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 501–600 of 2,869
Qualitative research interviews for health professions education: AMEE Guide No. 185
Kahlke, R., OʼBrien, B. C., & Varpio, L. (2025) · Medical Teacher · doi:10.1080/0142159x.2025.2536697 · Cited by 5
Marshall, J., Davies, L., Hdrc, L., Lavelle, F., O’Leary, N., Flynn, A. C., Harding, S., & Bell, Z. (2025) · Appetite · doi:10.1016/j.appet.2025.108264 · Cited by 12
Staras, C. O., Wakefield, J. R. H., McDermott, D. T., & Jones, B. (2025) · International Journal of Qualitative Methods · doi:10.1177/16094069251371463 · Cited by 14
“Further to these examples, several other populations may also experience differential understandings of their healthcare needs, yet these may not be reported in literature given the predominantly convergent and positivist nature of research designs (e.g., positivism creep; Braun & Clarke, 2022).”
InfluentialHolman, D., Smith, N., Bessett, D., et al. (2025) · Journal of Genetic Counseling · doi:10.1002/jgc4.70103 · Cited by 4
“The research team engaged in reflexive thematic analysis involving a blend of deductive and inductive analyses (Braun & Clarke, 2022).”
Balancing Cure and Care for Geriatric Patients With Frailty in Emergency Care: A Qualitative Study
Venema, D., Bleijenberg, N., Emmelot‐Vonk, M. H., Schoonhoven, L., & Ham, W. H. W. (2025) · Journal of Emergency Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.jen.2025.08.016 · Cited by 4
Dhawka, P., Lutz, N., & Starbird, K. (2025) · Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1145/3757574 · Cited by 5
“After coding we conducted thematic analysis [41, 42].”
Khumalo, G. (2026) · Education Sciences · doi:10.3390/educsci16030446 · Cited by 5
Transforming Multilingual Students’ Learning Experience Through the Use of Lego Serious Play
Meletiadou, E. (2023) · IAFOR Journal of Education · doi:10.22492/ije.11.1.08 · Cited by 6
Stevenson, C. J., Harris-Joseph, H., Harper, L., et al. (2023) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-070536 · Cited by 4
Lane, C., Saronga, N., Fowell, R. J., Berretta, R. E., Blackmore, K. L., Momenzadeh, L., Giacomini, A., Ware, S., & Milam, J. (2024) · Higher Education Quarterly · doi:10.1111/hequ.12499 · Cited by 4
A collaboration team to build social service partnerships within a safety-net health system
Carson, S. L., Cameron, F., Lee, D., Zúñiga, D., Poole, K. J., Jones, A., Herman, C., Ramírez, M. R. L., Harlow, S., Johnson, J. L., et al. (2024) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-024-18155-z · Cited by 4
“The meetings aimed to obtain member reflections on preliminary qualitative analysis, where participants are invited to provide further insight and understanding of findings [21, 22].”
BackgroundSoepnel, L. M., Mabetha, K., Norris, S. A., Motlhatlhedi, M., Nkosi, N. G., Klingberg, S., Lye, S. J., & Draper, C. E. (2024) · BMC Women s Health · doi:10.1186/s12905-024-02982-8 · Cited by 7
“While this is not necessarily a limitation, since the method provides insights relevant for the questions posed, it does result in less room for entirely open, interpretive qualitative analysis, which might complement our methods in exploring the complexity of pregnancy experiences [47].”
