Mastering Qualitative Research

I did the session with Dr. Claire because I needed more guidance on thematic analysis particularly on coding the data. Claire helped me to see my data in a new dimension, pull it apart and she guided me on how I can best approach coding of the data and analyse it using two of the three types of thematic analysis. I would confidently recommend a one-on-one session with Claire because it is tailored to your individual project and so you get personalised guidance about your research. Thank you, Claire.

I recently attended your Thematic Analysis Masterclass Claire, and have since purchased the masterclass companion.  I just wanted to send you a quick email to say thank you for putting together such a wonderful resource! I am currently in the midst of data analysis for my PhD and the companion has been very helpful indeed!

Mr Matt Thompson, School of Education, Western Sydney University, Australia

The one-on-one session was helpful and worthwhile because I could discuss the technical work involved in my project with Claire and get her perspective.  It helped me get clarity and think about what I hadn’t thought about yet in a broader sense.

I would recommend a one-on-one session to others. It is beneficial because sometimes your supervisor does not discuss your technical work in a detailed way. As an HDR candidate, you must be independent in seeking knowledge and sharpening your research skills from reliable sources.  This post-training support with Claire has been a means for me to reach that research knowledge and skill.

I wanted to express my sincere appreciation for the fantastic Thematic Analysis training you provided this week at our university. Your hands-on approach and insightful activities truly enhanced our learning experience, and I gained valuable insights from the session.

Once again, thank you Claire for your dedication to delivering such comprehensive and informative training. Your expertise and guidance have been invaluable, and I look forward to implementing the knowledge gained into my work.

We have sent multiple cohorts of PhD students and early career researchers (ECRs) to Claire’s training sessions over the last few years. Claire’s Thematic Analysis Masterclass provides an excellent grounding in qualitative research, both for those working exclusively in qualitative research and for those using mixed methods for their projects.

Attendees consistently report that the training is easy to follow, comprehensive in its coverage, and very helpful. It offers excellent value for money for a research methods course, and I have recommended Claire to many of my Centre Manager colleagues who are seeking high quality qualitative training for their own students or ECRs.

Claire, I wanted to express my gratitude for your time and the invaluable sessions you provided. Your guidance was incredibly helpful, especially considering I was still struggling with my methodology chapter at the time of the training.

Initially, I found myself a bit overwhelmed by all the terminology, philosophies, and theoretical framework discussions. However, as you rightly pointed out, the notes I took and the slides provided during the sessions gave me a solid foundation, enabling me to better comprehend the material as I delved into further reading on my own.

I'm happy to report that I have now completed my research methodology chapter, and my supervisors had only minimal changes to suggest.

I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the incredible job you are doing in assisting confused and budding researchers like myself.

I just wanted to send a quick email saying thank you for such an in-depth and effective course! I am still drawing on the knowledge and resources you provided to me weeks after attending. Your course was incredibly well put-together and engaging, and I truly appreciated the effort you put into making it so valuable.

You have done a fantastic job, and I will be sharing your courses among all of my colleagues!

Thank you Claire for your expertise and guidance Claire. What a lovely touch to follow up with a certificate. Your class was very engaging and helpful, and I very much enjoyed having the opportunity to participate with my colleagues and to also mingle with others outside of our team in the research world, which has been a rare experience for me thus far. So, thank you for that opportunity as well!. I anticipate we will be putting our new skills to use later in the year—certainly more equipped now!

I will absolutely be keeping your details handy to be in touch in the future.

I took this masterclass because my current research project relating to food systems and food technologies involves a lot of interviews and qualitative analysis. Having a background in social science I felt comfortable that the training would be a good way to refresh my skills, however, Claire’s masterclass held across two days gave me so much more than I expected.

By leading the class through the conceptual foundations of thematic analysis in a fun and accessible way (e.g., ‘what does a pearl button mean to you?’), Claire introduced layers of theory and practice in a way that gave me tonnes more confidence in qualitative research than I had previously.

Claire created a really fun and friendly environment for learning with people from postdocs and PhDs to undergrads all collaborating on activities together. I would highly recommend this training to anyone interested in qualitative research. The way Claire structured and delivered the masterclass makes it invaluable training for all qualitative researchers.

