Conducting Thematic Analysis on Brief Texts: The Structured Tabular Approach

In this article, I present a structured approach to thematic analysis that is designed for working with brief texts. It is grounded in both the ecumenical thematic analysis of Boyatzis (1998) and the reflexive thematic analysis of Braun and Clarke (2006). The process of structured tabular thematic analysis (ST-TA) is best conducted in spreadsheet software such as Microsoft Excel. As with other forms of thematic analysis, it permits inductive, deductive, or hybrid approaches to theme development and analysis. Its logistical processes are well suited to working with the large samples that can be achieved when gathering brief text data. It can be used to conduct purely qualitative analyses and can also elicit frequency data that can, in principle, be analyzed quantitatively too. The process of checking agreement between analysts is an integral feature of the method. I discuss the practical implications of the approach and its applicability to various qualitative and mixed-methods research designs.