The DOI matches its Crossref record; 34 of the 37 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 17 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.
A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis
Open accessAbstract
Thematic analysis is an increasingly popular method for analysing qualitative data within the social sciences. Current guides for conducting thematic analysis promote the method’s broad flexibility across research designs, which has resulted in criticism that the method lacks the rigour and structure necessary for credible academic research. Recognizing the challenges faced by qualitative scholars, I developed and present an 8-step prescriptive approach specific to abductive methodologies incorporating many concepts from seminal works in thematic analysis, and importantly maintaining the balance of theorising with empirical data, which is the core of abductive research.
Overview
AI snapshot
Written from the paper’s full text.
TL;DR
The paper presents an 8-step prescriptive guide for conducting abductive thematic analysis, balancing empirical data with extant theory. It argues this structured approach addresses criticisms of thematic analysis as lacking rigour while remaining specific to abductive research designs.
Key findings
- Proposes an 8-step process: transcription and familiarisation, coding, codebook, development of themes, theorising, comparison of datasets, data display, and writing up.
- Abductive thematic analysis should produce latent themes, with theorising as a distinct step where existing theory guides but does not determine explanation; theory can be refined, changed, adapted, or consolidated when data do not fit.
- Recommends at least 2–3 rounds of coding and a codebook with label, definition, “when to use”/“when not to use” criteria, and an example quotation; thematic network analysis can show how themes derive from codes.
- Uses examples from the author’s research on ski resort employees and volunteer tourism, including consolidating “fun” and “exciting” codes into “enjoyable work” and combining Bourdieu’s practice theory with Blumer’s symbolic interactionism.
Methods
- Conceptual/methodological paper, not an empirical study; develops an 8-step guide initially during the author’s PhD and refined through the author’s own research and teaching.
- Integrates concepts from thematic analysis (e.g., codebook from Guest et al., 2012; thematic network analysis from Attride-Stirling, 2001) with seminal abductive research principles.
- Illustrates steps with examples from the author’s prior studies, including ski resort employees and volunteer tourism projects.
Limitations
- The paper states it is not a one-size-fits-all or flexible method for all thematic analysis; it is tailored specifically to abductive research methodologies.
- The paper notes that advocates of reflexive/inductive thematic analysis have disregarded the codebook as positivistic, and that quantification of qualitative data is often impossible and unnecessary for exploratory conceptual understanding.
- Evident from the text: the guide is based on the author’s experience and selected examples rather than systematic empirical validation or comparison with other abductive thematic analysis guides.
Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.
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Claims the paper makes
10 Not checked yet · 6 Own interpretation
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
“However, quantification is not necessary for qualitative thematic analysis.”
§ A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis > Step (6) Comparison of Datasets
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.
In the paper
“Presenting quotations also improves trustworthiness, as the veracity of the raw empirical data is difficult to challenge, and is a method for demonstrating reflexivity by giving voice to the participants independent of your personal opinions or feelings (Guest et al., 2012).”
§ A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis > Step (8) Writing Up
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Guest et al., 2012
plaindirect- 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.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Current guides for conducting thematic analysis promote the method's broad flexibility across research designs”
§ A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis > Abstract
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Guest et al., 2012
- Not checked yetcites Nowell et al., 2017
- Not checked yetcites Braun & Clarke, 2006
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
“The theoretical contributions produce a degree of generalizability, as the theorisation of the raw data transcends the individualised social setting, as it has links to existing knowledge and understanding (Coffey & Atkinson, 1996).”
§ A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis > Abductive Data Analysis
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Coffey & Atkinson, 1996
plaindirect- 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
“A thematic network analysis technique can address these concerns.”
§ A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis > Step (7) Data Display
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.
- Rests on an assumption: When abductively analysing data, often reviewers will question if an academic has over-reached and whether theoretical contributions are truly representative of the raw data.
In the paper
“Accordingly, abductive research is described as recursive and iterative because theory is generated theory, but also theoretical development is culled in areas where phenomena are adequately explained by extant literature (Timmermans & Tavory, 2012).”
§ A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis > Abductive Data Analysis
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Timmermans & Tavory, 2012
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.
- Probably not a substantial claim. 9
- It may state two separate claims as one. 2
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“which has resulted in criticism that the method lacks the rigour and structure necessary for credible academic research.”
§ A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis > Abstract
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Braun et al., 2019
- Not checked yetcites Braun & Clarke, 2019
- Not checked yetcites Lochmiller, 2021
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
“In the case of abductive thematic analysis, latent themes should always be the outcome as theorisation is central to abductive reasoning, as shall be discussed in the following step.”
