{"title":"The cognitive basis of thematic analysis","authors":"Wei Liu","doi":"10.1080/1743727x.2023.2274337","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACTUnderlying thematic analysis are a few fundamental human cognitive processes, such as categorizing, prototyping and metaphorical mapping. By unpacking these basic processes of human cognition, this paper hopes to provide a cognitive basis for thematic analysis as a foundational method in data analysis for qualitative research. In particular, it hopes to address the gap between qualitative methodologists’ assumption of thematic analysis as a subjective, creative and flexible process and editors/reviewers’ expectation that thematic analysis shall be objective, reliable and rigorous. By consciously and purposefully applying these cognitive processes, thematic analysis can be subjective and yet disciplined, creative and yet rigorous, flexible and yet reliable. The ultimate goal of this paper is to demystify, delineate and further demarcate the thematic analysis process for young and novice qualitative researchers.KEYWORDS: Thematic analysiscognitive processcategorizationprototypemetaphor Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).","PeriodicalId":51655,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Research & Method in Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5000,"publicationDate":"2023-10-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Research & Method in Education","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1743727x.2023.2274337","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
ABSTRACTUnderlying thematic analysis are a few fundamental human cognitive processes, such as categorizing, prototyping and metaphorical mapping. By unpacking these basic processes of human cognition, this paper hopes to provide a cognitive basis for thematic analysis as a foundational method in data analysis for qualitative research. In particular, it hopes to address the gap between qualitative methodologists’ assumption of thematic analysis as a subjective, creative and flexible process and editors/reviewers’ expectation that thematic analysis shall be objective, reliable and rigorous. By consciously and purposefully applying these cognitive processes, thematic analysis can be subjective and yet disciplined, creative and yet rigorous, flexible and yet reliable. The ultimate goal of this paper is to demystify, delineate and further demarcate the thematic analysis process for young and novice qualitative researchers.KEYWORDS: Thematic analysiscognitive processcategorizationprototypemetaphor Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
期刊介绍：
The International Journal of Research & Method in Education is an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed journal that draws contributions from a wide community of international researchers. Contributions are expected to develop and further international discourse in educational research with a particular focus on method and methodological issues. The journal welcomes papers engaging with methods from within a qualitative or quantitative framework, or from frameworks which cut across and or challenge this duality. Papers should not solely focus on the practice of education; there must be a contribution to methodology. International Journal of Research & Method in Education is committed to publishing scholarly research that discusses conceptual, theoretical and methodological issues, provides evidence, support for or informed critique of unusual or new methodologies within educational research and provides innovative, new perspectives and examinations of key research findings. The journal’s enthusiasm to foster debate is also recognised in a keenness to include engaged, thought-provoking response papers to previously published articles. The journal is also interested in papers that discuss issues in the teaching of research methods for educational researchers. Contributors to International Journal of Research & Method in Education should take care to communicate their findings or arguments in a succinct, accessible manner to an international readership of researchers, policy-makers and practitioners from a range of disciplines including but not limited to philosophy, sociology, economics, psychology, and history of education. The Co-Editors welcome suggested topics for future Special Issues. Initial ideas should be discussed by email with the Co-Editors before a formal proposal is submitted for consideration.
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