalves, C. (2026) · Journal of Marketing Education · doi:10.1177/02734753241305980 · Cited by 161 · see citing works
“Codes were primarily semantic, reflecting participants’ expressions (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2023).”
Gonsalves, C. (2025) · Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education · doi:10.1080/02602938.2024.2415654 · Cited by 121 · see citing works
“Following explanation of the study aims, participants consented to video recording and anonymisation upon transcription. data were analysed using thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke 2006, 2023).”
Naeem, M., Smith, T., & Thomas, L. (2025) · International Journal of Qualitative Methods · doi:10.1177/16094069251333886 · Cited by 126 · see citing works
“Additionally, Braun and Clarke (2022) suggested considering re fl exivity, theoretical frameworks, data contextualization, and theme development in the process of thematic analysis.”
Piatkowski, T. M., Gibbs, N., & Dunn, M. (2023) · Journal of Criminology · doi:10.1177/26338076231209044 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
“The other authors provided different plausible interpretations of fi ndings and generated novel themes which aided in the construction of the fi ndings and are in line with good practice (Braun & Clarke, 2023).”
ResultThematic analysis in the area of education: a practical guide
Kushnir, I. (2025) · Cogent Education · doi:10.1080/2331186x.2025.2471645 · Cited by 111 · see citing works
“…‘ combines a “ structured approach to coding through the use of a codebook or coding frame, (some) early theme development, a typical conceptualization of themes as topic summaries … [and consideration of] researcher subjectivity as a resource for research ” (Braun & Clarke, 2022a, p. 6) ’ .”
Piatkowski, T. M., Puljević, C., Francis, C., Ferris, J., & Dunn, M. (2023) · International Journal of Drug Policy · doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104139 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
“Data collection and preliminary analysis were conducted concurrently by the first author, allowing for reflexivity and adaptation of the semi-structured interview guide questions with emerging insights (Braun & Clarke, 2023).”
BackgroundMethodRehman, N., Huang, X., Mahmood, A., Zafeer, H. M. I., & Mohammad, N. K. (2025) · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · doi:10.1057/s41599-024-04272-y · Cited by 92 · see citing works
“Challenges in interpretation were resolved through consensus and adherence to the coding framework (Braun and Clarke, 2023).”
Sandhiya, V., & Bhuvaneswari, M. (2024) · Advances in library and information science (ALIS) book series · doi:10.4018/979-8-3693-1135-6.ch014 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Cogan, N. A., Liu, X., Chau, Y. C.-V., Kelly, S. W., Anderson, T., Flynn, C., Scott, L., Zaglis, A., & Corrigan, P. W. (2023) · British Journal of Guidance and Counselling · doi:10.1080/03069885.2023.2214307 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Al-Dosari, K., & Fetais, N. (2023) · Safety · doi:10.3390/safety9030064 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
“The extracted data were synthesized using a thematic analysis approach [53,54].”
Pearson, H., Myall, M., Darlington, A., & Gibson, F. (2025) · Qualitative Research in Psychology · doi:10.1080/14780887.2025.2499265 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
“Reflexive TA is interpretative and subjective (Braun and Clarke 2006, 2019a, 2022b).”