MethodOut of sight, out of mind: how pescetarians manage dissonance by creating distance
Cullen, M. C., Docherty, D., & Jasper, C. (2024) · Qualitative Research in Psychology · doi:10.1080/14780887.2024.2328037 · Cited by 4
Soeiro, R. E., Souza, R. T., Bento, S. F., Cecatti, J. G., Surita, F. G., Freitas-Jesus, J. V., Pacagnella, R. C., Ribeiro-do-Valle, C. C., Luz, A. G., Lajos, G. J., et al. (2024) · Midwifery · doi:10.1016/j.midw.2024.104018 · Cited by 4
Stutterers’ experiences on classic psychedelics: A preliminary self-report study
Jackson, E. S., Goldway, N., Gerlach-Houck, H., & Gold, N. D. (2024) · Journal of Fluency Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jfludis.2024.106062 · Cited by 4
Kay, A. C., Wells, J., Goriely, A., & Hallowell, N. (2024) · Journal of Genetic Counseling · doi:10.1002/jgc4.1910 · Cited by 5
“This “Big Q” qualitative approach is grounded within the qualitative paradigm and involves using inductive coding to identify consistent thematic elements in the data and possible relationships between them (Braun & Clarke, 2023 ).”
Dekel, D., Marchant, A. L., Smith, T., Morgan, H., Tombs, S., Khanom, A., Ingham, K., & John, A. M. (2024) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2023-076981 · Cited by 5
Student perceptions on the integration of sustainability in Teaching Social Studies
Balbin, S. A., & Balbin, F. M. A. (2024) · Diversitas Journal · doi:10.48017/dj.v9i3.3036 · Cited by 4
“Researchers analyze this data thematically, identifying patterns and meanings within the collected text or observations (Braun & Clarke, 2023).”
BackgroundWorkplace Violence Pervasiveness in the Perioperative Environment: A Multiprofessional Survey
Lin, D. M., Lane-Fall, M. B., Lea, J., Reede, L. J., Gomes, B. D., Xia, Y., Rock-Klotz, J. A., & Miller, T. R. (2024) · The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety · doi:10.1016/j.jcjq.2024.07.010 · Cited by 4
Anderson, H. K., Quilliam, R. S., & Price, H. D. (2024) · Journal of Water Sanitation and Hygiene for Development · doi:10.2166/washdev.2024.157 · Cited by 5
“Consistent with re fl exive thematic analysis, we embrace the subjectivity of the analytical process (Braun & Clarke 2023) and seek rigour through active re fl ection, and adopting a systematic approach to analysis with deep engagement with the data (Terry et al. 2017).”
Child drowning in Indonesia: insights from parental and community perspectives and practices
Cenderadewi, M., Franklin, R. C., Fathana, P. B., et al. (2024) · Health Promotion International · doi:10.1093/heapro/daae113 · Cited by 4
Ibragimov, U., Giordano, N. A., Amaresh, S., Getz, T., Matuszewski, T., Steck, A., Schmidt, M., Iglesias, J., Li, Y., Blum, E. H., et al. (2024) · Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment · doi:10.1016/j.josat.2024.209518 · Cited by 5
Allen, S. H., & Leslie, L. A. (2024) · Family Process · doi:10.1111/famp.13058 · Cited by 6
“Analysis of the collected data was guided by reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2019, 2021, 2023).”
InfluentialSakkyndige psykologers refleksjoner om Barnesakkyndig kommisjons kvalitetssikrende funksjon
Nordanger, D. Ø., Mæhle, M. O., Christiansen, Ø., et al. (2024) · Tidsskrift for Norsk psykologforening · doi:10.52734/rcai7291 · Cited by 4
The Roles and Responsibilities of School Social Workers in the African Context: A Scoping Review
Khumalo, G., Ngcobo, N., & Sithole, M. S. (2024) · E-Journal of Humanities Arts and Social Sciences · doi:10.38159/ehass.20245122 · Cited by 5
Laskowski, N., Clarke, A. J., Patch, C., Pichini, A., Hill, M. K., Whyte, S., & Lewis, C. (2024) · Public Health Genomics · doi:10.1159/000542027 · Cited by 4
“We chose thematic analysis as it facilitates the development of themes, enables the capturing of semantic meaning, orientates the data inductively and is theoretically fl exible [23].”
