The DOI matches its Crossref record; 34 of the 34 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 3 of the 25 sources its claims cite were checked for support.
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.
Overview
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
Verification
Claims the paper makes
15 No full text of the sources · 12 Own interpretation · 7 Own result · 7 No basis given · 2 Sources not found · 2 Not checked yet · 1 Supported · 1 Supported so far · 1 Couldn’t confirm · accuracy not yet measured
The sources with a verdict support this claim; the rest weren’t checked yet, have no full text we could read, or their verdicts aren’t rated yet.
In the paper
“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.”
What the sources say
- Supportedcites Gale et al., 2013 source
Gale et al. describe the Framework Method as combining structured coding with flexibility and reflexive qualitative analysis. Stages 3–5 describe independent coding, an agreed set of codes, and systematic application of the framework; the Background calls for critical reflection and reflexive notes. The citation supports framework analysis as the example in the sentence. (LLM, conf=0.90)
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites King & Brooks, 2018 source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Supported
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“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.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“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”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“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”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
In the paper
“However, reflexivity rarely extended beyond this more personal framing (Wilkinson, 1988).”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > (Not) owning one's perspective
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Wilkinson, 1988 source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“But these conceptualisations often don't map onto what happens in practice.”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > Telling meaning-united stories or summarizing topics?
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
In the paper
“Big Q researchers typically conceptualize mind-dependent truths, rather than a mind-independent truth (Tebes, 2005).”
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Tebes, 2005 source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“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.”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > Notes
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“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).”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > Notes
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Braun & Clarke, 2022a source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“whether saturation is a meaningful concept for reflexive TA (TL; DR no it isn't!; Braun & Clarke, 2021b)”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > Everything changes…
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Braun & Clarke, 2021b
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Not matched
- Probably not a substantial claim. 33
- It may state two separate claims as one. 15
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“Frohard-Dourlent et al. (2020) explored experiences of surgical readiness assessments in Canada and reported three themes and seven sub-themes”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > Telling meaning-united stories or summarizing topics?
What the sources say
- Supportedcites Frohard-Dourlent et al., 2020 source
The Abstract and Results report a thematic analysis of interviews about surgical readiness assessments in British Columbia, Canada, and identify three main themes. The Results organize the discussion under seven sub-themes: three concerning gatekeeping, two concerning barriers to care, and two concerning assessments as useful. (LLM, conf=0.90)
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
- Supported
The cited sources that could be checked couldn’t confirm or dispute this claim.
In the paper
“Researchers cannot coherently be both a descriptive scientist and an interpretative artist (Finlay, 2021).”
What the sources say
- Could not verifycites Finlay, 2021 sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
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)
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Could not verify
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Most papers reported qualitative studies-with the rest mixed-method designs-typically based on interview, focus group or qualitative survey data.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
In the paper
“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).”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > Telling meaning-united stories or summarizing topics?
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Braun & Clarke, 2022b source
boosted- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The papers we reviewed exemplified both good and bad practice with regard to researchers striving to own their perspective.”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > (Not) owning one's perspective
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not 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.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Both problems-positivism creep, and the use of topic summary themes in reflexive TA-were evident in the papers we reviewed.”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > Telling meaning-united stories or summarizing topics?
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“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.”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > (Not) owning one's perspective
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
In the paper
“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.”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > Notes
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Braun & Clarke, 2006 source
plaindirectSingle case- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Two of the reviewed papers provided clear examples of themes as meaning-based interpretative stories.”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > Telling meaning-united stories or summarizing topics?
boosted- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Assessment were also conversely experienced as positive by some, with participants feeling supported by the assessor and prepared for the next steps.”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > Telling meaning-united stories or summarizing topics?
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“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.”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > Telling meaning-united stories or summarizing topics?
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“TA was occasionally described as a methodology in the papers reviewed”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > Notes
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Assessments were experienced as difficult to access because of opaqueness, bureaucracy and a lack of socio-economic privilege.”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > Telling meaning-united stories or summarizing topics?
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Rests on an assumption: The 20 papers reviewed are a sufficient and valid basis for identifying common problems in TA research published in IJTH.
In the paper
“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”
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Braun & Clarke, 2019 source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim.
In the paper
“we have developed a typology of similar approaches, which we designate coding reliability, codebook and reflexive TA, and thematic coding”
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Braun & Clarke, 2022b source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim.