§ A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis > Step (4) Development of Themes
boosteddirect- 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 have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Thematic analysis is an increasingly popular method for analysing qualitative data within the social sciences.”
§ A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis > Abstract
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Braun et al., 2019
- Not checked yetcites Campbell et al., 2021
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.
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
“This is an important part of abductive thematic analysis, making it distinct from other guides to qualitative analysis.”
§ A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis > Step (5) Theorising
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.
In the paper
“Overall, the consolidation of an abductive research design with thematic analysis is an effective tool for gathering rich understanding from participant narratives, while ensuring findings have theoretical generalizability (Coffey & Atkinson, 1996).”
§ A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis > Conclusion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Coffey & Atkinson, 1996
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.
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
“However, like with Step 6, there is no requirement for data display to be quantified.”
§ A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis > Step (7) Data Display
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.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“maintaining the balance of theorising with empirical data, which is the core of abductive research.”
§ A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis > Abstract
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Atkinson et al., 2003
- Not checked yetcites Hurley et al., 2021
- Not checked yetcites Kelle, 1997
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
“Braun et al. (2019) specifically point to the similarities between their approach to thematic analysis with grounded theory, interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA), and the active role of the researcher in generating themes.”
§ A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Braun et al., 2019
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
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
“This method can act as a point of departure for any exploratory qualitative data analysis, when a researcher wishes to incorporate theoretical frameworks to guide the research findings.”
§ A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis > Conclusion
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
“Many researchers also cite Braun and Clarke (2006), yet within their methodology, there is no mention of researcher reflexivity central to their style of analysis.”
§ A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis A Guide to Abductive Thematic Analysis > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Braun and Clarke, 2006
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.
The paper relies on this without support.
Guides for abductive research designs are lacking.
“Yet, guides for abductive research designs are lacking.”
The paper relies on this without support.
There is limited discussion of an abductive approach to thematic analysis in the qualitative research literature.
“Yet, there is limited discussion of an abductive approach to thematic analysis in the qualitative research literature.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Coding is a cyclical act, as the first round of coding rarely succeeds in identifying all codes.
“Coding is a cyclical act, as the first round of coding rarely succeeds in identifying all codes and, therefore, it is recommended to undertake at least 2-3 rounds of coding.”
The paper relies on this without support.
When abductively analysing data, often reviewers will question if an academic has over-reached and whether theoretical contributions are truly representative of the raw data.
“When abductively analysing data, often reviewers will question if an academic has over-reached and whether theoretical contributions are truly representative of the raw data.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Even within top-ranked journals, data displays are often constructed simply using shape and arrow tools available within MS Word.
“However, even within top-ranked journals, data displays (such as that shown in Figure 3) are often constructed simply using shape and arrow tools available within MS Word”
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
“The placement students' reflections were focused on their collaborative experiences, and were analysed by academic researchers using an abductive approach (Thompson, 2022), to construct themes that are grounded in the data (inductive coding) but also informed by existing literature on SaP (deductive coding).”
From Co-creating custom GPTs: an autoethnographic study of undergraduate students as partners in generative AI innovation (2026) · cites this paper as Thompson, 2022
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Citations
Cites
Using thematic analysis in psychology
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“At this point, some scholars have suggested researchers should make decisions upon which themes are overarching, which are primary/secondary, and which are sub-themes based on their importance to the study (Braun & Clarke, 2006).”
InfluentialQualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook
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“Data display is usually associated with reducing qualitative data into quantitative matrices to display data better visually (Boyatzis, 1998; Miles & Huberman, 1994).”
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Reflecting 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 · cited 2×
“…this flexibility has resulted in thematic analysis being employed with a “mishmash” of different approaches and divergent philosophies (Braun et al., 2019; Braun & Clarke, 2019), which has been detrimental to the credibility of thematic research designs (Lochmiller, 2021; Nowell et al., 2017).”
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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 · cited 2×
“Figure 1 is an extract from a codebook, in which participants discussed their financial concerns: have disregarded the codebook as a positivistic tool (Braun et al., 2019; Braun & Clarke, 2021).”
Guest, G., MacQueen, K., & Namey, E. (2012) · doi:10.4135/9781483384436 · Cited by 7,924 · cited 20×
“Upon completion of Steps 1 through to 7, the findings should be written up with headings denoting each theme (Guest et al., 2012).”
InfluentialThematic networks: an analytic tool for qualitative research
Attride-Stirling, J. (2001) · Qualitative Research · doi:10.1177/146879410100100307 · Cited by 5,506 · cited 4×
“I have taken and adapted key concepts such as the codebook (Guest et al., 2012) and thematic network analysis (Attride-Stirling, 2001) from authors on thematic analysis.”
