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
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Self-citationReflecting on reflexive thematic analysis
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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
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Self-citation
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 201–300 of 2,869
Casa, V. D., Gubello, A., Malmquist, A., Mezzalira, S., Bonato, M., Simonelli, A., Gatta, M., & Miscioscia, M. (2024) · Healthcare · doi:10.3390/healthcare12020132 · Cited by 8
“Subsequent to the interviews, the complete audio recordings were transcribed verbatim, and the resulting transcripts were subject to review and analysis, employing the thematic analysis methodology [26,27].”
MethodDesigning and Conducting Q Methodology in Implementation Research: A Methodological Discussion
Younas, A., Maddigan, J., Moore, J. E., & Whitehead, D. (2024) · Global Implementation Research and Applications · doi:10.1007/s43477-023-00113-3 · Cited by 8
“The six steps included: familiarization with the data, coding, generating initial themes, developing and reviewing themes, refining, defining, and naming themes, and writing up results (Braun & Clarke, 2022).”
Sostre, J. P., Abreu, R. L., Lockett, G. M., Vincent, D., & Mosley, D. V. (2024) · The Counseling Psychologist · doi:10.1177/00110000241229232 · Cited by 13
“Instead, researchers have their own perspectives and assumptions and play an active role in meaning-making and constructing themes along with the participants (Braun & Clarke, 2023).”
BackgroundMarmura, H., Bryant, D., Getgood, A. M. J., & Webster, F. (2024) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2023-076799 · Cited by 8
“31 34 Themes were continuously generated, reviewed and redefined until all interviews were conducted and final themes were determined.”
BackgroundDrumm, B. T., Bree, R., Griffin, C. S., & O’Leary, N. (2024) · Advances in Physiology Education · doi:10.1152/advan.00257.2023 · Cited by 8
A Living Framework for Understanding Cooperative Games
Pais, P., Gonçalves, D., Reis, D., Godinho, J. C. N., Morais, J. F., Piçarra, M., Trindade, P., Alexandrovsky, D., Gerling, K., Guerreiro, J., et al. (2024) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3613904.3641953 · Cited by 11
St‐Amour, S., Brunet, E., Cailhol, L., Baretta, D., Chevance, G., & Bernard, P. (2024) · Asian Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.ajsep.2024.05.002 · Cited by 12
Nichol, B., Rodrigues, A., Wilson, R., & Haighton, C. (2024) · Health & Social Care in the Community · doi:10.1155/2024/6786899 · Cited by 8
Harry, M. (2024) · Communication & Sport · doi:10.1177/21674795241265008 · Cited by 8
Social Media Recruitment as a Potential Trigger for Vulnerability: Multistakeholder Interview Study
Matthes, N., Willem, T., Buyx, A., et al. (2024) · JMIR Human Factors · doi:10.2196/52448 · Cited by 8
Broman, M. J., Pasman, E., Brown, S., et al. (2024) · Drugs Education Prevention and Policy · doi:10.1080/09687637.2024.2415313 · Cited by 8
Bullington, B. W., Mann, E. S., Thornton, M., Hartheimer, J., Arora, K. S., & Allison, B. A. (2024) · Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology · doi:10.1016/j.jpag.2024.10.007 · Cited by 9
García-Morante, M., Weise, C., Villalba, L. K. D., et al. (2024) · Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education · doi:10.1108/sgpe-12-2023-0115 · Cited by 8
Aspeqvist, E., Münger, A.-C., Andersson, H., Korhonen, L., Baetens, I., Dahlström, Ö., & Zetterqvist, M. (2024) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-024-20832-y · Cited by 8
Beyond altruism: Exploring the diverse motivations of undergraduate nursing students
Ghimire, A., & Macdonald, K. (2024) · Nurse Education in Practice · doi:10.1016/j.nepr.2024.104234 · Cited by 12
Agarwala, R., Satyanarayana, K., Chandrashekar, D., & Srinivasan, R. (2025) · Technovation · doi:10.1016/j.technovation.2024.103168 · Cited by 8
Seringa, J., Hirata, A., Pedro, A. R., Santana, R. M., & Magalhães, T. (2025) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/54990 · Cited by 11
Social prescribing for adults with chronic pain in the U.K.: a rapid review
Pilkington, G., Johnson, M. I., & Thompson, K. (2025) · British Journal of Pain · doi:10.1177/20494637241312064 · Cited by 8
Decaro, S. P., Prunas, A., Servi, B., Albanesi, C., & Lorusso, M. M. (2025) · Journal of LGBTQ Issues in Counseling · doi:10.1080/26924951.2024.2441293 · Cited by 8
Ukrainian refugee women’s experience with maternity care in Norway: A qualitative study
Lukasse, M., Akhmedova, F., & Oommen, H. (2025) · European Journal of Midwifery · doi:10.18332/ejm/200613 · Cited by 9
Jacobson, D., Parker, T., Cadel, L., Mansfield, E. D., & Kuluski, K. (2025) · Health Expectations · doi:10.1111/hex.70259 · Cited by 10
“Co-debook thematic analysis [41 – 43] was conducted using NVivo qualitative data analysis software [44].”