InfluentialEng, I., Tjernberg, M., & Champoux‐Larsson, M. (2024) · Cogent Psychology · doi:10.1080/23311908.2024.2362535 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
“…overview of the analysis process). research positioning is important in rta since researchers use their knowledge and experiences in the analysis (Braun & clarke, 2023). accordingly, we would like to highlight all authors’ long personal experiences working remotely with a hybrid work-place…”
Positioning Positionality and Reflecting on Reflexivity: Moving From Performance to Practice
Sibbald, K. R., Phelan, S., Beagan, B. L., & Pride, T. M. (2025) · Qualitative Health Research · doi:10.1177/10497323241309230 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Brehon, K., Miciak, M., Hung, P., Chen, S., Perreault, K., Hudon, A., Wieler, M., Hunter, S., Hoddinott, L., Hall, M., et al. (2023) · BMC Health Services Research · doi:10.1186/s12913-023-10288-y · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Merrin, G. J., Wang, J. H., Kiefer, S. M., Jackson, J. L., Pascarella, L. A., Huckaby, P. L., Blake, C. L., Gomez, M. D., & Smith, N. D. W. (2023) · Adolescent Research Review · doi:10.1007/s40894-023-00229-5 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Holland, A., & Ciachir, C. (2024) · Interactive Learning Environments · doi:10.1080/10494820.2024.2350655 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Zhang, Y., & Dong, C. (2024) · Systems · doi:10.3390/systems12110462 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Avonts, M., Bombeke, K., Michels, N. R. M., et al. (2023) · BMC Medical Education · doi:10.1186/s12909-023-04801-4 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Sinha, R., Solola, I., Nguyen, H., Swanson, H., & Lawrence, L. (2024) · Symposium on Learning, Design and Technology (LDT) · doi:10.1145/3663433.3663456 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
“…post-positivist (objectivity, generalizability, reliability) or ‘small q’ qualitative, to reflexive approaches where researchers’ subjectivity is considered a resource, and the inference drawn is “partial, situated and contextual” or the ‘Big Q’ qualitative (see [4, 5] for detailed discussion).”
BackgroundSoftware engineering education in the era of conversational AI: current trends and future directions
Sengul, C., Neykova, R., & Destefanis, G. (2024) · Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence · doi:10.3389/frai.2024.1436350 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Qualitative data analysis: reflections, procedures, and some points for consideration
Dahal, N. (2025) · Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics · doi:10.3389/frma.2025.1669578 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
Exploring the Utility of ChatGPT for Self-directed Online Language Learning
Li, Z., Wang, C., & Bonk, C. J. (2024) · Online Learning · doi:10.24059/olj.v28i3.4497 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Taim, B. C., Lye, J. C. T., Suppiah, H. T., Chan, T. W., Chia, M., & Clarke, A. C. (2023) · Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports · doi:10.1111/sms.14488 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Pereira, A. M., Bolling, C. S., Birch, P. D. J., Figueiredo, P., Verhagen, E. A. L. M., & Brito, J. (2023) · Sports Medicine - Open · doi:10.1186/s40798-023-00617-0 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Piatkowski, T. M., Benn, S., Ayurzana, L., King, M. A., McMillan, S. S., & Hattingh, L. (2024) · Harm Reduction Journal · doi:10.1186/s12954-024-00972-5 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
“This collaborative approach helped ensure a robust analytic procedure [44].”
Educational leadership for social justice: A systematic review of empirical evidence
Chaaban, Y., Badwan, K., & Arar, K. (2025) · Review of Education · doi:10.1002/rev3.70077 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Borg, A., Jobs, B., Huss, V., Gentline, C., Espinosa‐Ortega, F., Ruiz, M., Edelbring, S., Georg, C., Skantze, G., & Parodis, I. (2024) · Rheumatology International · doi:10.1007/s00296-024-05731-0 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Designing Interactive Explainable AI Tools for Algorithmic Literacy and Transparency
Bhat, M., & Long, D. (2024) · Designing Interactive Systems Conference · doi:10.1145/3643834.3660722 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Voorheis, P., Petch, J., Phạm, Q., & Kuluski, K. (2023) · PLOS Digital Health · doi:10.1371/journal.pdig.0000213 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Seow, R. Y. C. (2025) · Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management · doi:10.1002/csr.70089 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Nicmanis, M., & Spurrier, H. (2025) · International Journal of Qualitative Methods · doi:10.1177/16094069251354863 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
“This distinction, fi rst introduced by Kidder and Fine (1987) and further developed by Braun and Clarke (2019, 2022b, 2023), delineates two approaches to qualitative research known as “ Small-q ” and “ Big-Q.”