InfluentialCollected Papers of Charles Sanders Peirce
(1935) · Nature · doi:10.1038/135131a0 · Cited by 4,601
Thematic analysis of qualitative data: AMEE Guide No. 131
Kiger, M. E., & Varpio, L. (2020) · Medical Teacher · doi:10.1080/0142159x.2020.1755030 · Cited by 3,787 · cited 3×
“It is a technique known for its flexibility (Guest et al., 2012; Nowell et al., 2017) and can be employed for both inductive and deductive research designs (Boyatzis, 1998; Braun & Clarke, 2006; Kiger & Varpio, 2020).”
A Pragmatic View of Thematic Analysis
Aronson, J. (1995) · The Qualitative Report · doi:10.46743/2160-3715/1995.2069 · Cited by 1,758 · cited 3×
“Therefore, developing themes begins by looking at relationships between different codes and sorting them based on their ability to collectively explain the story behind the data (Aronson, 1995; Braun & Clarke, 2006).”
Constructing mystery: Empirical matters in theory development
Alvesson, M. G., & Kärreman, D. (2007) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.5465/amr.2007.26586822 · Cited by 1,411 · cited 6×
“In the guide I integrate principles from seminal abductive research (Alvesson & Kärreman, 2007; Atkinson et al., 2003; Hurley et al., 2021; Kelle, 1997; Rinehart, 2021; Timmermans & Tavory, 2012).”
InfluentialCollected Papers of Charles Sanders Peirce
G., T. (1933) · Nature · doi:10.1038/131639b0 · Cited by 1,120
Oliver, D. G., Serovich, J. M., & Mason, T. L. (2005) · Social Forces · doi:10.1353/sof.2006.0023 · Cited by 1,108 · cited 2×
“…to transcribe narratives authentically by staying true to the actual speech and privileging participants’ mode of speaking, or you can choose to conduct denaturalised transcription by improving grammar and syntax to make it easier for prospective readers (Jonsen et al., 2017; Oliver et al., 2005).”
Abductive analysis theorizing qualitative research
Tavory, I., & Timmermans, S. (n.d.) · Cited by 674
Reasoning in Organization Science
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“Research in the social sciences is broadly divided among deductive, inductive, and abductive research designs (Mantere & Ketokivi, 2013; Reichertz, 2013).”
Making sense of qualitative data complementary research strategies
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Interpretive Research Design: Concepts and Processes
Schwartz‐Shea, P., & Yanow, D. (2011) · Cited by 494
Conducting Thematic Analysis with Qualitative Data
Lochmiller, C. (2021) · The Qualitative Report · doi:10.46743/2160-3715/2021.5008 · Cited by 420 · cited 7×
“Quotations should be chosen that give compelling support for a theme (Lochmiller, 2021).”
InfluentialReflexive Thematic Analysis for Applied Qualitative Health Research
Campbell, K., Orr, E., Durepos, P., Nguyen, L., Li, L., Whitmore, C., Gehrke, P., Graham, L., & Jack, S. (2021) · The Qualitative Report · doi:10.46743/2160-3715/2021.5010 · Cited by 410 · cited 5×
“Thematic analysis is an increasingly popular method to analyse qualitative data that captures patterns across the raw data and structures the data into meaningful themes (Braun et al., 2019; Campbell et al., 2021).”
InfluentialA practical guide for making theory contributions in strategic management
Makadok, R., Burton, R. M., & Barney, J. B. (2018) · Strategic Management Journal · doi:10.1002/smj.2789 · Cited by 342 · cited 3×
“However, even the smallest interactions, exchanges, or contextual anomalies can trigger small theoretical developments (Makadok et al., 2018).”
InfluentialTheory Building in Qualitative Research and Computer Programs for the Management of Textual Data
Kelle, U. (1997) · Sociological Research Online · doi:10.5153/sro.86 · Cited by 280 · cited 7×
“Instead, following an abductive research approach, the clustering and explanation of themes should be guided, but not determined by existing theoretical understanding (Atkinson et al., 2003; Kelle, 1997).”
InfluentialAbductive Analysis in Qualitative Inquiry
Earl, K. (2020) · Qualitative Inquiry · doi:10.1177/1077800420935912 · Cited by 181 · cited 6×
“Qualitative analysis is the interpretive process that a researcher takes to make sense and assign meaning to a dataset (Rinehart, 2021).”