Chapman, H. K., Southall, A. E., & Grieshaber, S. (2025) · The Australian Educational Researcher · doi:10.1007/s13384-025-00838-0 · Cited by 8
“This approach embraces researcher subjectivity and reflexivity and rejects positivist views of researcher bias commonly associated with other forms of thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2023).”
Li, Y., Schinke, R. J., Zhang, L., et al. (2025) · Psychology of sport and exercise · doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102874 · Cited by 8
Radclyffe‐Thomas, N., Schmitz, M. A., Breitbarth, T., Miandar, T., Pietrzak, M., Sebhatu, S. P., & Simaens, A. (2025) · The International Journal of Management Education · doi:10.1016/j.ijme.2025.101142 · Cited by 11
DANIELS, J. P., Walker, K. F., Bradshaw, L. E., Dorling, J. S., Ojha, S., Gray, J. W., Thornton, J., Plumb, J., Petrou, S., Madan, J. J., et al. (2025) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2024-087887 · Cited by 9
“Data will be analysed using thematic analysis 37 and a framework method to provide a structured summary of the data including women’s and health professionals’ views on the acceptability of the different methods of routine testing, barriers and facilitators to implementation of either routine…”
AI, originality, and attribution: Researchers’ perspectives on distinguishing contributions
Wu, Y., Lu, X., & Lin, C. (2025) · Accountability in Research · doi:10.1080/08989621.2025.2536817 · Cited by 8
Okuhara, T., Okada, H., Yokota, R., & Kagawa, Y. (2025) · Patient Education and Counseling · doi:10.1016/j.pec.2025.109402 · Cited by 10
Karki, K. K. (2026) · Comparative Migration Studies · doi:10.1186/s40878-025-00504-5 · Cited by 10
“Thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2022) was employed for qualitative data analysis.”
Daguman, E. I., Yoxall, J., Lakeman, R., & Hutchinson, M. (2026) · Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing · doi:10.1111/jpm.70094 · Cited by 10
Narrative-Integrated Thematic Analysis (NITA): How can LLMs support theme generation without coding?
Nguyen‐Trung, K., & Nguyen, N. L. (2026) · Qualitative Research in Psychology · doi:10.1080/14780887.2026.2638348 · Cited by 8
Exploring rugby coaches perception and implementation of performance analytics
Callinan, M. J., Connor, J. D., Sinclair, W. H., et al. (2023) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0280799 · Cited by 8
“Reflexive thematic analysis was used due to its researcher subjectivity and interpretationof the data to explore coaches ideas and perceptions surrounding performance analytics and its added value to RU [27,28].”
MethodMagnussen, H. J., Kjeken, I., Pinxsterhuis, I., Sjøvold, T. A., Hennig, T., Thorsen, E., & Feiring, M. (2023) · Health Expectations · doi:10.1111/hex.13744 · Cited by 11
“ensure relevance to the coded extracts and that we had captured patterns of shared meaning across the data set.(42) In reviewing themes, we added power dimensions to our analysis in an effort to grasp the complex decision‐making process where sociocultural factors were seen to influence perceptions and actions.”
BackgroundHibbard, R., Chapot, L., Yusuf, H., Ariyanto, K. B., Maulana, K. Y., Febriyani, W., Cameron, A. R., Vergne, T., Faverjon, C., & Paul, M. (2023) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0291556 · Cited by 8
Workplace learning, power, and practice: modes of participation for civilian criminal investigators
Lindberg, O., Rantatalo, O., & Haake, U. (2023) · Vocations and Learning · doi:10.1007/s12186-023-09335-w · Cited by 9
“The analysis we conducted was done in several steps and iterations, inspired both by abductive analysis (Sætre & Van de Ven, 2021) and reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2023).”
Huang, Y., & Hang, Y.-C. (2023) · Sexuality Research and Social Policy · doi:10.1007/s13178-023-00895-z · Cited by 9
“Involvement of multiple coders was useful to counteract bias (Braun & Clarke, 2022).”
