Haan Marieke, Venema Simon D
Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology/ICS, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Researcher, Addiction Care Northern Netherlands, Groningen, The Netherlands; and Researcher, Research Group of Addiction Science and Forensic Care, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Public Opin Q. 2025 Aug 6;89(SI):716-733. doi: 10.1093/poq/nfaf033. eCollection 2025.
Thematic analysis (TA) has become a prominent qualitative research method for identifying patterns in experiences, responses, narratives, and meanings in relation to a research question. In this paper, we provide researchers with an understanding of different approaches to TA and offer practical guidance on conducting a blended approach to TA, which combines the strengths of different TA approaches. Despite their prevalence in the literature, blended approaches to TA are rarely clearly illustrated in research publications. To address this gap, we present a detailed case study of a blended approach to TA, based on a qualitative study exploring the experiences of incarcerated fathers participating in a prison family program in the Netherlands. This case study offers researchers practical guidance for thoughtfully implementing a blended approach to TA in their own work. It also highlights the nuances and complexities of a blended approach to TA, emphasizing the importance of aligning the chosen TA approach to the research context and objectives. We conclude by discussing the value of blended approaches to TA in qualitative research, underscoring the importance of thoughtful application and transparent reporting of these approaches.
主题分析（TA）已成为一种重要的定性研究方法，用于识别与研究问题相关的经历、反应、叙述和意义中的模式。在本文中，我们向研究人员介绍了不同的TA方法，并就采用结合不同TA方法优势的混合式TA方法提供实用指导。尽管混合式TA方法在文献中很常见，但在研究出版物中很少有对其进行清晰阐述的。为了弥补这一差距，我们基于一项定性研究，呈现了一个混合式TA方法的详细案例研究，该定性研究探讨了荷兰参与监狱家庭项目的在押父亲的经历。本案例研究为研究人员在自己的工作中审慎实施混合式TA方法提供了实用指导。它还突出了混合式TA方法的细微差别和复杂性，强调了使所选TA方法与研究背景和目标保持一致的重要性。我们通过讨论混合式TA方法在定性研究中的价值来结束本文，强调审慎应用和透明报告这些方法的重要性。
