As AI tools become more embedded in research workflows, qualitative researchers face a pressing challenge: how do we work with these technologies without surrendering what makes our work meaningful? The risk isn’t just that AI might be wrong. It’s that it might sound...
Most conversations about AI in research focus on accuracy. Are the citations real?Are the summaries correct?Can the tool be trusted? These are valid concerns. But they’re not the most significant risk. There is something quieter happening and far easier to miss. The...
AI can summarise 20 papers in seconds. And at first glance, that feels like a breakthrough. Tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity make it possible to move quickly through large volumes of literature — extracting key findings, clustering themes, and producing...
Introduction Reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) does not use a codebook. Coding develops through deep engagement with the data, and themes are constructed through interpretive work rather than applied from a predefined framework . By contrast, many qualitative projects...
Introduction Codebooks are common in qualitative research. They appear in applied health studies, evaluation projects, multi-analyst teams, policy research, and large-scale interview datasets. They often provide structure, comparability, and transparency. Yet the...
How to tell the difference — and why it matters Many qualitative researchers reach a familiar moment in analysis. You look at your developing “themes” and think: They sound right… but something feels off. The labels are tidy. The quotes fit. The structure looks...
Date: Thursday, 5th March Time: 10-10.45am GMTLocation: OnlineRegister here Overview Themes are everywhere in qualitative research, but what they mean depends on how you're doing analysis. In this practical, theory-informed session, Dr Claire Moran will...
And how to recognise the early signs of trouble If there is one word that quietly causes more confusion in qualitative research than almost any other, it is “theme.” Most researchers can describe what a code is. Many can explain what categories are. But when it comes...
Date: Tuesday 3 March 2026Time: 12-12.45pm Australian Eastern Standard TimeLocation: OnlineRegister here Overview Themes are everywhere in qualitative research, but what they mean depends on how you're doing analysis. In this practical, theory-informed...
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