Developing the craft: reflexive accounts of doing reflexive thematic analysis

Abstract:

Thematic analysis (TA) is unique in that it does not come with a predetermined theoretical framework, leaving the researcher accountable to articulate methodological decisions made. As a community of qualitative scholars, we need to clearly articulate and define the theoretical foundations, assumptions, and parameters that guide our work and analysis. We also need to be transparent about our reflections during data analysis, sharing our tensions, struggles, and realizations. While the flexibility of TA can lead to poorly constructed and executed analysis, it also offers the ability to develop rich, detailed, and nuanced analysis. TA is not your ’simple go lucky‘ approach, rather the complexities, interaction, and creativity that reflexive TA offers is remarkable. While TA is one of the most commonly used methods to analyze qualitative data, there is considerable variability in how the method is understood and conducted. As a growing qualitative researcher, [Author A] was frustrated by the limited examples of the reflexive process of doing TA, and the lack of transparency of how the data analysis was carried out. She grappled with figuring outhowto conduct a high-quality TA. As an experienced qualitative researcher and a mentor to graduate students, [Author B] struggled to find ways to support and guide [Author A] to develop her craft. The experience brought her to reflect on her own use of TA and how her practice has evolved. In this manuscript, we use visual and written examples to show the active decisions made during analysis, struggles and rebounds, and how these aided us in understanding the process of reflexive TA.

Keywords:

• Reflexivity
• Reflexivity
• theme
• coding
• big Q qualitative
• epistemology

Disclosure statement

No potential conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lisa R. Trainor

Lisa R. Trainor is a doctoral student in the School of Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia, Canada. In the field of sport and exercise psychology, her work uses qualitative methods to explore athlete psychological well-being, sport injury, and psychological growth.

Andrea Bundon

Andrea Bundon is an Assistant Professor in the School of Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia, Canada. Her work, which spans the fields of sport sociology and critical disability studies, uses (often digital) qualitative methods to explore the intersections of sport, physical activity, disability and social inclusion.