Thinking Thematically in Qualitative Data Analysis: (Qualitative Research Methods)

Themes are central to qualitative research, yet the process of thinking thematically is often overlooked. This book fills that gap by explaining why themes matter and how they shape the interpretation of qualitative findings. David Morgan introduces the major approaches to thematic analysis, guiding readers through identifying, organizing, and writing up themes effectively. Combining conceptual clarity with practical strategies, Thinking Thematically in Qualitative Data Analysis equips researchers and students to move beyond description and engage deeply with their data.

Table of Contents:
Series Editor Introduction Preface Acknowledgements About the Authors Chapter 1: What is a Theme Developing a Definition of Themes Things That Are Not Themes The Practical Value of Thinking Thematically Conclusions Chapter 2: Conceptualizing Theme-Based Analysis Content Analysis and Theme-Based Analysis Conclusions Chapter 3: Thematic Analysis What has Changed Since 2006? Six Phases in Reflective Thematic Analysis Conclusions Chapter 4: Iterative Thematic Inquiry Four Phases in Iterative Thematic Inquiry (ABLE) Conclusions Chapter 5: Writing Up Theme-Based Analyses Start by Writing the Results Section First The Basic Format for the Results Section Using Quotations in the Results Section The Discussion Section Conclusions Chapter 6: Themes, Theories, and Models Model Building Conclusions Chapter 7: Conclusions Bibliography

About the Author :
David L. Morgan received his PhD in sociology from the University of Michigan, and is currently an emeritus professor in the Department of Sociology at Portland State University. He is an inter-disciplinary research methodologist, working in both qualitative research and mixed methods research. In addition to artificial intelligence, his research interests include focus groups and mixed methods research. He is the author of more than fifty peer-reviewed articles and author or editor of nine books on research methods; he is currently the series editor for the Qualitative Research Methods Series from Sage (the “little blue books”).

Review :
Morgan has crafted a wonderfully useful guide on using thematic approaches to qualitative research. This book pulls together many approaches to utilizing theme-based analysis and explains how and when to use them. Excellent, real-world examples illuminate how to use the approaches, and the author bridges these different approaches to the construction of theory from research. An important book for years to come. This is a great text to help students understand qualitative data analysis. It is easy to follow with lots of applicable examples. In addition to describing the process of qualitative data analysis, the author discusses what to include in the different sections of a paper. Dr. Morgan’s Thinking Thematically in Qualitative Data Analysis provides a unique and yet often overlooked view of "theming" in qualitative research. This book has the great merit of clarifying "themes" as a core feature of qualitative inquiry and moving it forward toward theories. This book should be handy for qualitative researchers, particularly doctoral students, in the last phase of their dissertation writing.