None of the sources cited for this claim could be matched to a paper in Crossref, so there is nothing to check it against.
In the paper
“it was more common before TA was widely recognized as a distinct method.”
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Flick, 2018
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Not matchedcites Rivas, 2018
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Not matched
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Finally, thematic coding involves the use of grounding theory coding procedures to develop themes from data.”
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
In the paper
“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.”
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Varpio et al., 2021 source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Our thinking around TA has evolved since 2006, including now using the specific name reflexive TA (Braun & Clarke, 2019).”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > Everything changes…
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Braun & Clarke, 2019 source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“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.”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > Telling meaning-united stories or summarizing topics?
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The key to selecting methodologically coherent quality standards and tools is knowing practice-reasoning through the assumptions embedded in particular concepts and practices.”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > (Not) owning one's perspective
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“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.”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > Telling meaning-united stories or summarizing topics?
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“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.”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > (Not) owning one's perspective
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Braun & Clarke, 2006 source
hedgeddirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence.
In the paper
“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.”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > (Not) owning one's perspective
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Tracy, 2010 source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“By contrast, themes as interpretative stories built around uniting meaning cannot be developed in advance of analysis.”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > Telling meaning-united stories or summarizing topics?
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The procedures we and other TA methodologists have developed are thought-through manifestations of underlying research values”
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“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.”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > Notes
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“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.”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > (Not) owning one's perspective
What the sources say
boosted- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“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.”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > (Not) owning one's perspective
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“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!”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > Telling meaning-united stories or summarizing topics?
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“This practice in theory controls for or corrects any subjective bias-misinterpretation, misemphasis-of the researcher (Smith & McGannon, 2018).”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > (Not) owning one's perspective
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Smith & McGannon, 2018 source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“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”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > (Not) owning one's perspective
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence.
In the paper
“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”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > Notes
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Braun & Clarke, 2006 source
boosted- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“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).”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > (Not) owning one's perspective
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Smith & McGannon, 2018 source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“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.”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > (Not) owning one's perspective
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“They contain diversity, but they have a central idea that unifies the diversity”
§ Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing > Telling meaning-united stories or summarizing topics?
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. It may state two separate claims as one.
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?
The source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“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 Palliative Medicine : A review of published research and introduction to the Reflexive Thematic Analysis Reporting Guidelines (RTARG) (2024) · cites this paper as [7]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“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]
In the citing paper
“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]
In the citing paper
“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]
Citations
Cites
Using thematic analysis in psychology
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006) · Qualitative Research in Psychology · doi:10.1191/1478088706qp063oa · Cited by 194,414
Self-citationReflecting on reflexive thematic analysis
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2019) · Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health · doi:10.1080/2159676x.2019.1628806 · Cited by 19,677
Self-citationGale, N. K., Heath, G., Cameron, E., Rashid, S., & Redwood, S. (2013) · BMC Medical Research Methodology · doi:10.1186/1471-2288-13-117 · Cited by 10,865
One size fits all? What counts as quality practice in (reflexive) thematic analysis?
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021) · Qualitative Research in Psychology · doi:10.1080/14780887.2020.1769238 · Cited by 9,727
Self-citationQualitative Quality: Eight “Big-Tent” Criteria for Excellent Qualitative Research
Tracy, S. J. (2010) · Qualitative Inquiry · doi:10.1177/1077800410383121 · Cited by 7,536
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2022) · Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-69909-7_3470-2 · Cited by 5,890
Self-citationThematic Analysis: A Practical Guide
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2022) · QMiP Bulletin · doi:10.53841/bpsqmip.2022.1.33.46 · Cited by 5,438
Self-citationBraun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021) · Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health · doi:10.1080/2159676x.2019.1704846 · Cited by 4,776
Self-citationConceptual and design thinking for thematic analysis.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2022) · Qualitative Psychology · doi:10.1037/qup0000196 · Cited by 4,502
Self-citationBraun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021) · Counselling and Psychotherapy Research · doi:10.1002/capr.12360 · Cited by 3,198
Self-citation
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- Finlay L., 2021, European Journal for Qualitative Research in Psychotherapy,, 11, 103
- Hayes N., 2000, Doing psychological research: Gathering and analyzing data
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 901–1,000 of 2,869
Li, L., Pan, H., Wang, K., Yang, M., Hé, Y., Cai, L., & Liu, Y. (2024) · International Journal of Transgender Health · doi:10.1080/26895269.2024.2316693 · Cited by 2
Sexual Victimization and the Existential Impact of #MeToo
Williamson, R. E., Hardt, S., Courtney, E. P., & Goldenberg, J. L. (2024) · Journal of Humanistic Psychology · doi:10.1177/00221678241234949 · Cited by 2
Implementation of activities of daily living retraining for individuals in post-traumatic amnesia
Trevena-Peters, J., Ponsford, J. L., & McKay, A. (2024) · Brain Impairment · doi:10.1071/ib23093 · Cited by 3
Profesyonel basketbolcuların fair play yönelimleri: Senaryo temelli nitel bir analiz
Kırıkoğlu, N., & Balçıkanlı, G. S. (2024) · Herkes için Spor ve Rekreasyon Dergisi · doi:10.56639/jsar.1438759 · Cited by 2
Semiotic Functions of Indexicality
Eragamreddy, N. (2024) · International Journal of Current Science Research and Review · doi:10.47191/ijcsrr/v7-i5-05 · Cited by 2
“Patterns and themes pertaining to the semiotic functions of indexicality were found through the technique of thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2023).”