InfluentialInduction, Deduction, Abduction
Reichertz, J. (2014) · Sage eBooks · doi:10.4135/9781446282243.n9 · Cited by 130 · cited 6×
“Research in the social sciences is broadly divided among deductive, inductive, and abductive research designs (Mantere & Ketokivi, 2013; Reichertz, 2013).”
InfluentialIntegrating Theory in Co-design: An Abductive Approach
Hurley, E., Dietrich, T., & Rundle-Thiele, S. R. (2021) · Australasian Marketing Journal (AMJ) · doi:10.1177/1839334921998541 · Cited by 69 · cited 9×
“In the guide I integrate principles from seminal abductive research (Alvesson & Kärreman, 2007; Atkinson et al., 2003; Hurley et al., 2021; Kelle, 1997; Rinehart, 2021; Timmermans & Tavory, 2012).”
InfluentialKey themes in qualitative research: continuities and changes
(2003) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.41-1615 · Cited by 67
Interpretive Research Design: Concepts and Processes
(2014) · Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management An International Journal · doi:10.1108/qrom-08-2013-1171 · Cited by 45
Bakker, J. I. (2014) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-5583-7_472 · Cited by 42
Volunteer tourism fields: spaces of altruism and unsustainability
Thompson, J. (2021) · Current Issues in Tourism · doi:10.1080/13683500.2021.1887824 · Cited by 36 · cited 2×
“In my published research, this step has allowed me to focus on relational dynamics and exchanges as outlined in theory (Thompson, 2022; Thompson & Taheri, 2020).”
Self-citationKey themes in qualitative research: continuities and changes
Atkinson, P. A., Coffey, A. J., & Delamont, S. (2003) · ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) · Cited by 33
Capital deployment and exchange in volunteer tourism
Thompson, J., & Taheri, B. (2019) · Annals of Tourism Research · doi:10.1016/j.annals.2019.102848 · Cited by 30 · cited 2×
“In my published research, this step has allowed me to focus on relational dynamics and exchanges as outlined in theory (Thompson, 2022; Thompson & Taheri, 2020).”
Self-citationGenerating socially responsible events at ski resorts
Taheri, B., & Thompson, J. (2020) · International Journal of Hospitality Management · doi:10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102695 · Cited by 22 · cited 1×
“For example, when analysing data collected from ski resort employees (Taheri & Thompson, 2020), during the first round of coding I highlighted all instances in which participants discussed “the job being fun” as a single code and separately highlighted all discussion of “the job being exciting.””
Self-citationHopper, T., Hong, F., Sanford, K., & Hinkel, T. A. (2021) · The Qualitative Report · doi:10.46743/2160-3715/2021.4639 · Cited by 15 · cited 2×
“Increasingly, scholars are outsourcing their transcription due to time restraints or using YouTube/MS Teams auto transcription tools (Hopper et al., 2021).”
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“In the second stage, the initial codes were abductively organized (Thompson, 2022) into descriptive themes using the conceptual model of user engagement by Perski et al.”
The stigma associated with gestational diabetes mellitus: A scoping review
Davidsen, E., Maindal, H. T., Rod, M. H., Olesen, K., Byrne, M., Damm, P., & Nielsen, K. K. (2022) · eClinicalMedicine · doi:10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101614 · Cited by 64
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Metadata
- Authors
- Thompson, J.
- Affiliations
- Edinburgh Napier University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Thompson, Jamie
- ORCID
- Thompson, Jamie
- Venue
- The Qualitative Report
- Publisher
- Nova Southeastern University
- Published
- 2022-05-20
- ISSN
- 1052-0147 (ISSN-L)
- 2160-3715
- OpenAlex
- W4280585239
- Semantic Scholar
- 2765f40bd6e8e0d8bc9c1eddbd129fba2be5cbad
- Cited by
- 493
- References
- 37
- Citations by year
- 2026: 131 · 2025: 174 · 2024: 124 · 2023: 58 · 2022: 6
- FWCI
- 195.27
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-sa
- Locations
- The Qualitative Report (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
- Edinburgh Napier Research Repository (Edinburgh Napier University) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- NSUWorks (Nova Southeastern University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
- Research Output (Edinburgh Napier University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Qualitative Research Methods and Applications
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Sociology and Education Studies
- Keywords
- abductive research, thematic analysis, qualitative data analysis, scientific rigor, research methodology
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
A language model drew the claims from the paper on 2026-10-10, under version 3 of the claim definition (model deepseek-v4.1-flash, prompt extract-v3).
A second model labelled each claim on 2026-10-10 (model jev-1.13-20260917, definition revision gold-guideline-v0.2).
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
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