Milne‐Ives, M., Rahman, E., Bradwell, H. L., Baines, R., Boey, T., Potter, A., Lawrence, W. T., van Velthoven, M. H., & Meinert, E. (2024) · PLOS Digital Health · doi:10.1371/journal.pdig.0000481 · Cited by 10
Townley, C., & Henderson, C. (2024) · Children and Youth Services Review · doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107612 · Cited by 8
Traynor, M. P., Owens, E., O’Neill, S., & Rahman, I. (2024) · Journal of Innovation & Knowledge · doi:10.1016/j.jik.2024.100583 · Cited by 11
Jolliff, A. F., Holden, R. J., Valdez, R. S., Coller, R. J., Patel, H., Zuraw, M., Linden, A. R., Ganci, A., Elliott, C., & Werner, N. E. (2024) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/60353 · Cited by 8
Gyldenvang, H. H., Piil, K., Dahl, T. H., Paulsen, T. G., Finecke, C. E. C. V. B., Mathiesen, U. B., Møller, T., & Andersen, C. (2025) · European Journal of Oncology Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.ejon.2025.102807 · Cited by 8
Uncertainty in Child Custody Cases After Parental Separation: Context and Decision-Making Process
Mendes, J. A. D. A., & Ormerod, T. C. (2023) · Trends in Psychology · doi:10.1007/s43076-022-00253-9 · Cited by 12
“Braun and Clarke (2022b) reflect on the key role of the researcher’s subjectivity during the data analysis process and how the researcher’s work should generate and report themes that go beyond a ‘topic summary’ by portraying ‘interpretative stories’ concerning consolidated meaning.”
InfluentialButler, E., & Lupton, D. A. (2023) · Social & Cultural Geography · doi:10.1080/14649365.2023.2240290 · Cited by 7
“Our analysis of the interview transcripts was based on the interpretive thematic approach, which involves identifying patterns across the interview responses (Braun and Clarke, 2022).”
BackgroundMethodHayes, C. C., Bhaskara, A., Tongs, C., et al. (2023) · Child & Youth Care Forum · doi:10.1007/s10566-023-09779-0 · Cited by 7
“The weekly meetings offered the opportunity to pursue good practice in reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2023) by exploring alternative perspectives.”
The significance of paramedic communication during women’s birth experiences: A scoping review
Findlay, H., Anderson, J. K., Francis, K. L., Clegg, L., & Maria, S. J. (2024) · Australasian Emergency Care · doi:10.1016/j.auec.2024.04.002 · Cited by 7
Ryan, G., Watchorn, V., & Evans, S. M. (2024) · Australian Occupational Therapy Journal · doi:10.1111/1440-1630.12982 · Cited by 9
Baena, S., García, L. J., Bejarano, S., & García, M. V. H. (2024) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-024-06537-6 · Cited by 6
“These themes were derived from the final codebook, following the coding reliability approach to thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2022).”
Promoting quality education through blended learning during and post COVID-19 pandemic
Dei, D.-G. J. (2024) · Quality Education for All · doi:10.1108/qea-10-2023-0011 · Cited by 11
Tunçdemir, T. B. A., & Napoli, M. (2024) · Early Childhood Education Journal · doi:10.1007/s10643-024-01758-x · Cited by 11
“Braun and Clarke (2023) described reflexive thematic analysis used to analyze interview data.”
Purcell, C., Walsh, C. B., Oirschot, G. V., Fullen, B. M., Ward, T. E., & Caulfield, B. (2024) · BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine · doi:10.1136/bmjsem-2024-002020 · Cited by 8
“18 27 We began our data analysis following the initial pilot focus group informing sampling, data collection and analysis for subsequent focus groups in an iterative manner.”
MethodJin, X., Zhang, Y., Zhou, M., Zhang, X., Mei, Q., Bai, Y., Wei, W., & Ma, F. (2024) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/57115 · Cited by 8
COVID time: Temporal imaginaries and pandemic materialities
Butler, E., & Lupton, D. A. (2024) · Sociology of Health & Illness · doi:10.1111/1467-9566.13857 · Cited by 6
Abild, S. M., Midtgaard, J., Nordkamp, A., de Thurah, A. L., Vestergaard, S. B., Glintborg, B., Aadahl, M., Cromhout, P. F., Lau, L., Yilmaz, C., et al. (2024) · International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being · doi:10.1080/17482631.2024.2424015 · Cited by 7
ten Klooster, I., Kip, H., Beyer, S. L., van Gemert‐Pijnen, J. E. W. C., & Kelders, S. M. (2024) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/50497 · Cited by 7
Translanguaging in the classroom: a strategy for English First Additional Language learning
Machimana, P. N. N., & Genis, G. (2024) · Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies · doi:10.2989/16073614.2024.2387610 · Cited by 7
“This method involved the use of an iterative process, enabling us to move between the data, the codes and categories to generating the themes in the data (Braun and Clarke 2022).”