MethodPapamichael, M., Dimopoulos, C., Boustras, G., et al. (2024) · International Journal of Critical Infrastructure Protection · doi:10.1016/j.ijcip.2024.100682 · Cited by 2
Marques, D. D. S., Memento, G. S., Salgado, A. D. L., et al. (2024) · doi:10.1145/3658271.3658289 · Cited by 2
“Our selected TA approach aligns with the scientifically descriptive (small q) spectrum advocated by Braun and Clarke [4].”
MethodThảo, L. T., Yen, P. H., Thùy, P. T., Tran, N. B.-C., & Nguyen, T. M. T. (2024) · F1000Research · doi:10.12688/f1000research.147487.1 · Cited by 2
EFL Researchers’ Conceptualization of Creativity in Research: A Componential Model of Creativity
Husseini, F., & Malmir, A. (2024) · The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher · doi:10.1007/s40299-024-00876-9 · Cited by 2
Berenbaum, R. L. J., Miller, R., Shapiro, D. S., et al. (2024) · Journal of Intergenerational Relationships · doi:10.1080/15350770.2024.2373182 · Cited by 2
“In reality, the analysis is recursive and iterative (Braun et al., 2019a; Braun & Clarke, 2023; Nowell et al., 2017) making RTA a time-consuming process that evolves as the researcher navi-gates through different phases, leading to new interpretations that may require further iterations of earlier…”
Naudé, L., & Esau, M. C. (2024) · Emerging Adulthood · doi:10.1177/21676968241273135 · Cited by 5
“Ensuring the methodological integrity of our study required a continuous and thoughtful engagement with what we do, how we do it, and why we do it (Braun & Clarke, 2022, 2023; Levitt et al., 2018).”
Banda, D., Whitley, M. A., & Khori, N. A. (2024) · Sustainable Development · doi:10.1002/sd.3148 · Cited by 2
Assistive Technology and Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Nigeria
Okoye, C. C. (2024) · African Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Research · doi:10.52589/ajmss-unycsd61 · Cited by 2
Assistive Technology and Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Nigeria
Okoye, C. C. (2024) · African Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Research · doi:10.52589/ajsshr-jpkfgoew · Cited by 2
Gunnarsson, N. V., & Hedman, K. (2024) · Nordic Social Work Research · doi:10.1080/2156857x.2024.2405599 · Cited by 2
Professional Dilemmatic Spaces in Swedish School-Age Educare
Hjalmarsson, M., Egeland, B. L., & Carlman, P. (2024) · IJREE – International Journal for Research on Extended Education · doi:10.3224/ijree.v11i2.04 · Cited by 2
Pearson, H., Gibson, F., Myall, M., & Darlington, A. (2024) · SSM - Qualitative Research in Health · doi:10.1016/j.ssmqr.2024.100487 · Cited by 2
Weerakkody, A., Godecke, E., & Singer, B. (2024) · Australian Occupational Therapy Journal · doi:10.1111/1440-1630.12993 · Cited by 2
“Reflexivity is integral to thematic analysis, requiring the researcher to acknowledge and address their personal biases, preconceptions, and experiences to enhance the accuracy and reliability of the findings (Braun & Clarke, 2019, 2022, 2023).”
