Formulation of Themes in Qualitative Research: Logical Procedures and Analytical Paths

Abstract

Thematic analysis is one of the qualitative methods most widely used in psychological research. The aim of this paper is to situate the thematic analysis within the inferential diversity that characterizes qualitative research methods. We first present the schools of thematic analysis and their respective inferential logics, emphasizing the logical and analytical procedures that support the constitution of themes in these modalities of analysis. Secondly, in order to exemplify aspects of the technique, the article presents the steps of a thematic analysis conducted in a narrative study regarding impacts of incarceration on the lives of people released from the Brazilian prison system. We then highlight the logical process of formulating the themes from the participants’ narratives. Finally, the article presents a description of the different analytical steps involved in the thematization process and proposes a new classification of the steps of identification of themes in qualitative research to develop higher analytical quality.