This exemplar
highlights some of the key points for consideration when conducting thematic
analysis on semi-structured interview data. The data exemplar is provided by Dr
Ceryn Evans, from the Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research, Data and
Methods (WISERD), Cardiff University, who was funded by the United Kingdom
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) to explore civic participation
amongst adults in Wales. Thematic analysis was carried out with the aim of
exploring the social construction of civic engagement in the context of
examining relationships between higher education participation and civic
engagement. The extract provided in the dataset is from an interview with a
single male participant, aged in his early 50s and living in Wales. The
exemplar will be particularly useful to those considering using thematic
analysis as an analytic method on semi-structured interview data within a broad
range of disciplines in the social sciences, including sociology and the
sociology of education more specifically. Semi-Structured Interviews
Qualitative semi-structured interviews are one of the most dominant and widely
used methods of data collection within the social sciences (Bradford &
Cullen, 2012). They are valuable because they allow researchers to explore
subjective viewpoints (Flick, 2009) and to gather in-depth accounts of people’s
experiences. Typically, an interview schedule is used, which enables the
researcher to address a defined topic whilst allowing the respondent to answer
in their own terms and to discuss issues and topics pertinent to them (Choak,
2012). The schedule should therefore guide the interview, but also allow other
relevant themes to develop throughout the interview (Choak, 2012). In this
sense, the interview should resemble a ‘flowing conversation’ (Rubin &
Rubin, 2005; Choak, 2012). The popularity of semi-structured interviews within
the social sciences partly reflects their independence from a single
theoretical framework or epistemological position. Qualitative semi-structured
interviews can be used as much to consider experience, meanings and the
‘reality’ of participants’ experiences as they can be used to explore how these
experiences, ‘realities’ and meanings might be informed by discourses,
assumptions or ideas which exist in wider society (Braun & Clarke, 2006).
Data Exemplar: Voluntary Civic Participation Among Adults This exemplar intends
to highlight some key points for consideration when conducting thematic
analysis on semistructured interview data. The data exemplar is provided by Dr
Ceryn Evans from the Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research, Data and
Methods (WISERD). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with adults to
explore the extent to which the experience of higher education (HE) bears upon
their engagement in civil society. This was part of a broader project, funded
by the ESRC, which aimed to examine relationships between HE and civic
engagement, meaning participation in clubs, associations and organisations
outside of paid employment or the home. Interviews were conducted in 2015/2016
with 14 people, all in their early 50s and resident in Wales. These interviews
addressed questions about the processes, contexts and circumstances that
underpin civic engagement. The exemplar provided here is not intended to give a
step-by-step guide to conducting thematic analysis of semi-structured interview
data. Rather, it outlines three pertinent points for consideration when
undertaking thematic analysis on qualitative interview data. Analysis:
(Considering) Thematic Analysis of Interviews Below, Ceryn outlines three key
points researchers might want to consider when conducting thematic analysis on
semiSAGE Research Methods Datasets SAGE ©2018 SAGE Publications, Ltd.. All
Rights Reserved. Analysing Semi-Structured Interviews Using Thematic Analysis:
Exploring Voluntary Civic Participation Among Adults Page 2 of 6 structured
interviews, using data extracts from her interviews to illustrate this.