Gender Disparities and Femininity in the Third Mission: The Example of Blog Writing
Gunnarsson, N. V. (2024) · Journal of femininities. · doi:10.1163/29501229-bja10007 · Cited by 2
“The blog posts were read multiple times and then analysed using a reflexive thematic approach ( Braun & Clarke, 2023), with some attention also given to the function of language (see Fairclough, 1992 ; 2013).”
Saglietti, M., Marini, M., & Livi, S. (2024) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1448443 · Cited by 5
Sangho, A., Ouoba, K., Semdé, R., et al. (2024) · Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health · doi:10.1177/27536130241296823 · Cited by 2
“23 Thus, the fi rst step was familiarization with the data collected, followed by coding.”
MethodThe to be, or not to be, of acting autistic
Dean, M., & Nordahl‐Hansen, A. (2024) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613241290270 · Cited by 2
“…grounded in transformative (Mertens, 2017, 2023) and postpositivist frameworks was used to examine the experiences of professional autistic actors who have played autistic characters on film and television (Braun & Clarke, 2023; Cresswell, 2013; Guest et al., 2012; Phillips & Burbules, 2000).”
Kearney, M., Ryan, L., Coyne, R., Worlikar, H., McCabe, I., Doran, J., Carr, P. J., Pinder, J., Coleman, S., Connolly, C., et al. (2024) · PLOS Digital Health · doi:10.1371/journal.pdig.0000600 · Cited by 2
“In addition, to maintain methodological integrity, participant validation was not feasible due to the researcher’s central role in the interpretation of the data and the potential for participant perspectives to evolve over time [31].”
BackgroundCommunication Training at Medical School: A Quantitative Analysis
Lindhardt, C. L., & Thygesen, M. K. (2024) · IgMin Research · doi:10.61927/igmin261 · Cited by 2
How Advocates Can Support Young Adults Living With Cancer and Their Transition to Palliative Care
Drake, E. K., Weeks, L. E., van Manen, M., et al. (2024) · Qualitative Health Research · doi:10.1177/10497323241279083 · Cited by 2
Lindhe, N., Berg, M., Andersson, K., & Andersson, G. (2024) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-024-06212-1 · Cited by 2
Laycock, P., & Ryan, A. (2024) · Drugs Education Prevention and Policy · doi:10.1080/09687637.2024.2422313 · Cited by 2
Khorana, S., DeSouza, R., & Chitranshi, B. (2024) · Social Media + Society · doi:10.1177/20563051241293484 · Cited by 3
“This experience sensitized them to the themes of the research and contributed to a “reflexive” thematic analysis of the interview transcripts (Braun & Clarke, 2022).”
Wright, M., Webb, M., Davis, C., et al. (2024) · Qualitative Social Work · doi:10.1177/14733250241300728 · Cited by 2
“The cleaned transcripts were then coded and, together with researcher observational notes, were analysed using re fl exive thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2019, 2021, 2023) based on responses to the three key statements.”
Christensen, M., Iversen, A., Giusino, D., Grødal, K., Innstrand, S. T., Zuberbühler, J. P., Román-Niaves, M. S., Salanova, M., Šípová, I., & Werk, L. P. (2024) · International Journal of Workplace Health Management · doi:10.1108/ijwhm-07-2023-0087 · Cited by 2
A consensus definition of creativity in surgery: A Delphi study protocol
Thabane, A., McKechnie, T., Staibano, P., Arora, V., Calic, G., Busse, J. W., Parpia, S., & Bhandari, M. (2024) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0314445 · Cited by 2
Mahmood, A. N., Rikhtehgaran, F., Nasiri, R., et al. (2024) · JMIR Research Protocols · doi:10.2196/60553 · Cited by 2
“While the open-ended questions contained in the SOF are grounded in the conceptual domains of the SWAN tool, the qualitative analysis process will be both inductive and reflexive [36,37].”
Arts as a driver of agility: A mixed-method inquiry
Janani, M., & Vijayalakshmi, V. (2024) · Acta Psychologica · doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104640 · Cited by 2
Gerlach, A., Newbury, J., & Berggren, T. (2024) · Journal of Childhood Studies · doi:10.18357/jcs202421765 · Cited by 2
“Repeated readings and interpretation of transcripts by Newbury and Gerlach was guided by a reflexive thematic analytical approach (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2022) leading to the identification of recurring themes.”
