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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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- 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 101–200 of 2,869
Queering Language Revitalisation
Walsh, J., Hornsby, M., Daussà, E. J., PeraRos, R., Parker, S. C., Morris, J., & Cashman, H. R. (2025) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781009591034 · Cited by 14
Kokkinias, K., Pruneski, K., Wrighton, K. C., & Kelp, N. (2024) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0312427 · Cited by 15
Jørgensen, T. M., Gjesdal, S., & Abrahamsen, F. E. (2024) · Psychology of sport and exercise · doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2024.102723 · Cited by 15
Wright, R. J., Chapla, K., Booth, A., Nelson, K. E., Peeler, A., Swain, C., Won, S., & Wu, D. S. (2024) · Qualitative Health Research · doi:10.1177/10497323241291798 · Cited by 16
“Different approaches to thematic analysis exist, but Braun and Clarke ’ s extensive work in developing RTA stands out for their accessible and robust guidance that emphasizes thoughtfulness, fl exibility, rigor, and transparency (Braun & Clarke, 2019, 2023, 2024b).”
More than noise: Lived experiences of autistic people in real-life acoustic environments
Rosas-Pérez, C., Galbrun, L., Payne, S. R., Dickson, A., & Stewart, M. E. (2025) · Applied Acoustics · doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2025.110581 · Cited by 19
The coach as an architect of Danish high- performance sport environments
Henriksen, K., Dideriksen, S., Küttel, A., Schlawe, A., & Storm, L. K. (2025) · Psychology of sport and exercise · doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102877 · Cited by 14
Evaluating a grant development public involvement funding scheme: a qualitative document analysis
Foster, A., Caunt, S., Schofield, H., et al. (2024) · Research Involvement and Engagement · doi:10.1186/s40900-024-00588-w · Cited by 14
“We drew upon the principles of thematic analysis to help us identify themes arising from the reports [11].”
MethodYouTube in higher education: comparing student and instructor perceptions and practices
Greeves, S. B., & Öz, M. (2024) · Frontiers in Education · doi:10.3389/feduc.2023.1330405 · Cited by 41
Townley, C., & Ullman, J. (2024) · Gender and Education · doi:10.1080/09540253.2024.2442955 · Cited by 13
Leiviska, E., Pezaro, S., Kneafsey, R., Morini, L., & DeWinter, A. (2025) · Nurse Education Today · doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2025.106701 · Cited by 14
Väkevä, J., Hämäläinen, P., & Lindqvist, J. (2025) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3706598.3714075 · Cited by 18
Reflexive and iterative thematic analysis (RITA): A design-framework for qualitative research
Udayanga, S. (2025) · Qualitative Research · doi:10.1177/14687941251377282 · Cited by 31
“In re fl exive TA, themes are considered products of researchers ’ conscious engagement with the data during the analytical process (Braun and Clarke, 2023).”
InfluentialGenerative AI in Self-Directed Learning: a thematic scoping review
Roe, J., & Perkins, M. (2025) · Interactive Learning Environments · doi:10.1080/10494820.2025.2603431 · Cited by 57
Suggestions for improving healthcare for transgender and gender diverse people in the United States
Puckett, J. A., Giffel, R., Brown, F., Gallik, C. L., Kimball, D., Chu, H., Mustanski, B. S., & Newcomb, M. E. (2022) · International Journal of Transgender Health · doi:10.1080/26895269.2022.2150736 · Cited by 13
Liu, Q., Gladman, T., Grove, C., Eberhard, S., Geertshuis, S. A., Ali, A., Blyth, P., & Grainger, R. (2023) · The Internet and Higher Education · doi:10.1016/j.iheduc.2023.100910 · Cited by 13
Fossey, E. M., Bonnamy, J., Dart, J., Petrakis, M., Buus, N., Soh, S., Diug, B. O., Ayton, D., & Brand, G. (2023) · Advances in Health Sciences Education · doi:10.1007/s10459-023-10301-3 · Cited by 17
“Second, we used a reflex - ive thematic analysis approach informed by Braun and Clarke (2022) to guide an inductive analysis of the interview and focus group data.”