Moberg, J. (2024) · Child & Youth Services · doi:10.1080/0145935x.2024.2426120 · Cited by 4
Tjin, A., Goodwin, A., Troy, C., Yeo, S., Saha, S., O'Sullivan, R., Leroi, I., & Chen, Y. (2024) · International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry · doi:10.1002/gps.70010 · Cited by 2
“Reflexive thematic analysis, as envisioned by Braun and Clarke [49–51] and Tobin and Begley [52], ensured that the results were derived inductively and data‐driven, allowing for researcher positionality and minimizing reflexivity bias that might have influenced interpretations.”
InfluentialEdelmann, N., & Pereira, J. V. (2024) · International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance · doi:10.1145/3680127.3680157 · Cited by 4
The Impact of Experience, Motivation, and Technology on EFL Teachers' Creativity
Ghafar, Z. N., NEAMAT, K. B., & SIDIQ, S. W. (2025) · JOURNAL OF DIGITAL LEARNING AND DISTANCE EDUCATION · doi:10.56778/jdlde.v3i8.386 · Cited by 4
“The data in this research were analyzed using a thematic approach (Braun & Clarke, 2023).”
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses’ experiences of racism at work
Best, O., Bayliss, L. T., Hodgman, S., et al. (2025) · Collegian Journal of the Royal College of Nursing Australia · doi:10.1016/j.colegn.2024.12.004 · Cited by 4
Tercan, H., & Bayhan, P. (2025) · Brain and Behavior · doi:10.1002/brb3.70269 · Cited by 5
Mokken, S. E., Mullender, M. G., Fritschy, I. M. C., Özer, M., Bouman, M., Veen, K. M., & van de Grift, T. C. (2025) · International Journal of Transgender Health · doi:10.1080/26895269.2025.2458065 · Cited by 6
Makaroun, L. K., Shin, N., Hruska, K. L., et al. (2025) · Innovation in Aging · doi:10.1093/geroni/igaf012 · Cited by 4
Reflections from a Community Capacity Building Forum to Support People Bereaved by Suicide
Carlon, C., Tarrant, J., Eckersley, M., & Vindin, P. (2025) · Australian Social Work · doi:10.1080/0312407x.2024.2447289 · Cited by 4
“The thematic analysis focused on interpreting meaning across participant responses (Braun & Clarke, 2023).”
Preprint servers and journals: rivals or allies?
Chtena, N., Alperín, J. P., Pinfield, S., Fleerackers, A., & Pasquetto, I. V. (2025) · Journal of Documentation · doi:10.1108/jd-09-2024-0215 · Cited by 9
Dying in residential care homes during the early COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative interview study
Preston, N. J., Cockshott, Z., Russell, S., Stocker, R., Knight, J., Mason, S. M., & Hanratty, B. (2025) · BMC Geriatrics · doi:10.1186/s12877-025-05779-y · Cited by 4
Fathalla, A. M., Chiang, C. Y., Audehm, R. G., et al. (2025) · JMIR Research Protocols · doi:10.2196/57511 · Cited by 4
Nilsson, T., Masiello, I., Broberger, E., & Lindström, V. (2025) · BMC Medical Education · doi:10.1186/s12909-025-06950-0 · Cited by 6
‘A gift and a curse’: the benefits and limitations of self-tracking Long COVID
Jayadeva, S., & Lupton, D. A. (2025) · Information Communication & Society · doi:10.1080/1369118x.2025.2483834 · Cited by 4
A thematic analysis of newly qualified doctors’ experiences of burnout
Kilday, C. R. (2025) · BMC Medical Education · doi:10.1186/s12909-025-07076-z · Cited by 5
The lived experiences of primary and secondary education for autistic university students
Ward, M., & Powell, L. (2025) · International Journal of Inclusive Education · doi:10.1080/13603116.2025.2490596 · Cited by 4
“A Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA) was undertaken as it is deemed an appropriate method to explore the experiences and perceptions of marginalised groups (Braun and Clarke, 2022a, 2022b).”