Brommeyer, M., Whittaker, M. A., & Liang, Z. (2024) · Journal of Healthcare Leadership · doi:10.2147/jhl.s487589 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Honra, J. R. (2025) · Innovations in Education and Teaching International · doi:10.1080/14703297.2025.2512386 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
“The qualitative data thus complemented the quantitative results, offering a more comprehensive understanding of how BOBT impacted students’ cognitive and reflective learning processes (Braun & Clarke, 2022; Honra, 2023; Kiger & Varpio, 2020).”
Unmasking deepfakes: a multidisciplinary examination of social impacts and regulatory responses
Alanazi, S., Asif, S., Caird-Daley, A., & Moulitsas, I. (2025) · Human-Intelligent Systems Integration · doi:10.1007/s42454-025-00060-4 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Cohen, E. S., Kringos, D. S., Grandiek, F., Kouwenberg, L. H. J. A., Weiland, N. H. S., Richie, C., Hehenkamp, W. J. K., & Aarts, J. W. M. (2025) · Health Expectations · doi:10.1111/hex.70155 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
The impact of responsible gambling framing on people with lived experience of gambling harm
Marko, S., Thomas, S. L., Pitt, H., & Daube, M. (2023) · Frontiers in Sociology · doi:10.3389/fsoc.2023.1074773 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
“Rather than making comparisons between gamblers and affected others, the aim of the analysis was to present themes that reflected a central unifying concept that represented the different perspectives of the participants both within and across groups (Braun and Clarke, 2022).”
BackgroundWang, J. H., Merrin, G. J., Kiefer, S. M., Jackson, J. L., Huckaby, P. L., Pascarella, L. A., Blake, C. L., Gomez, M. D., & Smith, N. D. W. (2023) · Adolescent Research Review · doi:10.1007/s40894-023-00226-8 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
“The first two authors critically reflected on their own pre-conceptions regarding ACE and peer relationship literature (Braun & Clarke, 2023), coded and discussed such “aspects” throughout the data extraction phase, and further consolidated these aspects upon the completion of data extraction.”
Wilson, J. W. (2025) · Qualitative Health Research · doi:10.1177/10497323251378303 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Callari, T. C., & Puppione, L. (2025) · Journal of Workplace Learning · doi:10.1108/jwl-11-2024-0258 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Meinert, E., Milne‐Ives, M., Lim, E., Higham, A., Boege, S., de Pennington, N., Bajre, M., Mole, G., Normando, E. M., & Xue, K. (2024) · EClinicalMedicine · doi:10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102692 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
“A codebook approach 26,27 was used to conduct a theoretical thematic analysis of the interviews in QSR NVivo 12.”
MethodInayat, S., Younas, A., Fàbregues, S., & Ali, P. A. (2024) · International Journal of Qualitative Methods · doi:10.1177/16094069241234187 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
“Presenting topic summaries as themes also indicates a lack of interpretive synthesis, resulting in too many themes (Braun & Clarke, 2022a; Connelly & Peltzer, 2016).”
InfluentialAustralian young people's perspectives about the political determinants of the climate crisis
Arnot, G., Thomas, S. L., Pitt, H., & Warner, E. (2023) · Health Promotion Journal of Australia · doi:10.1002/hpja.734 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Piatkowski, T. M., Neumann, D. L., Keane, C. A., & Dunn, M. (2023) · Addiction Research & Theory · doi:10.1080/16066359.2023.2271839 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Reicherts, L., Zhang, Z. T., von Oswald, E., Liu, Y., Rogers, Y., & Hassib, M. E. (2025) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3706598.3713295 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
“In two meetings among the three researchers, a reflexive thematic analysis was conducted to identify overarching themes [6, 7].”