Elise, F., Irvine, B., Brinkert, J., Hamilton, C., Farran, E. K., Milne, E., Scerif, G., & Remington, A. (2024) · Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities · doi:10.1111/jar.13326 · Cited by 7
Iqbal, M. Z., Ivan, R., Robb, C., & Derby, J. (2025) · Frontiers in Medicine · doi:10.3389/fmed.2024.1525156 · Cited by 7
“Each researcher coded the next researcher’s transcripts to ensure transparency and avoid researcher bias (57).”
Understanding Viewer Fascination with Reaction Videos: A Discourse Analysis of YouTube Comments
Ghosh, A., & Tripathi, S. D. (2025) · Media Watch · doi:10.1177/09760911241313236 · Cited by 7
Löfström, E., Fahlquist, J. N., Lagerkvist, J., Lind, A.-S., Ramklint, M., & Öster, C. (2025) · Journal of Interprofessional Care · doi:10.1080/13561820.2025.2482691 · Cited by 7
“The data were analyzed using thematic analysis as described by Braun and Clarke (2006, 2023).”
Reflexivity in Heideggerian Hermeneutic Phenomenology: The Hermeneutic Phenomenological Circle
Ho, K. H. M., Cheung, D. S. K., Bourke, S. L., et al. (2025) · Journal of Advanced Nursing · doi:10.1111/jan.16950 · Cited by 7
Peng, Z., Su, X., & Hung, S. L. (2025) · Asia-Pacific Journal of Oncology Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.apjon.2025.100725 · Cited by 9
“37 The interview data were reviewed and preprocessed by the first and second authors and uploaded to MAXQDA (version 24.8.0) for analysis.”
InfluentialBrania, N., Adler, H., Richardson, E., Ng, C. H. M., O’Hara, R. L., Pirotta, S., Schubert, R., Parker, L. T., & Niekerk, L. M. V. (2025) · Women s Reproductive Health · doi:10.1080/23293691.2025.2525429 · Cited by 10
Eagles and Grey Wolves: A cross‐cultural analysis of populist adjacent far‐right groups
Barnett, D., Bliuc, A., & Yılmaz, İ. (2025) · Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy · doi:10.1111/asap.70028 · Cited by 7
Alsadi, J., Antony, J., Goonetilleke, R., Romero, D., Chiarini, A., Tortorella, G., & Maalouf, M. (2025) · Production Planning & Control · doi:10.1080/09537287.2025.2546854 · Cited by 7
“This approach is particularly valuable in documenting the adaptations organizations must make when applying LSS 4.0, as these processes often involve complexities that cannot be fully captured by quantitative methods alone (Braun and Clarke 2022).”
InfluentialEmployability: An Umbrella Review
Rothwell, A. T., Domagała–Zyśk, E., Mamcarz, P. J., Jiménez, Á. P., Sánchez‐Queija, I., Rosa, A. D., & Presti, A. L. (2025) · Australian Journal of Career Development · doi:10.1177/10384162251366428 · Cited by 10
Ching, Y., & Ho, Y. (2025) · JMIR Research Protocols · doi:10.2196/80290 · Cited by 9
“Their commentary further emphasizes that researchers must “own” their perspectives, ensuring that analytic practices remain theoretically consistent with the chosen thematic analysis approach [25].”