What sets this masterclass apart is Claire’s ability to balance theory with practical application. She integrates activities that ensure you leave equipped with a clear understanding of how to implement Thematic Analysis, unlike other training that can leave you more confused. Additionally, Claire draws on insights from other leading experts in the field to strengthen her approach.

Anyone wanting to learn more about thematic analysis should definitely invest in Claire’s training.

Claire’s Masterclass allowed me to better understand what I want to do, how I can do it and most importantly, why I would choose to do it that way! Using simple story-telling techniques and analogies, Claire stepped us through deeply complex content making it digestible. She took time to respond to every question, engaged the group in meaningful examples and gave us the practice we needed to test ideas, take risks and check in with peers. Her steps have given me the road map I was missing.

I would highly recommend Claire’s masterclass.  It provided me with practical skills, a solid understanding of the theory, and a newfound confidence in applying thematic analysis to my work. Claire was incredibly generous with her time, allowing for follow-up questions and sharing valuable resources that have been instrumental in my continued learning.

I would thoroughly recommend a workshop or one to one session with Dr Moran as she is knowledgeable, professional, and knows what is required in today’s academic environment.

Thank you so much for your enthusiasm and expertise Claire.

Claire’s training has given me much more confidence in conducting thematic analysis and a deeper understanding of the principles behind it. Claire was incredibly engaging and brought the theoretical content to life with real-world examples.

I would highly recommend this training to any researcher.  It’s an invaluable experience that adds both practical skills and theoretical knowledge.

Claire’s dynamic mixture of theory, anecdotes, concrete models and Irish wit laid a foundation of thematic bricks and walls which will provide the foundation for my success as a PhD candidate. In short, you have transformed what could have been a very dry subject into a masterclass in pedagogy. Well done!

It's people like Claire that give research a good name. Keep up the great work.

If you are seeking to learn more about thematic data analysis in a manner which is logical, practical and highly effective, I fully endorse engaging in this training. Claire provided diverse information and developed genuine interactions and relationships amongst the course participants and with herself which is testament to her strengths as a presenter. A very rewarding two days!

Dr Claire Moran unswervingly guides participants through the process of Thematic Analysis in a clear, methodical manner with practical examples throughout. Her engaging use of tangible objects effectively illustrates complex theoretical concepts, making them highly accessible to participants.

I highly recommend this training to all research students planning to undertake thematic analysis of their data.

I really enjoyed Dr Claire Moran’s Thematic Analysis Masterclass and loved Claire's teaching style. Claire manages to take what could be a dry topic and turn it into an engaging and lively learning experience.

I feel like so many pennies dropped for me about what I'm doing in my research and why. I actually feel excited about getting into coding and analysis of my data as a result. Thank you!

Dr Moran’s Thematic Analysis (TA) Masterclass provides an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of TA. Her engaging teaching style made for an enjoyable two days which is frankly rare in my experience of such workshops!I’d recommend this class to anyone seeking a refresher on TA theory or newly minted qualitative researchers looking for practical skills and tools to help them with their first TA projects.

The two-day workshop was expertly facilitated by Claire, who masterfully synthesised complex concepts into digestible segments. Despite the breadth of material covered, her clear presentation style made it easy to follow along. The most compelling aspect for me was exploring the deeper meanings behind the data, and Claire introduced methods that I am eager to adapt for my research

As a qualitative researcher with experience in thematic analysis, I was initially drawn to Claire's sessions to explore potential improvements and perhaps discover new approaches to this method. Attending the sessions proved invaluable—I now feel equipped with a more structured and evidence-based approach. Claire’s interactive and accessible style made the material easy to follow, with ample opportunities to collaborate and reflect alongside others. I left the training motivated and ready to revisit my data sets with renewed confidence.

Angela Sheedy, Senior Lecturer Health Sciences, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia.

I enrolled in Claire's online Thematic Analysis Masterclass because I live remotely and am doing a fully digital PhD. After collecting my data, I was unsure if my colour coding to the research questions was too undergrad. I hadn't really done any formal research since Honours. Reading her training blurb, I was shocked to come across concepts like Reflexive and Codebook, top down and bottom up, and instantly knew that I had little understanding around the families available within QA. That Claire is a psychologist also helped convince me, as she spoke my human services language.