Lafontan, S. R., Jones, F., & Lama, N. (2024) · Reproductive Health · doi:10.1186/s12978-024-01876-0 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Piatkowski, T. M., & Dunn, M. (2024) · Contemporary Drug Problems · doi:10.1177/00914509241249292 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
“Multiple research team meetings were held to scrutinize coding decisions, re fl ect on emerging themes, and identify patterns (Braun & Clarke, 2023).”
BackgroundLeocadio, P., Kelleher, C., Fernández, E., & Hawkes, C. P. (2023) · The Science of Diabetes Self-Management and Care · doi:10.1177/26350106231206779 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
“26,27”
Context matters: athletes’ perception of dopers’ values, actions and vulnerabilities
Veltmaat, A., Dreiskämper, D., Brueckner, S., Bondarev, D., Heyes, A., Barkoukis, V., Elbe, A., Lazuras, L., Maria, A. D., Zelli, A., et al. (2023) · Frontiers in Sports and Active Living · doi:10.3389/fspor.2023.1229679 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Continuous Glucose Monitor: Reclaiming Type 2 Diabetes Self-efficacy and Mitigating Disparities
Ni, K., Tampe, C. A., Sol, K., Cervantes, L., & Pereira, R. I. (2024) · Journal of the Endocrine Society · doi:10.1210/jendso/bvae125 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
“K.N., C.T., K.S., L.C., and R.P. met regularly to consolidate and revise codes, themes, and subthemes as inter-views were completed until a coherent set of themes was developed by consensus [20, 21, 24].”
BackgroundElwyn, R., Williams, M., Smith, E., & Smith, S. E. (2024) · Journal of Eating Disorders · doi:10.1186/s40337-024-01078-w · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Game changers for meat and masculinity? Male athletes’ perspectives on mixed and plant-based diets
van der Horst, H. M., Sällylä, A., & Michielsen, Y. J. E. (2023) · Appetite · doi:10.1016/j.appet.2023.106585 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
“The research was reflexive and ‘owning’ your perspective as a researcher and how it may shape the analysis is integral to reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2023).”
BackgroundResultInfluentialPolat, A. (2025) · International Journal of Qualitative Methods · doi:10.1177/16094069251372835 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
“Thematic analysis, the primary focus of this article, is one of the most widely used methods and encompasses a family of approaches rather than a singular method – a nuance often overlooked in published articles (Braun & Clarke, 2022, p. 1).”
Ensuring an inclusive, trans-led future for the field of trans health
Riggs, D. W., Lowik, A. J., Restar, A., Everhart, A. R., Lett, E., Cheung, A. S., Arora, M., Treharne, G. J., & Rosenberg, S. (2024) · International Journal of Transgender Health · doi:10.1080/26895269.2024.2370607 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Sharif, L., Babhair, R., Alzahrani, D., Abuladel, A., Kabli, A., Alzahrani, R., Alghamdi, L., Mahsoon, A. N., Sharif, K., Alharazi, R., et al. (2025) · BMC Psychology · doi:10.1186/s40359-025-02733-w · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Integrating Qualitative Comparative Analysis With Reflexive Thematic Analysis in Theme Development
Sun, Y., Hsieh, J. K., & Gao, X. A. (2025) · International Journal of Qualitative Methods · doi:10.1177/16094069251318749 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
“…we created were not developed by sorting and organizing codes belonging to one category; instead, causal relationships between categories facilitated the connection of “ seemingly unrelated ” (Braun & Clarke, 2023, p. 2) categories and concepts, potentially helping to construct latent themes.”
InfluentialThe meaning of autistic movements
Petty, S., & Ellis, A. (2024) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613241262151 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Lamb, H., Dunn, M., Havnes, I. A., & Piatkowski, T. M. (2024) · Addiction Research & Theory · doi:10.1080/16066359.2024.2352092 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Breaking barriers: Assessing technology transfer for climate-resilient development
Sajid, M. J., Yu, Z., & Janjua, L. R. (2023) · Environmental Technology & Innovation · doi:10.1016/j.eti.2023.103471 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Ginsberg, K. H., Babbott, K. M., & Serlachius, A. S. (2024) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/62761 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
“For example, frequent misapplication of thematic analysis, one of the most often used qualitative methods, has led Braun and Clarke [16], authors of the seminal paper on the method, to publish 4 recent papers clarifying its methodology and “flexible” theoretical approach [17-20].”
