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Guides on thematic & qualitative analysis
Plain-English how-tos for students and researchers doing thematic analysis — the six phases, coding methods, and synthesising findings across studies. Built to pair with the free thematic analysis tool.
How to Find and Write Themes Across Multiple Studies in a Literature Review
How to find themes across multiple studies: code each study's findings, build a theme-by-study matrix, classify where studies disagree, test each theme, and write it up, with a worked example.
· 15 min readAI for Qualitative Coding: Using It on Interviews and Surveys Without Losing Interpretive Authority
How to use AI to code interview transcripts and survey responses, what the evidence shows, the 2025 case against it, the counter-argument, and seven rules for keeping interpretive authority.
· 12 min readHow to Code an Interview Transcript: A Step-by-Step Guide with Examples
How to code interview transcripts: what a code is, descriptive, in vivo, process and emotion codes, line-by-line coding, parent and child codes, and building a codebook.
· 14 min readQualitative Content Analysis: What It Is, When to Use It, and How to Do It
Qualitative content analysis explained: conventional, directed and summative approaches, the Elo & Kyngäs process with a worked example, and its limitations.
· 12 min readWhat Is a Research Gap? How to Find One in Your Literature Review
Learn what a research gap is, 6 common gap types (Miles, 2017), and systematic methods to find and verify research gaps in your literature review.
· 9 min readQualitative Data Analysis Methods in Research: Approaches, Differences, and Choices
A comprehensive guide to qualitative data analysis methods in research: thematic analysis, grounded theory, content analysis, case study, and narrative analysis.
· 10 min readHow to Use NVivo for Thematic Analysis: A Beginner's Guide
Learn how to use NVivo for thematic analysis: step-by-step Braun & Clarke mapping, coding nodes, queries, student pricing, and faster first-pass workflows.
· 9 min readHow to Use MAXQDA for Thematic Analysis: A Beginner's Guide
Learn how to use MAXQDA for thematic analysis: coding tools, Creative Coding, QTT workspace, student pricing, and faster first-pass workflows.
· 9 min readBest AI Tools for a Literature Review: What Research Recommends
What peer-reviewed research reveals about AI tools for literature reviews: screening accuracy, citation hallucination risks, and trustworthy workflows.
· 8 min readCan ChatGPT Do Thematic Analysis? What the Research Found
What peer-reviewed research says about ChatGPT for thematic analysis: topics vs. themes, hallucination risks, validity, and comparisons with human coders.
· 8 min readThematic Analysis for a Literature Review: Complete Guide
How to do thematic analysis for a literature review: adapting Braun & Clarke, Thomas & Harden's thematic synthesis, saturation rules, and review structure.
· 8 min readAI Thematic Analysis: What It Is, How It Works, and Whether It's Valid for Academic Research
Learn how AI thematic analysis works, its validity in academic research, and how AI tools save time while maintaining human oversight and qualitative rigor.
· 8 min readHow to Report AI-Assisted Thematic Analysis in Your Methods Section
A complete guide on reporting AI-assisted thematic analysis in your methods section. Discover APA, Harvard, MLA, and Chicago citation styles for AI coding.
· 10 min readDifference Between Code and Theme in Thematic Analysis
Understand the difference between a code and a theme in thematic analysis, avoid topic summary mistakes, and write strong qualitative findings.
· 7 min readReflexive TA vs. other qualitative methods
How reflexive thematic analysis compares to IPA, grounded theory, discourse analysis, and coding-reliability content analysis, with a four-question checklist for picking the right one.
· 9 min readReflexivity in thematic analysis: how to write it
What reflexivity means in Braun & Clarke's framework, why 'themes emerged' costs marks, and how to write a positionality statement examiners take seriously.
· 8 min readHow to do thematic analysis for a dissertation (worked example)
One worked example carried from raw interview transcript to the paragraphs you submit: coding, building themes, how many to report, and the exact wording for your methodology and findings chapters.
· 10 min readBraun & Clarke thematic analysis: the complete guide
The full Braun & Clarke method, from the 2006 six phases to reflexive thematic analysis — what each phase involves, how coding works, the mistakes examiners look for, and an FAQ.
· 13 min readTypes of thematic analysis: 5 frameworks explained simply
The five main thematic analysis frameworks in plain English — reflexive TA, thematic synthesis, framework analysis, grounded theory, and content analysis — with a simple guide to picking one.
· 9 min readThematic analysis software compared for students (2026)
NVivo, ATLAS.ti, MAXQDA, Dedoose, Delve, Quirkos, Taguette and thematicanalysis.ai compared on price, features, and how hard they are to learn — including the most affordable NVivo alternatives for students on a stipend.
· 11 min readWhat is thematic analysis? The six phases, explained
The Braun & Clarke six-phase method, codes vs. themes, choosing a framework, and how to run one online — explained for students and researchers.
· 8 min readHow to analyse open-ended survey responses
A practical guide to analysing open-ended survey and questionnaire responses: cleaning, coding, clustering into themes, and reporting.
· 6 min readInductive vs. deductive coding, explained
How each approach works in qualitative analysis, when to use which, and how to justify your choice in a methods section.
· 6 min read
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