Starting Thematic Analysis (TA) is a daunting task for most first-time researchers. TA is not something I have personally undertaken as part of my studies, yet it grew organically as most things at work do, taking root in the job and slowly but surely gaining ground. What had previously been taken for granted was now being overtaken with new ideas, fresh inspiration. Why did I decide to start running sessions for Writing Development on this type of qualitative analysis? It’s a slightly unusual story.
I had applied for an internal job at the University and one of the interview questions the panel asked me was ‘what methodology can you teach?’ I struggled to find an answer. It was a hot day and I felt under pressure to perform. It didn’t work out – I failed to get the job. I had to face reality – although I felt that I had bounteous experience supporting students with thematic analysis, it was never formalised. I never afforded myself the time to set aside and plan a session on thematic analysis as I was always too busy with back-to-back student appointments in my job as an Academic Subject Librarian for the Lincoln International Business School. I only worked for Writing Development three hours a week back then – not enough time to plan a new session or grapple with new concepts. Routinely I taught reflective writing or report writing year after year for Writing Development, with little option to broaden my wings and soar into unchartered territory. Starting as a full-time Writing Development Advisor last year gave me that opportunity.
That standalone interview question inspired me to think things anew. Gone were days that the same old format would fit the bill. Writing Development needed new ideas, fresh approaches. Statistics about sessions on topics that we have not covered before far exceeding older, more established workshops. Students needed eye-catching variety, not an unquestioned itinerary of events. Our concept of the student experience is often far different than student needs and standing still could mean the format goes stale after a while.
How did I start? I conducted some preliminary research, pulled together some slides and met an academic from the Lincoln International Business School. We met and shared content, discussed ideas. What were the seminal works on Reflexive Thematic Analysis? Do you need to be a visual learner to carry out thematic analysis? Would this presentation work? It was a promising start: ‘I think students would really benefit from your workshop’ she said. Everyone needs encouragement, especially when embarking on something untested. It ignited my hopes of doing something different. I called it ‘Thematic Analysis for the first-time researcher’. No pun intended. Then I recorded the session and added it to the Writing Development site, before delivering a webinar on the slides. I subsequently adapted the slides and researched some more, adding richer depth to the content. I believed in a practical, step-by-step guide, envisioning students going through the same tentative stages as myself. During the first webinar, students popped questions into chat, generating ideas and different perceptions.
Diversifying what you offer is a key response to today’s unpredictable Higher Education climate. Statistics in this data-driven era has never been more scrutinised. What began as an unanswered question in a job interview eventually helped others embark on their research journey while sending me on a road of discovery which made the role more interesting and fulfilling as a result.