Hi, I did a literature review on innovation diffusion theories (Rogers), and I attempted to test the practicality of these theories when introducing novel medical devices. I did semi-structured interviews with clinicians. So is it correct that I am using a deductive method since I am looking for existing concepts in my data? What method should I use to analyse the interviews? Thematic? Content? Thank you!
Thematic analysis sounds like a sensible approach. This book is very helpful to start: https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/successful-qualitative-research/book233059
The book referred to by Nicolò Zarotti is a general introduction to qualitative research, but it does contain two chapters on Thematic Analysis.
As to whether your research was deductive, that depends on whether you had any prior hypotheses that guided the questions you asked, not whether you had specific topics that you asked about.
Qualatative analysis is both inductive and deductive. While you had partioular topics, it remains inductive enabling the new and unexpected aspects of expereince to emerge. Were these content categories in your interview guide ?Thematic Analysis coding stages could enable this mergence.
Hopefully the following publications could help:
- Attride-stirling, J. (2001) Thematic networks: an analytic tool for qualitative research, Qualitative Research, 1, 3, pp. 385-405.
- Braun, V. and Clarke, V. (2006) Using thematic analysis in psychology, Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 2, pp. 77-101.
- Braun, V. and Clarke, V. (2014) Editorial : What can ‘‘thematic analysis’’ offer health and wellbeing researchers?, International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, 9, 1, pp. 1-2.
- Joffe, H. (2012) Thematic Analysis, in Harper, D. and Thompson, A.R. (eds.) Qualitative methods in mental health and psychotherapy: A guide for students and practitioners. West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, pp. 209-223.
Following from David's answer, above, a deductive approach requires that you synthesise a hypothesis from your review of innovation diffusion theories to 'test' against respondent answers.
An inductive approach 'from the ground up' would essentially do the same thing, since you have to compare respondent answers to something.
You can use either Content Analysis or Thematic Analysis.
Your topic is very interesting. Indeed it is useful that you use the deductive approach given the fact that you have a theory guiding your work. In that case, some hypotheses are required. However, in lieu of the fact that theories can be reviewed and tested using new events and phenomena, you can present those new insights qualitatively by using constant comparative analysis' and narrative analysis in a thematic order.
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