Course overview and aims

MAXQDA can be harnessed to undertake qualitative and mixed-methods analysis drawing on a range of different analytic methods. Thematic analysis is a common approach which has become increasingly popular in recent years – amongst students working on qualitative dissertations and amongst researchers working throughout academic and applied research sectors (e.g. government, policy, charity, market-research etc.).

This course focuses on how the techniques involved in the phases of work in a thematic analysis can be accomplished using the software tools provided by MAXQDA. Using Braun & Clarke’s (2021) six phases of Reflexive Thematic Analysis as an example framework, we set up a thematic analysis in MAXQDA and experiment with a range of tools that can be used to familiarise with data, code data, generate, develop, review and refine themes, capture analytic reflections throughout the process, and share findings and process. We discuss the appropriateness of tools for different analytic tasks, and the benefits of using MAXQDA for thematic analysis in comparison to manual methods.

This course teaches the latest version of MAXQDA – currently 2022. Participants do not need to purchase a license to follow the course, as an extended trial version will be made available as part of the course registration.

Learning objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

Understand the range of MAXQDA tools than can be harnessed throughout common phases of thematic analysis
Set up a MAXQDA project and plan its use for thematic analysis
Use MAXQDA tools for data familiarisation, coding, theme development and refinement, and continual reflection
Organise qualitative data based on factual characteristics (e.g. participant socio-demographics).
Be comfortable with the possibilities for interrogation and mapping in the software to identify and explore thematic patterns
Save and back up projects, share findings in different forms

Topics

Strategies and tactics in thematic analysis – the importance of methodology and how research objectives drive the use of software tools
Approaches to thematic analysis – similarities and differences in thematic analysis approaches
Planning an analysis – the purpose and use of Analytic Planning Worksheets for planning the tasks involved in the phases of thematic analysis
Data formatting – transcription protocols that maximise functionality in MAXQDA
Setting up a project – structuring the MAXQDA workspace in line with your objectives
Familiarising with data – in-depth annotation and initial high-level explorations
Conceptualising data – interpretive and inductive coding compared with automated coding options and their role in thematic analysis
Identifying, developing and refining themes – using MAXQDA tools to construct, work with and explore themes as you develop them
Organising data – attaching socio-demographics or other meta-data to the units in your analysis
Interrogating and visualising data – uncovering relationships and mapping ideas, sharing findings in a variety of ways

Who is this course for?

This course is designed for anyone interested in using MAXQDA to undertake thematic analysis of qualitative materials including transcripts from interviews, group discussions, observations etc.

No prior knowledge of MAXQDA is required.

Thematic Analysis using MAXQDA

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