InfluentialUtilizing nursing standards in electronic health records: A descriptive qualitative study
Laukvik, L. B., Lyngstad, M., Rotegård, A. K., & Fossum, M. (2024) · International Journal of Medical Informatics · doi:10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2024.105350 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Hevesi, R., Downey, M. R., & Harvey, K. (2024) · Appetite · doi:10.1016/j.appet.2024.107204 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
“Reflexive Thematic Analysis (TA) was used to generate patterns of meaning (Braun & Clarke, 2023).”
BackgroundMethodDo students have anything to say? Student participation in a whole school approach to sustainability
Torsdottir, A. E., Sinnes, A. T., Olsson, D., & Wals, A. E. J. (2023) · Environmental Education Research · doi:10.1080/13504622.2023.2213427 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
EmoWear: Exploring Emotional Teasers for Voice Message Interaction on Smartwatches
An, P., Zhu, J., Zhang, Z., Yin, Y., Ma, Q., Yan, C., Du, L., & Zhao, J. (2024) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3613904.3642101 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
“Below we report the median value (Mdn), 𝑝 -value, and the effect size ( 𝑟 ) of each item for comparison.”
Mansour, H., Gillions, A., Brown, J. M., Pattenden, A., HARTLEY, S. H., Patel, S., James, S., Styles, M., Mandy, W., Stott, J. C. H., et al. (2024) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613241291081 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
“Data analysis was conducted by H.M. using the six phases suggested by Braun and Clarke (2023): (1) Familiarisation with the data: as part of collection and interview; (2) Systematic data coding: two transcripts were double coded (by H.M. and A.G.) who discussed their codes.”
Ince, C., Fontenelle, L. F., Carter, A., Albertella, L., Tiego, J., Chamberlain, S. R., & Rotaru, K. (2023) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-023-45459-8 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
“Given our epistemological positioning and recent developments in the thematic analysis framework, coding reliability estimates were not considered appropriate 41,42,44 .”
BackgroundXu, X. (., Konnova, A., Gao, B., Peng, C., Vo, D., & Dow, S. P. (2025) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3706598.3713649 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
“Qualitative coding was employed using thematic analysis [10, 11] to identify common patterns and themes.”
Novel marine-climate interventions hampered by low consensus and governance preparedness
Ogier, E. M., Pecl, G. T., Hughes, T. P., Lawless, S., Layton, C., Nash, K. L., & Morrison, T. H. (2025) · Nature Climate Change · doi:10.1038/s41558-025-02291-4 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Ryan, L., Quigley, F., Birney, S., Crotty, M., Conlan, O., & Walsh, J. C. (2024) · Health Expectations · doi:10.1111/hex.14098 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“Additionally, participant validation was deemed impractical due to the researcher's central role in data interpretation and the potential for participant perspectives to change over time [36].”
BackgroundPiatkowski, T. M., Neumann, D. L., Seekis, V., & Dunn, M. (2024) · Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology · doi:10.1002/casp.2800 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
The leaky pipeline: where ‘exactly’ are these leakages for women leaders in higher education?
