{"doi":"10.5296/jse.v11i3.18882","title":"Making Thematic Analysis Systematic: The Seven Deadly Sins","abstract":"<jats:p>Thematic analysis is a methodology with wide use in content analysis and field work through interviews, observations, and focus groups. Despite popularity with researchers, there are several questions and problems with the methodology. There was an absence in exploration and explanation of the methods and hidden steps in thematic analysis. Using a case study with a thematic analysis of the methods of thematic analysis and an autoethnography, issues and concerns were examined across a broad sample of articles published using thematic analysis. Seven major problems permeate thematic analysis research, and recommendations to improve thematic analysis and all qualitative research are presented.</jats:p>","journal":"Journal of Studies in Education","year":2021,"id":22987,"datarank":0.4349477791153781,"base_score":2.70805020110221,"endowment":2.70805020110221,"self_citation_contribution":0.40620753016533157,"citation_network_contribution":0.02874024895004651,"self_endowment_contribution":0.40620753016533157,"citer_contribution":0.02874024895004651,"corpus_percentile":null,"corpus_rank":null,"citation_count":14,"citer_count":3,"citers_with_citation_signal":1,"citers_with_endowment":1,"datacite_reuse_total":0,"is_dataset":false,"is_dataset_confidence":null,"is_data_producer":false,"deposit_databanks":null,"is_oa":false,"file_count":0,"downloads":0,"has_version_chain":false,"published_date":null,"fair_score":null,"fair_percentile":null,"algorithm_id":"datarank_citation_only_1hop_v6","ranking_scope":"data_only","authors":[{"id":142744,"name":"David C. Coker","orcid":"0000-0002-9138-2125","position":0,"is_corresponding":false}],"reference_count":0,"raw_metadata":{"has_enrichment":true,"base_score":2.70805020110221,"endowment":2.70805020110221,"datacite_reuse_total":0,"file_count":0,"downloads":0,"views":0,"has_version_chain":false,"is_dataset":false,"is_oa":false,"pmid":"24259432","pmcid":null,"openalex_id":"https://openalex.org/W3196787553","authors":[],"funders":[],"total_grants":0,"fwci":4.255,"citation_percentile":0.94473732,"influential_citations":0,"citation_trend":[{"year":2022,"count":4},{"year":2023,"count":2},{"year":2024,"count":3},{"year":2025,"count":3},{"year":2026,"count":2}],"oa_status":"hybrid","license":"cc-by","oa_locations":[{"url":"https://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/jse/article/download/18882/14765","host_type":"journal"},{"url":"https://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/jse/article/download/18882/14765","host_type":"HYBRID"},{"url":"https://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/jse/article/download/18882/14765","host_type":"publisher"},{"url":"https://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/jse/article/viewFile/18882/14765","host_type":"publisher"},{"url":"https://doi.org/10.5296/jse.v11i3.18882","host_type":"journal"}],"fields_of_study":["Qualitative Research Methods and Applications","Evaluation and Performance Assessment","Community Health and Development","Psychology","Sociology"],"mesh_terms":[],"keywords":["Thematic analysis","Thematic map","Popularity","Content analysis","Qualitative analysis","Qualitative research","Focus group","Thematic structure","Psychology","Sociology","Computer science","Social science","Social psychology","Geography","Cartography"],"sdg_mappings":[{"sdg_number":0,"sdg_label":"Peace, Justice and strong institutions"}],"linked_datasets":[],"clinical_trials":[],"software_tools":[],"database_accessions":[],"source":"live","citation_network_status":"fetched"},"created_at":"2026-06-07T17:25:52.800571Z","pmid":null,"pmcid":null,"fwci":null,"citation_percentile":null,"influential_citations":0,"oa_status":null,"license":null,"views":0,"total_file_size_bytes":0,"version_count":0,"fair_f":null,"fair_a":null,"fair_i":null,"fair_r":null,"fair_zscore":null,"fair_rationale":null,"fair_model":null,"fair_agent_version":null,"fair_fulltext_source":null,"fair_has_llm":null,"fair_computed_at":null,"clinical_trials":[],"software_tools":[],"db_accessions":[],"linked_datasets":[],"topics":[]}