According to Lapadat (2010, p.2) “researchers might use their research questions, interview questions, or theory-derived categories as a start list of a priori themes for coding data documents, an approach that can facilitate within- or cross-case comparisons”. Considering Braun and Clarke (2006) guidelines to execute thematic analysis, I was wondering how would we define and name themes (and produce a thematic map) if we use a priori themes as stated above? Should we just skip this thematic analysis stage in this case?
My reading of Brown & Clarke (2006) is that a priori themes should be assessed through the same process that they recommend for developing inductive themes -- otherwise, why do thematic analysis at all? If the themes do stand up to the coding and assessment process, then further development through mapping would be recommended.
Agreed, professor Morgan. Braun and Clarke also defend that (sometimes) a thematic map could be text-based and would be useful to identify main themes and subthemes and their interconnections. Would a text-based map be more suitable when using a TA deductive approach? In this way would it be more comfortable for the reader to perceive the intertwinement between a priori and emerging themes?
Lots of applications of TA don't use any maps at all, since that isn't explicitly included in the "six steps" that have become the hallmark for Braun and Clarke's TA. So, you need to think about what a map would accomplish in your particular case. In general, a map shows the relationships between the core themes, which I have called a model. One possibility is that you could have an initial map that represented your preliminary model, prior to the analysis, and then a revised model, based on the analysis itself.
Also, one common term for analyses the begin with a priori concepts and then add to and modify those initial ideas through inductive contact with the data is a "hybrid" approach (Fereday and Muir-Cochrane, 2006).
Article Themes, Theories, and Models
Professor Morgan. Thank you for your excellent answer. I opted to build an initial map representing my preliminary model and describe how I would infer the themes based on its relations.
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