Ayyıldız, P., & Banoğlu, K. (2024) · School Leadership and Management · doi:10.1080/13632434.2024.2323731 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
The behaviour of FinTech users in the Alipay Ant Forest platform towards environmental protection
Zhao, M., & Abeysekera, I. (2023) · Journal of Open Innovation Technology Market and Complexity · doi:10.1016/j.joitmc.2023.100201 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Understanding Emotion Regulation Strategies Among Youths: A Qualitative Study
Chang, S. S. H., Vaingankar, J. A., Seow, E., Samari, E., Chua, Y. C., Luo, N., Verma, S. K., & Subramaniam, M. (2023) · Journal of Adolescent Research · doi:10.1177/07435584231161002 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“At this stage, it is acknowledged that the creation of a codebook departs from the established procedure of the thematic approach by Braun and Clarke (2022a, 2022b) and resembles that of the codebook approach to thematic analysis.”
Islam, F., Bailey, S., & Netto, G. (2024) · British Journal of General Practice · doi:10.3399/bjgp.2024.0308 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Ho, S. H., Shamsudin, A. H., Liow, J. W., Juhari, J. A., Ling, S. A., & Tan, K. K. H. (2024) · Healthcare · doi:10.3390/healthcare12100998 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
“Authors SHH and AHS skimmed through the 273 responses before inductively coding them using the six steps of the reflexive thematic analytic approach [30,31].”
MethodLeaders’ views on leadership and skills development in the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Mayer, C. (2024) · SA Journal of Industrial Psychology · doi:10.4102/sajip.v50i0.2172 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
“In thematic analysis, the researcher follows the foundational thought that the analysis is based on the researchers ‘owning’ their perspective, being reflexive and theoretically sensitive (Braun & Clarke 2023).”
Voorheis, P., Bhuiya, A. R., Kuluski, K., Phạm, Q., & Petch, J. (2023) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/45095 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
“These deviations are justified by our pragmatic aim to describe participant perspectives in relation to our research questions and our codebook thematic analysis approach, which Braun and Clarke [23] suggest sits somewhere in between a positivist and subjectivist orientations [24].”
How do athletes perform well under pressure? A meta-study
Hufton, J. R., Vella, S. A., Goddard, S. G., & Schweickle, M. J. (2024) · International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology · doi:10.1080/1750984x.2024.2414442 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Exploring the Acceptance of ChatGPT as a Learning Tool among Academicians: A Qualitative Study
Mukred, M., Mokhtar, U. A., & Hawash, B. (2023) · Jurnal Komunikasi Malaysian Journal of Communication · doi:10.17576/jkmjc-2023-3904-16 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Tupou, J., Ataera, C., Wallace-Watkin, C., & Waddington, H. L. (2023) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613231181622 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
“According to Braun and Clarke (2023), reflexive thematic analysis cannot be conducted objectively, instead researcher subjectivity and prior experience is viewed as a resource that researchers should ‘strive to own’.”
BackgroundKimpton, C. D., & Maynard, N. E. (2024) · European Journal of Engineering Education · doi:10.1080/03043797.2024.2357343 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
The challenges of harmonising anti-doping policy implementation
Read, D., Skinner, J. L., III, Smith, A. C. T., et al. (2023) · Sport Management Review · doi:10.1080/14413523.2023.2288713 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
“It was important to distinguish themes from topics, as themes draw together a shared experience or meaning whereas topics simply categorise codes (Braun & Clarke, 2023).”
Background“We’re Not That Gullible!” Revealing Dark Pattern Mental Models of 11-12-Year-Old Scottish Children
Renaud, K. V., Sengul, C., Coopamootoo, K. P. L., Clift, B., Taylor, J., Springett, M., & Morrison, B. (2024) · ACM Trans. Comput. Hum. Interact. · doi:10.1145/3660342 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
“The initial coding process by the lead researcher was then discussed amongst the research group.”
Cameron, K. L., Coulston, F., Kwong, A., Whittingham, K., Morgan, C., Boyd, R. N., Crowle, C., Sakakini, H., & Spittle, A. J. (2024) · Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology · doi:10.1111/dmcn.16190 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
“Furthermore, our approach used several strategies to facilitate high-quality analysis, 28,34 including engaging in reflexivity, outlined in detail in Table 1.”