Science and society in Ireland: examining public trust in scientists against a global background
Roche, J., Hurley, M., Fowler, K., McConville, A., Taylor, A., Mede, N. G., & Cologna, V. (2025) · Irish Educational Studies · doi:10.1080/03323315.2025.2488804 · Cited by 6
McAlister, M., Phung, V., Budehal, A. P., Terry, A., Arachchi, N., Virtue, D., Hastings‐Ison, T., & McGrath, R. L. (2025) · Physiotherapy · doi:10.1016/j.physio.2025.101802 · Cited by 5
Jönsson, S., & Muhonen, T. (2025) · International Journal of Workplace Health Management · doi:10.1108/ijwhm-10-2024-0215 · Cited by 4
Cibin, R., Venables, D. S., & Cassarino, M. (2025) · City and Environment Interactions · doi:10.1016/j.cacint.2025.100209 · Cited by 4
Andrew, S., & Tigwell, G. W. (2025) · Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1145/3743704 · Cited by 6
“Following Braun and Clarke’s recommendations for reflexive thematic analysis [14, 15], we did not seek inter-rater reliability (IRR) or employ a rigid codebook.”
Masutha, M., Naidoo, R., & Enders, J. (2023) · Critical Studies in Education · doi:10.1080/17508487.2023.2209125 · Cited by 4
Pearce, G., Bell, L., Magee, P., & Pezaro, S. (2023) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph20206955 · Cited by 4
“Open-ended qualitative responses were analysed inductively using reflexive thematic analysis [22,23].”
MethodBoakye, D. S., Amoah, V. M. K., Amoah, C., Damte, F. K., Poku, A. A., Boateng, E. A., Ataara, N., Gyekye, S., & Dzomeku, V. M. (2024) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-070841 · Cited by 4
“None.”
Agnew, M., Cadmus‐Bertram, L., Kwekkeboom, K. L., Gorzelitz, J., Ruzicka, M., Gangnon, R. E., & Andersen, S. W. (2024) · Supportive Care in Cancer · doi:10.1007/s00520-024-08440-3 · Cited by 4
Young People’s Diversity and Digital Media: A Systematic Review (2010–2022)
Oliveira, A. F., Carvalho, M. J. L., & Sousa, C. (2024) · Media and Communication · doi:10.17645/mac.8237 · Cited by 4
RETRACTED: Insights into enhanced learning through virtual reality
Ivanova, O. P., Shevchenko, P., & Petrenko, K. I. (2024) · Journal of medical imaging and radiation sciences · doi:10.1016/j.jmir.2024.101767 · Cited by 4
RetractedToward Transparent Village Tourism Governance
Aminullah, A. (2025) · Global Review of Tourism and Social Sciences · doi:10.53893/grtss.v1i3.411 · Cited by 4
Emery-Rhowbotham, A., Killaspy, H. T., Eager, S., & Lloyd‐Evans, B. (2024) · medRxiv · doi:10.1101/2024.05.09.24307104 · Cited by 4
Scarth, B., Wereta, S., McVicar, K., King, K., & Buist, A. (2026) · Research Square · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-10714437/v1 · Cited by 5
Artificial imagination: Industry attitudes on the impact of AI on the visual effects process
Narayan, A., Caillard, D., Matthews, J., & Nairn, A. (2022) · Interactions Studies in Communication & Culture · doi:10.1386/iscc_00056_1 · Cited by 3
Implications of crib sheets for student well-being and exam performance: a mixed methods study
Whitehouse, S., Bredican, J., Heaford, J., de Regt, A., & Plangger, K. A. (2024) · Studies in Higher Education · doi:10.1080/03075079.2024.2435563 · Cited by 3
Crowther, J., Lever, E., Dogra, S. A., Barber, S., & Hall, J. (2024) · Frontiers in Sports and Active Living · doi:10.3389/fspor.2024.1490688 · Cited by 4
Jolliff, A. F., Loganathar, P., Holden, R. J., Linden, A., Patel, H., Lee, J. R., Ganci, A., Campbell, N., Boustani, M., & Werner, N. E. (2024) · JMIR Aging · doi:10.2196/63944 · Cited by 3
“The enumeration of attributes within these dimensions and the assignment of attributes to personas were assumed to be subjective and interpretive, a product of the minds that performed the work [55].”