Consideration 1: Is thematic analysis useful for me? Thematic analysis is a
hugely popular analytic method. Its popularity partly reflects its independence
from any particular theoretical approach or epistemology persuasion (Braun
& Clarke, 2006). For this reason, it will be useful to researchers who
position their work within either realist or constructionist paradigms within
the social sciences (Braun & Clarke, 2006). In the context of exploring
voluntary civic participation, thematic analysis is useful because it enables
us to examine, from a constructionist methodological position, the meanings
that people attach to their civic participation, the significance it has in
their lives, and, more broadly, their social constructions of it. At the same
time, it also enables us to examine how these constructions might reflect the
‘reality’ of participants’ lived experiences, the material or social contexts
in which they live and which constrain and enable their opportunities for civic
participation. Thus, if you are interested in examining the ways that people
make meaning out of their experiences, as well as how they construct their
social worlds through meaningmaking, but also want to retain a focus on the
ways in which these experiences will be informed by their material experiences
and contexts, you might wish to consider thematic analysis. Consideration 2:
What counts as a theme? Thematic analysis is the process of identifying
patterns and themes within the data. This begins at the stage of data
collection and continues throughout the process of transcribing, reading and
re-reading, analysing and interpreting the data. As you read and re-read your
transcripts, you should remind yourself of your overarching research questions,
as these questions will guide your thinking about the data and what you
consider to be worthy of a theme. Braun and Clarke (2006), for example,
maintain that a theme should capture something important about the data in
relation to your research questions, and represents some level of patterned
meaning or response within the dataset. Typically, a theme will appear more
than once across the dataset but the frequency of instances of a theme or
narrative within a dataset does not automatically indicate that it is more or
less important than another, which has few instances across the dataset (Braun
& Clarke, 2006). This is because in qualitative analysis the importance or
significance of a theme is reflected in the extent to which it ‘speaks to’ your
theoretical position or your overarching research questions. To illustrate
this, let us consider my research on voluntary civic participation amongst
adults. I was interested in understanding why some people are more active than
others in terms of their voluntary participation in associations, clubs or
societies. Respondents who did little voluntary participation tended to allude
to the way in which their heavy time constraints, stemming from their work and
domestic commitments, inhibited their capacity for voluntary participation.
This is illustrated in an extract from Miriam’s interview (not shown in this
dataset), who explained her lack of engagement in terms of her heavy work
commitments. I don’t often, I very rarely leave [work] before half past six in
an evening. So by the time you know you leave, you kind of pick up some
shopping, so seven o’clock or whatever you get home. I make dinner, sort of I
find that very relaxing, that’s like my time (Miriam). This emphasis on ‘time
constraints’ in Miriam’s comment was a pertinent narrative in the data; people
who did little voluntary civic participation overwhelmingly ‘explained away’
their disengagement in terms of time constraints. To this end, ‘time
restrictions’ was an important theme because it provided insight into why
people do or do not participate, one of my overarching research questions. Even
for those who did participate, a lack of free time was given as the reason for
not engaging more in civil activities. This is illustrated in Ralf’s comment in
which he explains his disengagement by emphasising his commitments to his paid
employment: Right, well because I work particularly hard, so I probably
wouldn’t be getting home, before six most nights so there’s little time in the
evening for doing a great deal. So, it’s only this time of year that I don’t do
a great deal at all in the evenings. Thursday nights I’m on the committee of
Bromley1 Film Society so that’s probably my major SAGE Research Methods
Datasets SAGE ©2018 SAGE Publications, Ltd.. All Rights Reserved. Analysing
Semi-Structured Interviews Using Thematic Analysis: Exploring Voluntary Civic
Participation Among Adults Page 3 of 6 sort of social event of the week… (Ralf)
Time constraints therefore was a recurring explanation as to why people do not
participate in civic endeavours or are restricted in the amount of time they
can commit to their activities. Some other themes, though, were not as frequent
across my interviews, but they were, nonetheless, considered important because
they captured something significant in relation to my overall research
question. To illustrate this, consider Tony’s explanation for his voluntary
participation on the school governing board: I’m Chair of the local primary
school Board of Governors. Yeah, it is quite a commitment because you’re always
popping in and out of the school…meeting the Head, meeting Governors from the
other school, so yeah, but it’s just putting something back in. All my four
children went through that primary school, kind of you know, giving something
back I suppose. (Tony) Tony’s emphasis on ‘giving back to society’ to explain
his voluntary participation was a narrative which only a small number of
interviewees used to explain their civic engagement. Yet because it provided
important leverage on understanding the ‘social construction’ of civic
engagement it was considered important.