Pain coping, multidisciplinary care, and mHealth: Patients' views on managing advanced cancer pain
DeForge, S. M., Smith, K., Anderson, K.-A. S., Baltazar, A. R., Beck, M. R., Enzinger, A. C., Tulsky, J. A., Allsop, M. J., Edwards, R. R., Schreiber, K. L., et al. (2024) · Psycho-Oncology · doi:10.1002/pon.6308 · Cited by 13
Pagès, A. R., Derqui, B., & López, M. P. (2024) · Appetite · doi:10.1016/j.appet.2024.107308 · Cited by 13
Cripps, S., Serpell, L., & Pugh, M. (2024) · Journal of Eating Disorders · doi:10.1186/s40337-024-01037-5 · Cited by 19
“Studies rarely engaged in reflexivity in relation to their position as a researcher which is an important consideration in qualitative research [134].”
BackgroundBitalo, D. W., Piotrowski, K., & Naudé, L. (2024) · Journal of Family Studies · doi:10.1080/13229400.2024.2398579 · Cited by 14
“The aim was not for inter-reliability but rather to provide meaningful re fl ection on di ff erent perspectives arising from the data set (Braun & Clarke, 2023).”
Morgan, P., & Cogan, N. A. (2024) · Journal of Public Mental Health · doi:10.1108/jpmh-07-2024-0095 · Cited by 15
Gen-Alpha and buying behaviours: discerning, smart and mindful buyers
Aksar, I. A., Fernandez, P. R., Yunus, N., & Yinn, N. S. (2025) · Young Consumers Insight and Ideas for Responsible Marketers · doi:10.1108/yc-11-2024-2331 · Cited by 15
Deploying explainable AI in entrepreneurial organizations: Role of the human-AI interface
Chaudhary, S., Khalil, A., Attri, R., & Ractham, P. (2025) · Technological Forecasting and Social Change · doi:10.1016/j.techfore.2025.124324 · Cited by 16
Forslund, L., Arntzen, C., Nikolaisen, M., et al. (2023) · Physiotherapy Theory and Practice · doi:10.1080/09593985.2023.2255893 · Cited by 12
Freire, A. P., Cardoso, P. C. F., & Salgado, A. D. L. (2023) · Brazilian Symposium on Human Factors in Computing Systems (IHC) · doi:10.1145/3638067.3638100 · Cited by 16
Graetz, D. E., Velásquez, T., Chitsike, I., Halalsheh, H., Caceres-Serrano, A., Fuentes, L., Chokwenda, N., Matsikidze, E., Ferrara, G., Bilbeisi, T., et al. (2024) · JCO Global Oncology · doi:10.1200/go.24.00017 · Cited by 18
“30 Thematic analysis 31 focused on stigma experiences and practices, impacts of stigma, stigma drivers, mitigators, and potential interventions.”
BackgroundLewis, S., Rinehart, N., Mantilla, A., Alvares, G. A., Hiscock, H., Marks, D., & Papadopoulos, N. V. (2024) · Sleep Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2024.09.001 · Cited by 11
Understanding Visual Artists’ Values and Attitudes towards Collaboration, Technology, and AI
Johnston, H., & Thue, D. (2024) · Graphics Interface · doi:10.1145/3670947.3670973 · Cited by 12
“In qualitative analysis, it is common to describe the researchers’ personal positioning and professional experience, since they can influence data interpretation [5].”
Hadad, S. (2025) · Studies in Higher Education · doi:10.1080/03075079.2025.2468842 · Cited by 17
User and Provider Experiences With Health Education Chatbots: Qualitative Systematic Review
Choi, К.-E. (., & Fitzek, S. (2025) · JMIR Human Factors · doi:10.2196/60205 · Cited by 14
Tommel, J., Kenis, D., Lambrechts, N., Brohet, R. M., Swysen, J., Mollen, L., Hoefmans, M.-J. F., Pusparum, M., Evers, A. W. M., Ertaylan, G., et al. (2023) · Genes · doi:10.3390/genes14040786 · Cited by 12
Nagai, H., Adiibokah, E., Tagoe, H., Tun, W., Pilgrim, N. A., Ankomah, A., Rahman, Y. A. A., Addo, S. A., Atuahene, K., Essandoh, E., et al. (2023) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-023-15871-w · Cited by 12
Chinn, D., Levitan, T., Power, A., et al. (2024) · Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities · doi:10.1111/jar.13274 · Cited by 11
‘Your Analysis Is as Useless as Your Ovaries’: Women Football Fans’ Experiences on Social Media
Doehler, S. (2024) · Communication & Sport · doi:10.1177/21674795241292718 · Cited by 12
Social Participation in Community Corrections: A Qualitative Analysis of Justice Practices in China
Xu, H., & Liu, X. (2024) · Criminal Justice and Behavior · doi:10.1177/00938548241286863 · Cited by 11
Griffin, C. S., Loughran, S. T., Kelly, B. G., Healy, E., Lambe, G., van Rossum, A., Murphy, B., Moore, E., Burke, C., Morrin, A., et al. (2025) · AJP Advances in Physiology Education · doi:10.1152/advan.00227.2024 · Cited by 17
Fatima, Y., Senden, R. V., Bucks, R. S., Ashby, C., Sullivan, D., Smith, S. S., Blunden, S. L., Yiallourou, S. R., Eastwood, P. R., Mamun, A. A., et al. (2025) · SLEEP Advances · doi:10.1093/sleepadvances/zpaf012 · Cited by 11
“Inductive thematic analysis for qualitative data will be used to elicit meaning, gain understanding, and develop empirical knowledge [55].”
