Thematic Analysis Homework

  • We started this assignment in class; see Thematic Analysis Practice 2.
  • Based on our discussions in class, we created a revised set of codes to use for the homework.
  • Your job for the homework is to do the following:
    • Refine the analysis
      • Go through the full list of volunteer opportunities (in class you only looked at half of them). For each opportunity, determine which codes you think apply. Create a table showing the codes you chose for each opportunity. Note that it’s okay to have an opportunity with no codes applied to it. Here’s a sample table to illustrate what that might look like.
      • Working from your table, try to identify a set of 3-5 major themes in how the opportunity descriptions address motivations for volunteering. Each theme should be associated with one or more codes. A specific code could be connected to more than one theme. To evaluate your themes, ask yourself the following questions:
        • Are the themes comprehensive, meaning that as much as possible they cover everything in the data set that the class thought worth coding
        • Is each theme coherent, meaning that it doesn’t mix together different codes that aren’t really related to each other
        • Are the themes distinct from each other; you shouldn’t have two themes that are about very similar things
      • Create a mind map showing how each code relates to your themes. Here’s an example showing what such a mind map might look like. You can hand-draw this or use a program like PowerPoint to create it.
    • Write a short report (no more than 500 words) in which you include each of the items below. Imagine you’re writing a blog post that is targeted at volunteer coordinators at non-profit agencies. The reader might be halfway across the country and have never heard of thematic analysis. On the other hand, don’t feel the need to get “into the weeds” and explain all the details; it’s okay to just convey the gist of things.
      • A brief statement (2-3 sentences) explaining the goals of the analysis.
      • A brief description of the methodology that was used for the analysis (one paragraph).
      • A description of the different themes that you identified. For each theme, describe the theme in your own words, and also provide a couple quotes from the data set to illustrate that theme.
  • Submit your homework via the Thematic Analysis Homework submission page. Make sure to include your coding table, your mind map of themes, and your report.
  • You will receive separate scores for the analysis (coding table + mind map) and for the report.