Pitt, H., McCarthy, S., Randle, M., Arnot, G., Daube, M., & Thomas, S. L. (2024) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-024-19331-x · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Truong, L. K., Mosewich, A. D., Miciak, M., Losciale, J. M., LI, L. C., & Whittaker, J. L. (2024) · Physiotherapy Theory and Practice · doi:10.1080/09593985.2024.2315520 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
“Step 5 which involved manuscript writing and continued analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2023; Braun, Clarke, Hayfield, and Terry, 2019), lead to minor revisions of the final themes.”
Bei, Z., & Knowler, H. (2022) · Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties · doi:10.1080/13632752.2022.2146225 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Agency in the age of generative AI: a critical review of educational implications
Roe, J., & Perkins, M. (2026) · Academia AI and Applications · doi:10.20935/acadai8422 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
“In line with current ideas regarding TA, we aimed to avoid generating mere ‘topic summaries’ and instead tried to creatively, organically, code the data to move beyond a superficial approach (Braun & Clarke, 2023).”
“Don’t Say Gay”: Implications for Outness and Desire to Move Among LGBTQ + Parents in Florida
Goldberg, A. E., Toomey, R. B., & Abreu, R. L. (2024) · Sexuality Research and Social Policy · doi:10.1007/s13178-024-00982-9 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“Specifically, our coding scheme reflects both data-driven codes based on participants’ narratives and experiences and analyst-driven codes that reflect our theoretical frameworks, knowledge of relevant constructs, and the existing literature (Braun & Clarke, 2023).”
Gelly, M. A., Atgé-Delbays, S., & Sansfaçon, A. P. (2025) · Sexuality Research and Social Policy · doi:10.1007/s13178-024-01079-z · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Almeida, F. L., Guimarães, C. M., & Amorim, E. V. (2024) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su16208890 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Asseler, J. D., de Nie, I., Rooij, F. B. V., et al. (2024) · Human Reproduction · doi:10.1093/humrep/deae155 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Rodríguez, R. P., Rueda, C. S., & Sarrionandía, G. E. (2023) · European Journal of Special Needs Education · doi:10.1080/08856257.2023.2242031 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Sousa, C., Tsvetkova, P., Pérez-Fuster, P., Agius, M. M., Kostova, S., Bolesta, K., Garcia, F. M., Nanchen, B., & Tkaczyk, A. H. (2024) · Disability and Rehabilitation Assistive Technology · doi:10.1080/17483107.2024.2414414 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Nyokabi, N. S., Lindahl, J. F., Phelan, L., Berg, S., Gemechu, G., Mihret, A., Wood, J. L. N., & Moore, H. L. (2023) · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · doi:10.3389/fsufs.2023.1085390 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Chudyk, A. M., Stoddard, R., McCleary, N., Duhamel, T. A., Shimmin, C., Hickes, S., Pan-Canadian group of patient and public advisors, Dalziel, S., Linkiewich, D., Norris, L. A., et al. (2023) · Research Involvement and Engagement · doi:10.1186/s40900-023-00511-9 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
“Presenting qualitative findings as summaries of responses to interview questions is consistent with codebook thematic analysis [24].”
Method
- Authors
- Braun, V., & Clarke, V.
- Affiliations
- University of Auckland (NZ)
- University of the West of England (GB)
- Venue
- International Journal of Transgender Health
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2022-10-25
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1-6
- ISSN
- 2689-5269 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC9879167
- OpenAlex
- W4307217168
- Semantic Scholar
- e28e41b67cfbb817d70b90cfab5436d012bb58ea
- Cited by
- 2,878
- References
- 32
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1230 · 2025: 1016 · 2024: 486 · 2023: 123 · 2022: 8
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- International Journal of Transgender Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Evaluation and Performance Assessment
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies
- Keywords
- thematic analysis, best practices, qualitative research methodology, mixed methods, research quality
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