Understanding the Impact of Assistive Technology on Users’ Lives in England: A Capability Approach
Joskow, R., Patel, D., Landre, A., et al. (2025) · Bioengineering · doi:10.3390/bioengineering12070750 · Cited by 11
“A reflexive, inductive thematic analysis was conducted using Braun and Clarke’s approach [25,26], a process in which themes and patterns are defined from the data [12].”
Examining contrasting influences of extreme weather experiences on individual climate activism
Ettinger, J., Walton, P., Painter, J., Fielding, K. S., Gulliver, R., & Otto, F. E. L. (2024) · Global Environmental Psychology · doi:10.5964/gep.10829 · Cited by 13
Lee, J. Y. S., Whittingham, K., Olson, R., & Mitchell, A. E. (2025) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-023-06188-z · Cited by 10
“Braun and Clarke (2023 ).”
Cazanis, A., Carminati, J.-Y. J., Chew, K. A., Cross, C., Ponsford, J. L., & Gould, K. R. (2025) · Victims & Offenders · doi:10.1080/15564886.2025.2481267 · Cited by 17
“All transcripts were coded by AC, with multiple coders not required when using a constructivist approach to reflexive thematic analysis, due to acknowledgment of researcher subjectivity (Braun & Clarke, 2022a, 2022b; O’Connor & Joffe, 2020).”
Anvari, M. S., Sacko, C., Atkinson, G. E., Triplett, N. S., Kihiuria, M. W., Sonn, M., Anane, J. S., Derenoncourt, M., Belcher, A. M., Weintraub, E., et al. (2025) · International Journal of Drug Policy · doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104924 · Cited by 12
“An inductive analytic approach was utilized to identify themes and sub-themes based on patterns within the interviews (Braun & Clarke, 2023; Thomas, 2006).”
Using a Blended Approach to Thematic Analysis: A Case Study on Fatherhood and Imprisonment
Haan, M., & Venema, S. D. (2025) · Public Opinion Quarterly · doi:10.1093/poq/nfaf033 · Cited by 10
“Therefore, for every researcher considering TA, it is important to understand what type of TA suits the researcher’s assumptions about reality and how it is studied (Braun and Clarke 2023a, 2023b).”
AILIS 1.0: A new framework to measure AI literacy in library and information science (LIS)
Montesi, M., Álvarez-Bornstein, B., Bautista‐Puig, N., Ochando, M. B., & Díez, A. S. (2025) · The Journal of Academic Librarianship · doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2025.103118 · Cited by 17
Akankwatsa, D., Bagonza, A., Kiguli, J., Kambugu, A. D., Lamorde, M., Okech, S. G., Kankya, C., Agado, D., Apio, F., Odoch, T., et al. (2025) · PLoS neglected tropical diseases · doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0013578 · Cited by 12
“We conducted codebook thematic analysis (TA) [40] to generate a structured yet flexible catalogue of barriers and enablers to mass dog-rabies vaccination.”
Fisher, E., MacLennan, K., Mullally, S. L., Rodgers, J., & Tzemou, E. (2025) · Neurodiversity · doi:10.1177/27546330251385325 · Cited by 14
Caught in the Middle—Experiences of Student Peer Mentors in Nursing Education: A Qualitative Study
Lafontan, S. R., Hougaard, P. F., Knutstad, U., Jensen, K. T., & Jerpseth, H. (2023) · Education Sciences · doi:10.3390/educsci13030323 · Cited by 12
Anderson, H. K., Price, H., & Staddon, S. (2023) · Utilities Policy · doi:10.1016/j.jup.2023.101679 · Cited by 9
Democratising assessment rubrics for international students
Gonsalves, C. (2023) · Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education · doi:10.1080/02602938.2023.2281237 · Cited by 11
“The codes formulated were more semantic than latent (Braun and Clarke 2006, 2023), as the goal of the research was to accurately portray what the study participants expressed, instead of uncovering deeper, hidden meanings.”