Gardening School to Support Youth Inclusion and Environmental Sustainability in Morocco
Boutaybi, S. I., Hartikainen, T., Benyamina, Y., & Laine, S. (2024) · Social Sciences · doi:10.3390/socsci13120687 · Cited by 4
Analysis of portfolio for critical thinking and creativity development among education students
Abdurahim-Salain, H. (2024) · Environment and Social Psychology · doi:10.59429/esp.v9i11.3199 · Cited by 2
Robinson, K., Gresh, A., Trent-Paultre, C., et al. (2025) · Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.jogn.2024.11.009 · Cited by 2
y Comunidad, E. F. (2024) · Social Sciences · doi:10.3390/socsci14010013 · Cited by 2
Tien, I. S., Wolpe, S., Pearson, A., & Seers, K. (2025) · Neurodiversity · doi:10.1177/27546330241306380 · Cited by 3
“Two coding members of the research team used thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006; Braun & Clarke, 2019; Braun & Clarke, 2022) methodology that was informed by the tenants of gender socialization and gender role theories.”
Davey, E., Bryant‐Waugh, R., Bennett, S. D., Micali, N., Baudinet, J., Konstantellou, A., Clark-Stone, S., Green, A., & Shafran, R. (2025) · European Eating Disorders Review · doi:10.1002/erv.3171 · Cited by 2
Bell, M., & Fandrem, H. (2025) · International Journal of Bullying Prevention · doi:10.1007/s42380-024-00277-y · Cited by 5
Draper, C. E., Cook, C. J., Ankrah, E. A., Beltran, J. A., Cibrian, F. L., Lakes, K. D., Mofid, H., Williams, L., & Hayes, G. R. (2025) · Infant and Child Development · doi:10.1002/icd.2567 · Cited by 2
Kim, E. S. (2025) · Science Technology & Human Values · doi:10.1177/01622439241311998 · Cited by 2
Hochman, Y. (2025) · Clinical Social Work Journal · doi:10.1007/s10615-025-00991-0 · Cited by 2
“(2) What did the students perceive as the main challenges of their training to become social workers within this context? and (3) What implications did their training Braun & Clarke, 2023).”
Frederiksen, K. S., Hahn-Pedersen, J. H., Crawford, R., Morrison, R., Jeppesen, R., Doward, L. C., & Weidner, W. S. (2025) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/55468 · Cited by 2
“A reflexive thematic analysis [18] of the aggregated social media data extracted from the posts was conducted, in which a theme was described as content that captured data relevant to the research objectives.”
Davids, J., & Hughes, M. (2025) · Discover Medicine · doi:10.1007/s44337-025-00229-5 · Cited by 2
Stoddart, A. L., & Amant, N. S. (2025) · Journal of Teaching in Physical Education · doi:10.1123/jtpe.2024-0270 · Cited by 2
Rose, S. E., & Middling, L. R. (2025) · British Journal of Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjdp.12552 · Cited by 2
“…strategies used to mediate social media use among preteens (research question 1) (following Ho et al., 2020) and reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2013, 2022) was used to develop themes to reflect parents' and preteens' perceptions of why different strategies were chosen…”
Poikela, C., Lindberg, O., Haake, U., Rantatalo, O., & Lindholm, A. (2025) · Vocations and Learning · doi:10.1007/s12186-025-09365-6 · Cited by 2
“As a first step, we applied a reflexive thematic approach to analysing the dataset, as outlined by Braun and Clarke (2023), which emphasises the active role of researchers.”
Simoglou, K. Β., Skarpa, P. E., & Roditakis, E. N. (2025) · Agrochemicals · doi:10.3390/agrochemicals4010003 · Cited by 2
“Rather than perceiving this subjectivity as a limitation to be controlled, it is recognized as a vital resource that enriches the analysis and provides depth to the understanding of participants’ perspectives [67,68].”
Leijse, M. M. L., van Dam, L., van der Pol, T. M., Breuk, R., & Popma, A. (2025) · JMIR Research Protocols · doi:10.2196/64756 · Cited by 2
“For both levels of analysis, reflexive thematic analysis [90] is performed using MAXQDA [91].”