During the two days online, I was very impressed with Claire's ability to hold the group (35 researchers from across the globe). Her mix of theory to real world impact examples, to group exercises, to break out rooms was refreshing. Here was an academic that appreciated different learning styles and digital fatigue principles and was exremely skilled at enacting them.

At the cessation of Day 1, I told my accountant husband that I had already well and truly got my money's worth so if something happened and I couldn't make Day 2, there was no need to ask for a partial refund. Day 1's separation between the big O (ontology NOT orgasm) and epistemology clicked at a deep level for me. Similarly, Claire's one liners (e.g.: deliberate, thoughtful and explicit; pattern of shared meaning; and method not methodology) reached me in a way that reading had not. The structure and theory of the two days also increased my confidence. Being a lone researcher had me second guessing myself but attending the training increased my tenacity and competence.

I have immediately recommended Claire's masterclass to my Social Work PhD peers and supervisees. Claire's mix of academic credibility with her Irish approachability and expert story telling make her a gifted trainer in research context and meaning making. Whereas before I was terrified of doing the wrong thing by my participants and their data, Claire has mustered my curiosity and given me the lasso to brand it into codes, themes and descriptions. BRILLIANT and extremely useful training.

I recently completed Claire's training on thematic analysis, and it was an invaluable experience. While the focus was obviously thematic analysis, I also found it really helpful in thinking about qualitative research more broadly. There were many opportunities to build on practical skills and interesting discussions about the underlying theory.  Claire is very knowledgeable, providing insights that bridged the gap between practice and theory seamlessly. I would highly recommend this course to anyone looking to enhance their expertise and confidence in thematic analysis.

Ruth Canty, PhD Candidate, Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Australia.

I enjoyed attending Dr Claire's online masterclass session on qualitative methods. Claire’s teaching helped to structure my thinking during the process of conducting qualitative analysis. The students who attended the class were also warm and eager to learn, which enriched the learning experience.

Having the opportunity to learn from Claire's expertise and insight makes me genuinely confident in my work now. Regarding sophistication and applicability, this workshop is the best I have ever attended in my career.

Claire's practical exercises and visualised training pedagogy using realia and thick examples created a truly remarkable experience! This workshop offered all emotional, cognitive and behavioural engagement for learning qualitative research skills. I look forward to attending more training from Claire in the future and am so grateful for this opportunity to learn from her. Thank you so much.

Dr Claire Moran has been running Thematic Analysis Training for QUT Centre for Justice since 2022.  We generally run this program for our members twice a year.   As a social science research centre, Thematic Analysis has high applicability to our members and HDR students and always generates great interest. 

We have always returned to Claire to run this training as the feedback has always been so positive.  Our members find Claire’s training to be informative and useful and regularly feedback individually how much they enjoy this program and how relevant it is to their research.  We are currently in our third year of running Claire’s training twice yearly and the interest and feedback continue to be positive.

QUT Centre for Justice would recommend Claire to other universities for her expertise in the development and delivery of Thematic Analysis training.

“The training filled the skills gap of course but also left me with greater confidence in my ability to use the method in my research and greater awareness of the flexibility of the approach. I recommend the training to any PhD candidate or early career researcher planning on using thematic analysis in their work.”

“I found the self-paced content to be easily digestible, allowing me to get a sound understanding of the key aspects of qualitative research.”

I can’t recommend Claire’s thematic analysis workshops enough! I am from a legal background and had almost no experience in research methods/methodology prior to starting my PhD. Because of this, I have always found research methods to be quite daunting. Claire is an excellent teacher and her workshops helped me so much - I have already seen the benefits of attending these workshops in my own work. 

“Claire’s training provided both theoretical knowledge and practical skills for conducting qualitative analysis. Her friendly teaching approach and use of case-based learning significantly enhanced my understanding and confidence.”

“I was a bit of a thematic analysis sceptic, but Claire has well and truly sold me on it! Honestly, I think everyone should do this masterclass.”

The course was absolutely excellent. You managed to make a nebulous topic very clear, understandable and most importantly implementable!

“I got so much out of this workshop and am excited to get to work on my research, especially knowing that Claire will be there if I need further support in the future.”

I really enjoyed your course. It made me a lot more comfortable approaching qualitative studies and it was one of the most fun and engaging courses I have attended 😊 Your buttons activity is so memorable!