Hansford, H. J., Cashin, A. G., Doyle, J., Leake, H. B., McAuley, J. H., & Jones, M. D. (2023) · Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy · doi:10.2519/jospt.2023.12110 · Cited by 11
Yansıtıcı Tematik Analiz: Bir Doktora Tez Çalışması Örneği
Hınız, G., & Yavuz, A. (2023) · Eğitimde Kuram ve Uygulama · doi:10.17244/eku.1300330 · Cited by 12
Fowler, J. A., Mendis, M., Crook, A., Chavez‐Baldini, U., Baca, T., & Dean, J. A. (2024) · International Journal of Sexual Health · doi:10.1080/19317611.2024.2311158 · Cited by 13
Field‐Richards, S. E., Aubeeluck, A., Callaghan, P., Keeley, P., Redsell, S. A., Spiby, H., Stacey, G., & Lymn, J. (2024) · International Journal of Nursing Studies · doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2024.104732 · Cited by 10
Long, H., Cooper, K., & Russell, A. (2024) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613241251512 · Cited by 11
“Semi-structured interviews and RTA methods (Braun & Clarke, 2022) were used to consider the personal experiences of 15 autistic adults in how they differentiate OCD and RRBI.”
InfluentialReforming higher education in South Africa by addressing gender inequalities
Wheeler, A., & Wiese, L. (2024) · Journal of Adult and Continuing Education · doi:10.1177/14779714241252739 · Cited by 13
“…by male colleagues and students Services staff Theme 9: Positive experience with male students, co-workers, and supervisors (theme emerged inductively) Theme 10: Female staff ’ s concern about their future based on their gender applied to identify central themes (Braun & Clarke, 2019, 2022, 2023).”
Lockhart, A., Walker, T., & Bowles, K. (2024) · Paramedicine · doi:10.1177/27536386241259739 · Cited by 10
Gender-Related Medical Experiences of Youth Who Have Detranstioned
Gelly, M. A., Atgé-Delbays, S., Gravel, É., et al. (2024) · Journal of Homosexuality · doi:10.1080/00918369.2024.2362268 · Cited by 10
Social media use by patients with hypermobile Ehlers–Danlos syndrome
Halverson, C. M. E., Doyle, T. A., & Vershaw, S. L. (2024) · Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine · doi:10.1002/mgg3.2467 · Cited by 10
Child Maltreatment: To Report or Not to Report? It’s More Complex than That
Vollmer‐Sandholm, M. J., Myhre, A. K., Albæk, A. U., & Stray‐Pedersen, A. (2024) · International Journal on Child Maltreatment Research Policy and Practice · doi:10.1007/s42448-024-00212-0 · Cited by 11
“Next, the responses to each open-ended question were systematically coded and grouped (Braun & Clarke, 2023).”
Institutional reverse mentoring: Bridging the student/leadership gap
O’Connor, R., Barraclough, L., Gleadall, S., & Walker, L. (2024) · British Educational Research Journal · doi:10.1002/berj.4078 · Cited by 14
Bowden, J., Woolrych, R., & Kennedy, C. J. (2025) · Heritage & Society · doi:10.1080/2159032x.2024.2445449 · Cited by 10
Understanding the misophonic experience: a mixed method study
Ozuer, Y., Cima, R. F. F., Kestens, E., & Diest, I. V. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1493676 · Cited by 11
Brown, T., Gustafsson, L. A., McKinstry, C., & Robinson, L. (2025) · Australian Occupational Therapy Journal · doi:10.1111/1440-1630.70003 · Cited by 13
“…(1994) (e.g. credibility, dependability, transferability and gener-alisability, and confirmability and reflexivity) as well as those recommended by Braun and Clarke (2023) (e.g. systematic analysis, transparency, triangulation, and reflexivity) during the execution of the knowledge synthesis…”
Rezaei, O., & Stanley, M. J. (2025) · Disability and Rehabilitation · doi:10.1080/09638288.2025.2481986 · Cited by 10
“Therefore, the process of theme identification started with re-reading and familiarising oneself with the transcripts, followed by the identification of initial codes [26].”
