Conducting Qualitative Thematic Analysis Without Coding
bis
North Carolina, North Carolina
Thematic analysis is a widely used and useful approach for analyzing qualitative data, but developing themes does not have to involve coding. This workshop introduces alternative, creative approaches to thematic analysis that invite researchers to engage deeply with qualitative data through practices such as annotation, close reading, and poetic analysis. Participants will explore how to identify patterns of meaning, to attend to language and expression in data, and to develop interpretive insights without relying on a formal coding process. Through examples, discussion, and hands-on activities, participants will experiment with ways of engaging with their data, including noticing resonances and tensions across data and using poetic techniques to explore and emphasize the meanings, emotions, and experiences expressed in qualitative materials. The workshop also considers how researchers make interpretive decisions, move from close engagement with individual accounts to broader patterns of meaning, and develop themes that remain grounded in the data. Emphasizing curiosity, reflexivity, and interpretive creativity, this workshop offers different pathways for researchers who want to expand their analytic practices beyond coding and to explore new ways of making meaning with qualitative data. Participants are encouraged to bring and use some of your own qualitative data, or if you do not have data yet, some will be supplied. Registration and fee (refundable for UNCCH students) are required. This event is sponsored by the UNC Odum Institue for Research.