Becoming an Ovambo Adult: Growing Into Agentic Communalism in Sub-Saharan Africa
Uugwanga, S. N., Naudé, L., & Thalmayer, A. G. (2025) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/09567976241311920 · Cited by 5
“Critical reflection is essential to ensure the methodological integrity of a contextual qualitative study (Braun & Clarke, 2023; Finlay, 2021; Levitt et al., 2018).”
Poole, A. (2025) · Journal of Education Policy · doi:10.1080/02680939.2025.2474939 · Cited by 3
Enhancing Role Clarity in Youth Football: Applying the 5Cs to Role Descriptions by Position
Rafnsson, D., Harwood, C., Steptoe, K., Matthíasdóttir, Á., Sveinbjörnsdóttir, B., & Kristjánsdóttir, H. (2025) · International Sport Coaching Journal · doi:10.1123/iscj.2024-0070 · Cited by 3
Nihlén, T. M., Lundberg, T., Wurm, M., & Malmquist, A. (2025) · Scandinavian Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1111/sjop.13103 · Cited by 9
The subjective well-being experiences of mine employees in a South African mining organisation
Kau, F. S., & Flotman, A.-P. (2025) · SA Journal of Industrial Psychology · doi:10.4102/sajip.v51i0.2235 · Cited by 3
Thematic analysis of qualitative data: a relational, recursive and reductive (3R) approach
Gupta, R. (2025) · Qualitative Research Journal · doi:10.1108/qrj-07-2024-0164 · Cited by 4
Khanal, V., Saurman, E., Russell, D., et al. (2025) · JMIR Research Protocols · doi:10.2196/68892 · Cited by 3
“Transcripts will be thematically analyzed [44,45] using a combined inductive and deductive approach and the six phases suggested by Braun and Clarke [45], that is, familiarizing with the data, initial coding and agreeing on codes, identifying themes, reviewing them, finalizing themes, and writing…”
Dayal, R. R., Yang, P. L., Sisson, L. N., Bajaj, M. A., Archuleta, S., Yao, S., Park, D. H., Fujii-Rios, H., & Haroz, E. E. (2025) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/57602 · Cited by 5
“A codebook approach to qualitative thematic analysis was used for both the provider and patient or caregiver interviews, applying the CFIR and TFA as the guiding frameworks to data collection and thematic structure, respectively [34].”
Borrowing a mouth to speak? Foreign content creators in China’s national image building
Cho-Li, Q., Jin, Y., & Kiousis, S. K. (2025) · Place Branding and Public Diplomacy · doi:10.1057/s41254-025-00398-1 · Cited by 4
Stålberg, A., Jungner, J. G., Bartholdson, C., et al. (2026) · Journal of Pediatric Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.pedn.2026.03.035 · Cited by 3
A qualitative study of the IPS employment specialist role in the context of Nav employment in Norway
Moe, C. F., Brinchmann, B., Kolstad, U., Steen, K., McDaid, D., Killackey, E. J., Rinaldi, M., Borg, M., & Mykletun, A. (2025) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-025-06991-1 · Cited by 3
“Braun and Clarke`s method of thematic analysis [42– 44] has guided the analysis.”
Lockwood, P., & Mitchell, M. (2025) · Radiography · doi:10.1016/j.radi.2025.102990 · Cited by 3
Adolescents’ school experiences: Understanding the needs of young people post COVID-19
Patrick, P., & Pamflett, S. (2025) · Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health · doi:10.2989/17280583.2025.2490646 · Cited by 7
Shi, Y., Shi, Y., Leung, K. M., et al. (2025) · International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology · doi:10.1080/1612197x.2025.2514611 · Cited by 3
“Two interviewees accepted to have a second interview to explore gaps in understanding contradictions of the result summarised from their first interview and avoid potential bias (Braun & Clarke, 2023).”