Coates, J. K., & Mason, C. (2025) · Sport Education and Society · doi:10.1080/13573322.2025.2481995 · Cited by 2
Virtual Substance Use Interventions for Youth: A Scoping Review of Literature
Kwame, A., Twum-Antwi, B., Maina, G., & Nkurunziza, A. (2025) · International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction · doi:10.1007/s11469-025-01469-3 · Cited by 2
Sperle, I., Lunchenkov, N., Nurmatov, Z. S., Bekbolotov, A. A., Stepanovich-Falke, A., Brandl, M., Kysil, O., Bivol, S., Bremer, V., Gunsenheimer‐Bartmeyer, B., et al. (2025) · JMIR Research Protocols · doi:10.2196/62929 · Cited by 2
McMullan, C., Haroon, S. M., Turner, G., et al. (2025) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-025-96319-6 · Cited by 2
“RTA is a flexible, interpretative and systematic approach to qualitative data analysis which emphasises researcher subjectivity as a resource for research 24 .”
Mayer, Y., Mira, F., Zaman, S., & Jarus, T. (2025) · Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy · doi:10.1177/00084174251331923 · Cited by 2
Gipson, J. D., Bornstein, M., Duong, A., et al. (2025) · Contraception · doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2025.110932 · Cited by 2
Scher, B. D., Southwell, M., Harris, M., Stevens, A., Chrisinger, B. W., Humphreys, D. K., & Shorter, G. W. (2025) · International Journal of Drug Policy · doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104816 · Cited by 2
Brehon, K., Hung, P., Miciak, M., Leung, W. M., Perreault, K., Gross, D. P., Weatherald, J. C., Ronksley, P. E., Stickland, M. K., & Lam, G. Y. (2025) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0322911 · Cited by 2
“The analysis was guided by Braun and Clarke’s six phases of reflexive thematic analysis [28–31].”
Examining the orgasm gap in a diverse sample with mixed methods
Mulroy, M., Penniston, T. L., Hunker, K. E., Meghji, S., Sinclair, J., Zukerman, W., Terrell, B., Green, H. H., Coyle, S. M., & Pukall, C. F. (2025) · Psychology and Sexuality · doi:10.1080/19419899.2025.2503415 · Cited by 3
“A descriptive approach was taken to the analysis, such that we aimed to capture participants experiences at a descriptive level, rather than discuss the social constructs that might underly their responses through a critical approach (Braun & Clarke, 2021, 2022).”
Understanding Interpersonal Goal Adoption and Pursuit on Social Media: A Qualitative Investigation
Villoresi, D., Tobin, S. J., & Obst, P. L. (2025) · International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1080/10447318.2025.2508309 · Cited by 2
“Participants were recruited until information power was obtained and the data were deemed substantial to satisfy the aims of the study (Braun & Clarke, 2021, 2022b, 2023; Malterud et al., 2016).”
InfluentialAyoungman, F. Z., Islam, M. S., Zhang, F. L., & Shawon, A. H. (2025) · Journal of the Knowledge Economy · doi:10.1007/s13132-025-02766-x · Cited by 3
Acquah, A. (2025) · Transforming Government People Process and Policy · doi:10.1108/tg-01-2025-0013 · Cited by 2
Shaiwalini, S., & Malhotra, G. (2025) · European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology · doi:10.1080/1359432x.2025.2509684 · Cited by 3
“The interview data were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA), a qualitative analytic method developed by Braun and Clarke that focuses on the identification and interpretation of patterns of meaning, or themes, across a dataset (Braun & Clarke, 2023).”
InfluentialMatthias, C., Benn, Y., & Harkin, B. (2025) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0323436 · Cited by 2
“Data analyses were guided using inductive, reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) as described by Braun and Clarke [60–62] who consider RTA as a reflection of the researcher’s interpretive analysis of the data [63].”
Biomimetics in sustainable manufacturing: Towards a new model for enhancing resilience
McNish, C., & van Erp, T. (2025) · Next research. · doi:10.1016/j.nexres.2025.100551 · Cited by 2
Venemyr, G. O. (2025) · International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction · doi:10.1016/j.ijdrr.2025.105677 · Cited by 5
Estevao, C., Chiarpenello, C., Kwok, W., Bhargav, H., Jasti, N., Chandra, P. S., Varambally, S. S., & Pariante, C. M. (2025) · Pilot and Feasibility Studies · doi:10.1186/s40814-025-01667-9 · Cited by 2
Martin, D., & Southey, K. (2025) · Journal of Industrial Relations · doi:10.1177/00221856251356638 · Cited by 3
“Therefore, the RTA approach is not to be confused with elements that are used in positivist-leaning approaches to TA such as codebook TA or coding reliability TA (Braun and Clarke, 2021a, 2021b, 2023).”
