In a sequential explanatory analysis, the usual procedure is for your questions about the quantitative results to guide your qualitative data collection and analysis. Of course, you can also use a hybrid thematic analysis approach, and one I recommend is Ferreday and Muir-Cochrane (2006).

You may want to borrow a leaf from these authors:

http://dx.doi.org/10.5430/jnep.v11n2p75

Adopting explanatory sequential mixed methods design, a study starts with a structured process (i.e., a quantitative stage), followed up with a semi-structured or unstructured process (i.e., a qualitative stage). For analyzing data from the latter, you could use directed content analysis, which uses the key concepts or variables identified in the quantitative stage as initial coding categories. If aiming for flexibility, you could utilize deductive thematic analysis, in which specific questions underpin the coding process for theme identification and development. You might refer to the following for further insights.

Armborst, A. (2017). Thematic proximity in content analysis. SAGE Open, 7(2), 2158244017707797. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244017707797

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Fereday, J., & Muir-Cochrane, E. (2006). Demonstrating rigor using thematic analysis: A hybrid approach of inductive and deductive coding and theme development. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 5(1), 80–92. https://doi.org/10.1177/160940690600500107

Hsieh, H. F., & Shannon, S. E. (2005). Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qual Health Res, 15(9), 1277-1288. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732305276687

Good luck,

Thank you all for your advice, I really appreciate it. David I see that the Fereday, Muir-Cochrwne hybrid approach seems to be linked to a phenomenological approach, is this always the case in the use of this type of hybrid analysis do you know?

I think that the Fereday and Muir-Cochrane approach would apply to any kind of content analysis. Also Braun & Clarke now distinguish three versions of Thematic Analysis, one of which is essentially a hybrid approach (although they say rather little about how this version would operate in practice).

Apologies for my uncertainty I am new to mixed methods, for clarity the Fereday Muir-Cochrane relates only to content analysis and not thematic analysis? I see there are several hybrid thematic analysis versions loosely based around Fereday Muir-Cochrane, I'm finding it hard to ascertain which approach is best suited to my qual data,

Keira.

I personally think in terms of a continuum from fully deductive content analysis to fully inductive thematic analysis. Hybrid approaches begin with a set of pre-specified codes, but also add new codes as they are discovered during the analysis process.