Christensen, M. J., Rydborg, M. P., Jørgensen, R., Nielsen, C. D., Mainz, J., Bell, I., Thomas, N., Smith, L. C., Mariegaard, L. S., Ward, T., et al. (2025) · JMIR Serious Games · doi:10.2196/77920 · Cited by 10
Status Epilepticus Management in Resource-Limited Settings
Soni, A. J., Couper, R. G., Gule, M., Perez, J. A. L. S., Aldabbour, B., Wilmshurst, J. M., Singh, G., Paredes-Aragón, E., Garcia, M. D. C., Lahri, S., et al. (2025) · Neurology Clinical Practice · doi:10.1212/cpj.0000000000200572 · Cited by 9
Mlambo, S., & Matolino, B. (2026) · Ethnic and Racial Studies · doi:10.1080/01419870.2026.2624665 · Cited by 7
Honra, J. R., & Villamin, J. L. A. (2026) · Innovations in Education and Teaching International · doi:10.1080/14703297.2026.2648045 · Cited by 10
Cloke, J., Hassan, S. M., Goodall, M., Ring, A., Saini, P., Tahir, N., & Gabbay, M. (2023) · Health Expectations · doi:10.1111/hex.13774 · Cited by 9
Miles, S., Renedo, A., Kühlbrandt, C., McGowan, C. R., Stuart, R., Grenfell, P., & Marston, C. (2023) · Sociology of Health & Illness · doi:10.1111/1467-9566.13711 · Cited by 7
Baatz, A., Bidgood, A., Taylor, G., & Young, R. (2023) · Human-Animal Interactions · doi:10.1079/hai.2023.0042 · Cited by 6
The use of sex toys in trans and nonbinary individuals’ sexuality
Anzani, A., Ruscio, E., Peverato, I. A., et al. (2024) · Sexual & Relationship Therapy · doi:10.1080/14681994.2024.2306311 · Cited by 7
“In this study, we utilized the “Codebook” Thematic Analysis approach to analyze our qualitative data (Braun & Clarke, 2021; 2023).”
List, M. K., Schönenberger, S., & Hartig, J. (2024) · Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft · doi:10.1007/s11618-024-01224-9 · Cited by 10
Bibliometric analysis of the main applications of digital technologies to business management
Cano, C. A. G., Castillo, V. S., & Zapata, R. E. (2024) · Data & Metadata · doi:10.56294/dm2024321 · Cited by 7
Williams, E., Sadler, J., Rutter, S. M., Mancini, C., Nawroth, C., Neary, J. M., Ward, S. J., Charlton, G. L., & Beaver, A. (2024) · Animal Welfare · doi:10.1017/awf.2024.23 · Cited by 8
Hammering nails with a screwdriver: how GPs perceive video consultations
Wanderås, M. R., Abildsnes, E., Thygesen, E., & Martínez, S. (2024) · BJGP Open · doi:10.3399/bjgpo.2024.0010 · Cited by 6
Creative Explainable AI Tools to Understand Algorithmic Decision-Making
Bhat, M. (2024) · Creativity and Cognition · doi:10.1145/3635636.3664622 · Cited by 7
“Deductive thematic analysis with a codebook strategy [8] explored adult novices’ interactions and interpretations of AI tools.”
MethodBiz, C., Buffon, L., Scapinello, D., Semple, S. E., Belluzzi, E., Batash, R., & Ruggieri, P. (2024) · Nursing Reports · doi:10.3390/nursrep14030116 · Cited by 7
“This study followed the re-flexive TA, supported by Big Q values for the application of the technique in the qualitative paradigm, to identify and analyse themes, revealing the analyser’s subjectivity [17].”
MethodKagwa, A. S., Dorell, Å., Konradsen, H., Vikström, S., & Kabir, Z. N. (2024) · BMC Geriatrics · doi:10.1186/s12877-024-05151-6 · Cited by 8
Muir, C., Kedzior, S. G. E., Barrett, S., McGovern, R., Kaner, E., Wolfe, I., & Forman, J. (2024) · Research Involvement and Engagement · doi:10.1186/s40900-024-00584-0 · Cited by 7
Dotolo, D. G., Pytel, C. C., Nielsen, E. L., Im, J., Engelberg, R. A., & Khandelwal, N. (2024) · Journal of Pain and Symptom Management · doi:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2024.08.001 · Cited by 8
Minaye, A., Admas, F., Kassa, T., Teklu, F., Habtamu, K., Zeleke, S., Andualem, T., & Desie, Y. (2024) · Cogent Education · doi:10.1080/2331186x.2024.2403275 · Cited by 9
“Owing to its flexibility and use for applied research, a Codebook approach to thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2023) was used to identify prominent issues from the data.”
Afyonoğlu, M. F., & Güre, M. D. P. (2024) · Death Studies · doi:10.1080/07481187.2024.2404927 · Cited by 7
“In the data analysis, the codebook analysis method, as classified by Braun and Clarke as one of the three analysis methods: coding reliability, codebook, and reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2022, 2023), was followed.”