Wei, M., Yeung, C., Roesner, F., & Kohno, T. (2025) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3706598.3713226 · Cited by 12
“For these, our analysis was more akin to a refexive TA [6, 8, 9], where analysis occurred re-cursively through sustained engagement with the dataset.”
Surgeons and neonatologists views about surgical decision-making in necrotising enterocolitis
Bethell, G. S., Hall, N. J., Battersby, C., Knight, M., & Darlington, A. (2025) · Archives of Disease in Childhood Fetal & Neonatal · doi:10.1136/archdischild-2025-328480 · Cited by 10
van den Beuken, M., Loos, I., Maas, E. T., Stunt, J. J., & Kuijper, L. D. J. (2025) · BMC Medical Education · doi:10.1186/s12909-025-07289-2 · Cited by 25
O’Keeffe, C., & McNally, S. (2025) · Child Indicators Research · doi:10.1007/s12187-025-10261-7 · Cited by 15
“…themes using children’s responses (Gaches, 2022), critical discussions between researchers (Braun & Clarke, 2019 ), use of a reflexive journal (Braun & Clarke, 2023) alongside prolonged engagement with children (Berger, 2015) and reflecting on the contextual nature of data in shaping the…”
Przymuszała, P., Szmelter, J., Zielińska‐Tomczak, Ł., Cerbin‐Koczorowska, M., & Marciniak, R. (2023) · BMC Medical Education · doi:10.1186/s12909-023-04136-0 · Cited by 10
“Before gentrification, we claim for habitation”
Nisi, V., Bala, P., Bostock, H., Cesário, V., & Nunes, N. (2023) · Designing Interactive Systems Conference · doi:10.1145/3563657.3596124 · Cited by 11
Wan, Y. K. P. (2023) · Leisure Studies · doi:10.1080/02614367.2023.2298951 · Cited by 9
“The inductive thematic analysis method was used, including open coding and creating categories (Braun & Clarke, 2023).”
Santiago-Saamong, C. R., Oropilla, C. T., Bautista, A., & Capio, C. M. (2024) · Pedagogy Culture and Society · doi:10.1080/14681366.2024.2301836 · Cited by 11
“The audio recordings of the interviews were transcribed verbatim and were subjected to reflexive thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke 2022) aided by the NVivo software package Version 12.”
Kettley-Linsell, H., Sandford, R. A., & Coates, J. K. (2024) · Gender and Education · doi:10.1080/09540253.2024.2358194 · Cited by 9
Nnamani, G., & Lomer, S. (2024) · Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs · doi:10.1111/1471-3802.12692 · Cited by 12
Davids, J., Bohlken, N., Brown, M., & Murphy, M. (2024) · International Emergency Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.ienj.2024.101487 · Cited by 13
Tannerah, A., Hazel, O., Desson, S., Farah, R., Kamil-Thomas, Z., Iqbal, H., Eames, C., Saini, P., & Bifarin, O. O. (2024) · Health Expectations · doi:10.1111/hex.14132 · Cited by 9
Bonnamy, J., Calvert, S., Bennett, C., Dart, J., Molloy, R., & Brand, G. (2024) · Nurse Education Today · doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2024.106412 · Cited by 9
Klein, K. G., Tucker, C. M., Mejia, J., Folsom, K., Kolli, S., Anton, S. A., Stewart, E., Knight, A.-M., Hamilton, J. M., & Belcher, M. (2024) · Ethnicity and Health · doi:10.1080/13557858.2024.2412848 · Cited by 12
Vachon, D., Hildebrand, M. C., Averbach, S., et al. (2024) · Contraception · doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2024.110808 · Cited by 9
Addressing stigma and discrimination towards school re-entry of teenage mothers in Ghana
Morgan, A. K., Anima, P. A., Wadei, B., & Katey, D. (2025) · International Journal of Adolescence and Youth · doi:10.1080/02673843.2024.2441322 · Cited by 9
Healey, G., Neumann, D. L., Cornell, S., & Piatkowski, T. M. (2025) · Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology · doi:10.1002/casp.70035 · Cited by 9
Naughton‐Doe, R., Nowland, R. A., Tierney, S., Webber, M., & Wittkowski, A. (2025) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-024-20788-z · Cited by 12
Draper, C. E., Tshetu, N., Nkosi, N. G., Lye, S. J., & Norris, S. A. (2025) · BMJ Global Health · doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2024-017729 · Cited by 9
Zainal, H., Xin, X., Thumboo, J., & Yong, F. K. (2025) · JMIR Medical Education · doi:10.2196/64768 · Cited by 13
Parker, G., Miller, S., Ker, A., Baddock, S. A., Kerekere, E., & Veale, J. F. (2025) · Qualitative Health Research · doi:10.1177/10497323241309590 · Cited by 8
“As a “ knowing practice ” (Braun & Clarke, 2019), re fl exive thematic analysis encourages researchers to recognize and re fl ect on their personal and epistemological standpoints when analyzing data (Braun & Clarke, 2023, p. 1).”
