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Analyzing Talk and Text II: Thematic Analysis

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The Palgrave Handbook of Methods for Media Policy Research

Abstract

Thematic analysis (TA) is a popular and foundational method of analyzing qualitative policy data. It is concerned with the identification and analysis of patterns of meaning (themes) and constitutes a widely applicable, cost-effective and flexible tool for exploratory research. More generally, it constitutes a cornerstone of qualitative data analysis. Drawing principally on Braun and Clarke’s (2013, 2006) work, the chapter outlines when the use of this method is suitable and makes practical suggestions about how to plan and conduct TA research. Few policy studies employing TA contain a transparent discussion of research methods. This chapter stresses the importance of research transparency and methodological reflexivity: researchers should not only document what they do; they should also explicitly argue how and why they opted for specific methods and discuss implications for future empirical research.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Victoria Clarke and Virginia Braun for their helpful comments on earlier drafts of this chapter.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Erasmus Research Centre for Media, Communication and Culture (ERMeCC), Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Christian Herzog, Christian Handke & Erik Hitters

Authors
  1. Christian Herzog
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  2. Christian Handke
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  3. Erik Hitters
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Communication, Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA

    Hilde Van den Bulck

  2. Department of Communication and Media Research, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland

    Manuel Puppis

  3. Department of Communication Studies, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

    Karen Donders

  4. Department of Communication Studies, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

    Leo Van Audenhove

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Herzog, C., Handke, C., Hitters, E. (2019). Analyzing Talk and Text II: Thematic Analysis. In: Van den Bulck, H., Puppis, M., Donders, K., Van Audenhove, L. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Methods for Media Policy Research. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16065-4_22

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