Draper, C. E., Soepnel, L. M., Mabetha, K., Motlhatlhedi, M., Nkosi, N. G., Lye, S. J., & Norris, S. A. (2024) · BMC Health Services Research · doi:10.1186/s12913-024-12127-0 · Cited by 8
“A codebook thematic approach was taken to the descriptive and exploratory process of data analysis [42–44].”
Amador, S., Livingston, G., Adeleke, M., Barber, J., Webster, L. A., Yuan, H., Banerjee, S., Bhojwani, A., Charlesworth, G., Clarke, C., et al. (2025) · Age and Ageing · doi:10.1093/ageing/afaf053 · Cited by 5
“The team met 15 times between May 2023 and April 2024 to develop themes using a reflexive thematic analytic approach [20–22], identifying similarities and differences in the data and resolving discrepancies, organising categorised data into preliminary codes.”
Jörger, P., Nigg, C., Mader, L., Strebel, S., Kompis, M., Tomášiková, Z., Schindera, C., Michel, G., von der Weid, N., Ansari, M., et al. (2025) · JMIR Research Protocols · doi:10.2196/63627 · Cited by 7
“We will use thematic analysis as described by Braun and Clarke [35,36] as a guiding framework for data analysis of interviews and group discussions.”
Liu, W., Fu, Z., Zhu, Y., Yin, L., Sun, Y. B., Hong, X., Li, Y., & Liu, M. (2024) · International Journal of Technology and Design Education · doi:10.1007/s10798-024-09887-5 · Cited by 7
Making sense out of uncertainty: cognitive strategies in the child custody decision-making process
Mendes, J. A. D. A., & Ormerod, T. C. (2024) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1387549 · Cited by 13
Sprague, N. L., Fan, I. B., Dandeneau, M., Perez, J. F. H., Birmingham, J., Santos, D. D. L., Riddick, M. I., Meltzer, G., Siegel, E., & Hernández, D. (2024) · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · doi:10.1057/s41599-024-03477-5 · Cited by 7
COVID futures: Social imaginaries of post-pandemic lives in Australia
Lupton, D. A. (2024) · Futures · doi:10.1016/j.futures.2024.103470 · Cited by 6
Kaka, B., Sulaiman, S. K., Mohammad, A. H., et al. (2024) · Disability and Rehabilitation · doi:10.1080/09638288.2024.2402073 · Cited by 6
Beyond stigma: Clinician bias in contraceptive counseling to sexual and gender minority youth
Mann, E. S., Hartheimer, J., Bullington, B. W., Thornton, M., Arora, K. S., & Allison, B. A. (2024) · Contraception · doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2024.110718 · Cited by 8
Mendes, J. A. D. A., Murta, S. G., Siston, F. R., da Cunha, R. D. O., Seabra, B. T. R., Ferreira, J. A., de Souza, R. R. A., Santos, V. H. D. L., Singh, I., & Pavarini, G. (2024) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2024-084996 · Cited by 8
“45 50 We acknowledge Braun and Clarke’s critiques 50 regarding thematic conceptions and titles that seem to be more a topic summary than ‘interpreta-tive stories built around [a] uniting meaning’ (p3).”
Thornborrow, T., Boothroyd, L. G., & Tovée, M. J. (2024) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2024.101817 · Cited by 6
Decision-making insights on the prepositioning of relief items: a systematic review
Shariati, A., L’Hermitte, C., & Trent, N. M. (2025) · Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management · doi:10.1108/jhlscm-07-2024-0091 · Cited by 7
Brewster, K., DeGuia, A., Mayworm, S., Khan, F., Monier, M., Starks, D. L., & Haimson, O. L. (2025) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3706598.3713991 · Cited by 8
O'Keefe, V., Maudrie, T., Grubin, F., Gonzalez, M. B., Ullrich, J. S., Crouch, M., White, E. J., Desjardins, M. M., Martin, L., Lewis, M. E., et al. (2025) · American Journal of Community Psychology · doi:10.1002/ajcp.12803 · Cited by 6
“…qualitative data, initial analytic procedures followed open ‐ ended or what are often referred to as theoretical qualitative data analysis techniques (Braun & Clarke, 2022), while later steps in analysis utilized structured analytic techniques, resulting in an overall codebook approach to thematic…”
Peter, M., Baptiste, R., Buabeng, R., et al. (2025) · Prenatal Diagnosis · doi:10.1002/pd.6782 · Cited by 6
Victim-survivors’ perceptions of a cognitive interview protocol for sexual offence investigations
Hamilton, G., & Gerryts, D. (2025) · Psychology Crime and Law · doi:10.1080/1068316x.2025.2483331 · Cited by 6
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
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