Health literacy in Ireland: insights from rural and urban community perspectives
Murray, M., Behan, S., Meegan, S., O’Brien, W., Smith, C. W., & Goss, H. R. (2025) · Health Promotion International · doi:10.1093/heapro/daaf072 · Cited by 3
“The application of this approach has been shown to address a wide range of questions in health research (Braun and Clarke 2022).”
Wood, E. A., Kika, M., Daub, O., & Molnar, M. T. (2025) · American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology · doi:10.1044/2025_ajslp-24-00569 · Cited by 4
Tang, N., Jiang, L., Lei, M., Su, Q., Song, J., Kong, D., Cui, X., & Gao, Y. (2025) · BMC Geriatrics · doi:10.1186/s12877-025-06236-6 · Cited by 4
“Each interview was transcribed verbatim into text within 24 h of completion, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis following the stages described by Braun and Clarke [25].”
Nuñez, A., Duane, A. M., Greenstein, J. E., Hwang, S. H. J., Reider, L., Medina, S., Schotland, M., & Shapiro, V. B. (2025) · Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community · doi:10.1080/10852352.2025.2537480 · Cited by 3
“The coding team met weekly to discuss and interpret the coded data, elevate significant codes, identify patterns, and ultimately generate candidate themes (Braun & Clarke, 2023).”
Gibbons, A. E., Thorpe, H., Hemi, K. V., Bruinvels, G., Pedlar, C. R., & Hamilton, B. H. (2025) · International Review for the Sociology of Sport · doi:10.1177/10126902251351181 · Cited by 4
Sharper, S., Evans, C. S., Mufalali, S. M., Bowa, M., & Mutengo, E. (2025) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-025-24089-x · Cited by 7
“We used thematic approach to analyse qualitative data [4].”
Linehan, L. A., Hennessy, M., & O’Donoghue, K. (2025) · Health Expectations · doi:10.1111/hex.70396 · Cited by 3
Birze, A., Jacobson, D., Mansfield, L., Ammi, M., Cadell, L., Marcinow, M. L., Wodchis, W. P., & Kuluski, K. (2025) · SSM - Qualitative Research in Health · doi:10.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100626 · Cited by 4
Experiences of self-harm, suicidal ideation and mental health care among autistic youth
Sabo, A., Robinson, J., Bellairs-Walsh, I., Taimre, L., Nguyen, W., Phillips, L., Lamblin, M., & Bailey, E. (2025) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613251366863 · Cited by 3
“Reflexive thematic analysis was the chosen analytic approach, as it enabled the generation and interpretation of themes exploring shared meaning across diverse experiences (Braun & Clarke, 2022).”
Subdued by wind and solar? A comprehensive analysis of barriers to biogas technology uptake
Kehinde, A. G., & von Blottnitz, H. (2025) · Energy Research & Social Science · doi:10.1016/j.erss.2025.104326 · Cited by 3
Schulte‐Strathaus, J. C. C., Ikegwuonu, T., Schick, A., Wolters, M. K., de Thurah, L., Hajdúk, M., Kurilla, A., Myin‐Germeys, I., Kiekens, G., Weermeijer, J. D. M., et al. (2025) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/72893 · Cited by 3
Capacity building for zoonosis control in China: Assessing needs and gaps by the one health lens
Qiang, N., Li, T., Lijun, J., Zhang, X., Feng, X., Yin, K., Zhu, Z.-L., Ran, J., Bergquist, R. N., Han, L., et al. (2025) · One Health · doi:10.1016/j.onehlt.2025.101231 · Cited by 3
“This relatively large and diverse sample ensured both stability and comprehensiveness, while also securing adequate contributions from animal and environmental professionals to capture their perspectives, thereby enhancing the transferability of the findings across sectors [48,49].”