‘Are we getting through to them? And in what way?’ Communicating physical activity with adolescents
Grady, C. L., Murtagh, E., Ng, K., Bengoechea, E. G., & Woods, C. B. (2025) · Health Promotion International · doi:10.1093/heapro/daaf062 · Cited by 2
Grosjean, S., Giguère, L., Leach, J., & Mestre, T. (2025) · FACETS · doi:10.1139/facets-2024-0324 · Cited by 2
Mooney, J. T., Sinha, C. B., Bakshi, N., Nuñez, A., Adkins, T., Thomas, S. M., Beasley, K., Akintobi, T., Crosby, L. E., Kashikar‐Zuck, S., et al. (2025) · Journal of Pediatric Psychology · doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsaf055 · Cited by 2
“Transcripts were analyzed using a hybrid deductive-inductive framework approach (Gale et al., 2013) incorporating elements of coding-reliability thematic analysis within a primarily positivist (i.e., “small q”) qualitative framework (Braun & Clarke, 2023).”
Adekola, A. P. (2025) · Journal of Ecohumanism · doi:10.62754/joe.v4i4.6857 · Cited by 1
Sense of coherence and technological adaptation during the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Khanyile, S. B. C., & Mayer, C. (2025) · SA Journal of Industrial Psychology · doi:10.4102/sajip.v51i0.2310 · Cited by 2
Outdoor facilitated research methods—transforming pedagogic competence into research, and back again
Trangsrud, L. K. J., Bischoff, A., & Fasting, M. L. (2025) · Journal of Adventure Education & Outdoor Learning · doi:10.1080/14729679.2025.2531991 · Cited by 2
“Within qualitative research, increasing focus has been placed on researchers’ ability to be reflexive (Braun & Clarke, 2023; Finlay, 2021; Trainor & Bundon, 2021).”
Tay, Y. X., Wee, J. C. P., Ong, M. E. H., et al. (2025) · Translational Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1093/tbm/ibaf035 · Cited by 2
Gidaszewski, B., Tan, L., King, J., Chua, S. C., Pasupathy, D., Steen, M., & Khajehei, M. (2025) · Midwifery · doi:10.1016/j.midw.2025.104590 · Cited by 4
Wu, J., Chen, H., Kang, E. Y.-N., Tsai, H., Chen, Y., Chen, H., Chen, H.-W., & Issenberg, S. B. (2025) · Medical Education · doi:10.1111/medu.70030 · Cited by 2
Griffin, K., Wallace-Watkin, C., & Tupou, J. (2025) · New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies · doi:10.1007/s40841-025-00391-5 · Cited by 4
“Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis (reflexive TA; Braun & Clarke, 2022a, 2022b).”
InfluentialKaur, A., Zou, W., Lu, K., Hou, S., Han, Y., & Noman, M. (2025) · Innovations in Education and Teaching International · doi:10.1080/14703297.2025.2561885 · Cited by 2
Saldanha, S., Botfield, J. R., Moradi, M., Wong, J., & Mazza, D. (2025) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118628 · Cited by 6
Sandbukt, I. J., & Harris, D. A. (2025) · Sexual Offending Theory Research and Prevention · doi:10.5964/sotrap.15759 · Cited by 2
Zhu, H. '., Kumar, A. S., Zhao, S., Wang, R., Tong, X., & Zhao, Y. (2025) · International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS) · doi:10.1145/3663547.3746387 · Cited by 3
“We employed thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke 2022) to qualitatively generate code-books and themes to deeply understand the contents of ADHD-relevant videos on VSPs and viewers’ experiences.”
Alharbi, R., Cheong, A. D., Herskovitz, J., Brewer, R. N., & Schoenebeck, S. (2025) · Proceedings of the 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility · doi:10.1145/3663547.3746376 · Cited by 3
“In line with reflexive thematic analysis sensibilities [ 30], we sought to portray each participant’s quote in one focus group through discussions across our dataset, not just in the bounds of their focus group.”
Dastgahian, E. S. (2025) · Teaching in Higher Education · doi:10.1080/13562517.2025.2592596 · Cited by 2
Chen, W., Du, P., Li, X., & Wang, L. (2025) · BMC Medical Education · doi:10.1186/s12909-025-08327-9 · Cited by 5
“Interview questions explored pre-class preparation, integration of theory and practice, and perceived clinical relevance [21].”