Understanding the role of the animal in animal-assisted therapy: A qualitative study
Dixon, D., Jones, C. R., & Green, R. (2025) · Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice · doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2025.101983 · Cited by 16
More-than-Human Storytelling: Designing Longitudinal Narrative Engagements with Generative AI
Fabre, É., Seaborn, K., Koiwai, S., Watanabe, M., & Riesch, P. (2025) · CHI Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA) · doi:10.1145/3706599.3720135 · Cited by 15
Keys, R., Marshall, P., Stuart, G., & O’Kane, A. A. (2025) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3706598.3713326 · Cited by 13
Logie, C. H., Hasham, A., Kagunda, J., Evelia, H., Gachoki, C., Omondi, B., Wanjiru, M., Gittings, L., Borek, S. V., Newman, P. A., et al. (2025) · BMJ Global Health · doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2024-016637 · Cited by 10
Cox, L. T. J., Piatkowski, T. M., & Dunn, M. (2025) · Harm Reduction Journal · doi:10.1186/s12954-025-01198-9 · Cited by 9
“This allowed for reflexivity and adaptation of the semi-structured interview guide questions, with participants contributing towards developed insights [9].”
Pinfold, V., Burgess, A., Couperthwaite, L. M. Z., Garavini, E., Gibson, J., Kamvar, R., Kenny, A., Mackay, T., Naughton, G., & Temple, R. (2025) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-025-07120-8 · Cited by 12
Activity-based costing technology adoption in Australian universities
Abeysekera, I., & Sharma, R. K. (2023) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1168955 · Cited by 9
“There are several ways to conduct thematic analysis, and they fall into two streams; scientifically descriptive and artfully interpretive; this study used the former approach (Braun and Clarke, 2023).”
BackgroundBrewer, N. Q., Thomas, K. A., & Guadalupe‐Diaz, X. L. (2023) · Journal of Interpersonal Violence · doi:10.1177/08862605231193445 · Cited by 15
“Transcripts were coded using thematic analysis to identify the informational content within the interviews (Braun & Clarke, 2023; Hsieh & Shannon, 2005).”
MethodNguyen, A. T., Thảo, L. T., Vang, M. D., et al. (2023) · Forum for Linguistic Studies · doi:10.59400/fls.v5i2.1863 · Cited by 9
“The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis, following the approach outlined by Braun and Clarke (2022).”
MethodWemrell, M., & Gunnarsson, L. (2023) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0291966 · Cited by 10
“Throughout the analysis, MW and LG engaged in reflexive dialogue about balancing between conflicting knowledge claims and their own assumptions about these (cf. [90, 91]).”
Lariat, J., Mavhu, W. M., Mudhumo, T., Shaba, P., Sibanda, S., Mbundure, R., Wogrin, C., Mutsinze, A., Willis, N., & Bernays, S. (2024) · PLOS Global Public Health · doi:10.1371/journal.pgph.0002442 · Cited by 9
Booth, K., Roberts-Barker, K., Foster, J., Mersha, A. G., Maddox, R., Bonevski, B., Chamberlain, C., Clarke, K., Segan, C., & Kennedy, M. (2024) · Nicotine & Tobacco Research · doi:10.1093/ntr/ntae065 · Cited by 9
Sport management education redesign after COVID-19: A case of Thailand
Chutiphongdech, T., Phengkona, J., Roopklom, P., & Sawangdee, Y. (2024) · The International Journal of Management Education · doi:10.1016/j.ijme.2024.101015 · Cited by 9
Cogan, N. A., Kelly, S., Liu, X., et al. (2022) · doi:10.31219/osf.io/zv8ps · Cited by 9
At the mercy of myself: A thematic analysis of beliefs about losing control
Kelly‐Turner, K., & Radomsky, A. S. (2023) · Psychology and Psychotherapy Theory Research and Practice · doi:10.1111/papt.12515 · Cited by 10
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.
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