Albers, B., Caci, L., Blum, K., Boland, G. J., Carrara, E., Retamar, P., Nguyen, A., Pollard, J., Schechner, V., Sonpar, A., et al. (2025) · Trials · doi:10.1186/s13063-025-09132-x · Cited by 3
Unpacking and defining food systems literacy with experts through a modified Delphi study
Martín, A., Haines, J., & Fraser, E. (2025) · Agriculture and Human Values · doi:10.1007/s10460-025-10780-7 · Cited by 3
“Focus groups were conducted online using Microsoft Teams, transcribed verbatim, and imported into Nvivo for coding and to conduct codebook thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke 2022).”
InfluentialEmbracing minority joy: Positive experiences of trans and nonbinary identities
Tubertini, E., Lorusso, M. M., Bittoni, C., Gaboardi, M., Lasagna, C., Minerva, L., Malmquist, A., Wurm, M., Lenzi, M., & Miscioscia, M. (2025) · Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community · doi:10.1080/10852352.2025.2574726 · Cited by 6
Acceptability of Emotionally Focused Therapy in Uganda: The Views of Mental Health Workers
Asiimwe, R., Lesch, E., Galukande, P., et al. (2025) · Journal of Marital and Family Therapy · doi:10.1111/jmft.70084 · Cited by 3
Murray, M., Pitt, H., McCarthy, S., et al. (2025) · Globalization and Health · doi:10.1186/s12992-025-01152-1 · Cited by 3
“RTA views the researcher’s own knowledge and values “ as a resource for research ” ([53] p. 2).”
Cox, L. T. J., & Khan, I. (2025) · Harm Reduction Journal · doi:10.1186/s12954-025-01321-w · Cited by 3
“This study adopted a two-stage analytic strategy combining both thematic analysis [10, 12] and critical discourse analysis [33, 34].”
Herbert, C. W., Weaver, L. J., Podrabsky, D. J., & Singleton, E. (2025) · Urban Studies · doi:10.1177/00420980251387814 · Cited by 5
Digging in or building bridges? A scoping review of thematic analysis
Herzog, C., Handke, C. W., & Hitters, E. (2025) · Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics · doi:10.3389/frma.2025.1617380 · Cited by 9
Ménard, A., Singh, Y., Konikoff, L., et al. (2025) · The Gerontologist · doi:10.1093/geront/gnaf272 · Cited by 3
He, T., McCracken, M. K., Hajas, D., Creem-Regehr, S. H., & Lex, A. (2025) · IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics · doi:10.1109/tvcg.2025.3633874 · Cited by 6
“We analyzed our corrected transcriptions using thematic analysis [7, 8,50].”
Martínez-Cajas, J., Cofie, N., Kuforiji, O., et al. (2025) · AIDS Care · doi:10.1080/09540121.2025.2594610 · Cited by 3
“The narrative survey data were thematically (Braun & Clarke, 2023) analyzed using NVivo software for analyzing qualitative data.”
How do psychedelics impact people with a history of non-affective psychosis? A qualitative study
Dourron, H. M., Copes, H., Grossman, D. H., Bradley, M., Nicholas, C. R. N., Turner, J. A., Allen-Clark, G., Gossage, M., & Hendricks, P. S. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1716545 · Cited by 3
“Saturation and intercoder reliability were not characterized, as these are explicitly not recommended for re fl exive thematic analysis (32).”
Nath, S., Groundwater, J., Aiyar, R., et al. (2025) · International Dental Journal · doi:10.1016/j.identj.2025.109339 · Cited by 3
“26,27 The initial phase included data familiarisation, where the first authors repeatedly read transcripts alongside listening to the audio-recordings, taking initial notes.”
Mamic, J. M. A., Kill, E., Davey, G., Reeve, S., Cooper, E., Panahi, I., Spurling, G., Brown, G., & Piatkowski, T. M. (2025) · International Journal of Drug Policy · doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.105126 · Cited by 3
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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