Blokland, D. P. H., van Loef, M. J. E., van der Stoep, N., Postma, A., & Overvliet, K. E. (2025) · Brain Science · doi:10.3390/brainsci16010013 · Cited by 2
“After each interview, the researcher’s field notes and reflexivity journal were updated [52,53].”
Väkevä, J., Vornhagen, J. B., Rautalahti, H., & Lindqvist, J. (2026) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3772318.3790834 · Cited by 2
“The analysis thus focused on both semantic and latent meaning within the data, intending to produce themes, or, interpretive, meaning-united stories that cut across the dataset and capture some important aspect of the phenomenon under investigation [22].”
VR for Design: Exploring Long-Term Experiences and Workflows of 3D Designing in Virtual Reality
Mäkelä, V., Harley, D., Lee, J., & MacArthur, C. (2026) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3772318.3791933 · Cited by 2
Community Advisory Boards for Technology Design in HCI: Lessons from Trans and Queer Research
Liang, C. A., Brewster, K., Macapagal, K. R., & Haimson, O. L. (2026) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3772318.3790308 · Cited by 1
“The reflexive thematic analysis approach emphasizes iterative reflection involving “knowing researchers,” or one who “strives to ‘own’ their perspectives” through reflexivity [11].”
Daryanto, T., Ding, X., Ping, K., Wilhelm, L. A., Chen, Y., Brown, C., & Rho, E. H. R. (2026) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3772318.3791773 · Cited by 2
“” – P5 Other participants echoed this sentiment, describing AI-only work as “awkward” (P7) or “one-sided” (P12) compared to the back-and-forth with a peer.”
With Visual Integrity and Care: A Framework for Mixed Methods Research on Visual Social Data
Lutz, N., Schafer, J. S., Dhawka, P., Tinn, P., & Starbird, K. (2026) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3772318.3791623 · Cited by 2
“In improving a researcher’s visual literacy, we borrow from Berger’s notion of “active seeing” [16] and Braun and Clarke’s concept of a “know-ing researcher” [23].”
InfluentialGoing Beyond the I With CI: an Interview-based Design Space
Libbi, C. A., van Delden, R. W., Stronks, H. C., Frijns, J. H. M., & Rieffe, C. J. (2026) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3772318.3791201 · Cited by 1
Rojas, C. L., Genç, H. U., Bozzon, A., & Colombo, S. (2026) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3772318.3790436 · Cited by 1
“Second, we constructed interpretive themes through reflexive meaning making, aligning with reflexive TA principles[17].”
Pepping, R., Busch, V., Lukowski, J., Verhoeff, A. P., Seidell, J. C., & Groot, B. C. (2026) · Appetite · doi:10.1016/j.appet.2026.108567 · Cited by 2
“The modesty guard” reflected in online comments in mainstream news sites
Shitrit, S. D., Ben‐Asher, S., & Ben-Atar, E. (2024) · Journal of Information Communication and Ethics in Society · doi:10.1108/jices-08-2023-0108 · Cited by 2
An Exploratory Qualitative Study of Student Pharmacist Perspectives on Leadership
Murry, L. T., Reed, B. N., & Witry, M. J. (2024) · American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education · doi:10.1016/j.ajpe.2024.100658 · Cited by 2
Vraa, M., Crew-Noble, C., Frausto, O., & Kerimova, R. (2024) · Journal of Innovation in Health Sciences Education · doi:10.46409/003.yabp5141 · Cited by 2
Ram, S., Carlisle, K., Larkins, S., & Blattner, K. (2024) · Journal of Primary Health Care · doi:10.1071/hc24058 · Cited by 2
Nizet, P., Deme, L., Evin, A., Kuhn, E., Nizard, J., Victorri‐Vigneau, C., & Huon, J. (2024) · Pain Practice · doi:10.1111/papr.13409 · Cited by 2
Metadata
- 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 › Public Administration › 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
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
A language model drew the claims from the paper on 2026-10-11, under version 3 of the claim definition (model deepseek-v4.1-flash, prompt extract-v3).
A second model labelled each claim on 2026-10-11 (model jev-1.13-20260917, definition revision gold-guideline-v0.2).
Cited sources are checked with a language model’s help (gpt-6-sol).
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
