Thematic analysis is a form of qualitative research that’s used to identify patterns or themes within data. While it may sound complex at first, it’s a powerful way to understand human experiences, behaviours, and feedback. It’s commonly used in academic research, marketing, user interviews, and customer insight projects.

In this guide, we’ll break down what thematic analysis in research involves, show you where it’s most useful, and explain how Adobe Express UK can help you visualise and present your findings easily.

What is thematic analysis in research?

Thematic analysis is used to analyse qualitative data. The method identifies patterns, themes, and meanings and is widely used in fields like psychology, healthcare, education, and business to explore people’s thoughts and emotions.

It was developed by psychologists Virginia Braun and Victoria Clarke in 2006, and allows for rich, flexible interpretation of data like interviews, focus groups, or open-ended surveys. This is especially useful for people researching experiences, motivations, or perceptions.

The key steps in the 6-stage process are:

• Familiarisation: Reading through data and noting initial ideas.
• Coding: Highlighting interesting features across the dataset.
• Generating themes: Grouping codes into broader patterns.
• Reviewing themes: Checking consistency with the data.
• Defining and naming themes: Refining each theme's purpose and focus.
• Writing up: Presenting your analysis clearly and logically.

How to use thematic analysis.

Once you’ve collected your qualitative data, you can start the thematic analysis process. Follow the steps below to interpret and present your findings.

1. Organise your data.

Start by transcribing interviews, gathering written responses, or collating your notes. Read through everything several times to get familiar with the content, and make a note of any interesting observations or recurring words that stand out to you. This stage sets the groundwork for accurate coding later.

2. Create the codes.

Assign codes to sections of the data that relate to your research question. A code is a label for an idea, pattern, or notable point that you have repeatedly highlighted in your data; for example, “cost concerns” or “lack of training”. You can code manually or use software depending on the size of your project.

3. Search for themes.

Group similar codes together into broader themes. These themes represent any repeated concepts or viewpoints that stand out across your data. For example, several codes about job stress may fall under “workplace wellbeing”. This helps frame your analysis and builds a narrative around your findings.

4. Review and re-work.

Check your themes against the original data. Consider whether they are consistent, if they overlap too much, and if you need to merge, split, or remove themes to improve the clarity of your data. This phase is iterative, and it may need a few rounds of refinement before everything fits together logically.

5. Define and finalise.

Clarify what each theme means, how it relates to your research, and what it tells you. Name your themes clearly and succinctly. For example, “career uncertainty” is more specific than “negative feelings,” which you could find reports of across a number of codes. Your finalised themes should support your overall interpretation of the data.

6. Write up your report.

Structure your report to include an introduction, methodology, findings, and a discussion section. Use quotes to support each of your themes and explain your analysis process. Keep your language clear and focused, especially if sharing your findings with stakeholders or clients who might be unfamiliar with qualitative research.

Thematic analysis examples: When to use it.

Here are some real-world scenarios where thematic analysis is useful, from conducting user research to improving services and uncovering new insights from feedback.

Understanding people and their perspectives.

Thematic analysis is used in fields like healthcare, education, or social research to get a better understanding of people’s thoughts and emotions. For example, how do patients feel about waiting times in A&E? What are students’ experiences with hybrid learning? Thematic analysis helps unpack feelings and viewpoints that are not quantitative in a structured way.

Better understanding complex and nuanced experiences.

Thematic analysis is perfect for understanding topics like grief, discrimination, or mental health where people’s stories and emotions are multi-layered. It captures the richness of these experiences without forcing data into rigid, predefined categories.

Exploring niche areas that are under-researched.

If little quantitative data exists, thematic analysis lets you explore smaller, specialised audiences. For example, interviews with disabled founders in business, or marginalised voices in tech.

Finding patterns and themes in a specific environment.

Thematic analysis is used to analyse how people behave in a shared setting, like workplace culture, classroom dynamics, or online forums. It’s great for ethnographic studies or service design based on real-world feedback.

Understanding customer feedback.

You can analyse reviews, surveys, or support tickets to identify recurring problems, values, or preferences using thematic analysis. For example: What do users love or hate about your app? Thematic analysis gives structure to what would otherwise be scattered insights.

How can Adobe Express help you utilise thematic analysis?

Adobe Express makes it easy to present your thematic analysis findings clearly and visually. It helps you turn raw data into structured insights that resonate with teams, clients, or stakeholders.

1. Explore our library of templates to build out your analysis.

Use ready-made analysis infographic templates to structure your research findings and visualise any key themes. This is great for reports, blogs, or decks.

2. Turn your analysis into a structured report.

Choose a layout from our report templates and drop in your content, including headings, quotes, charts, and more.

3. Create graphs and charts to visualise data.

Create a chart and turn coded responses into bar charts or pie charts to show the prevalence of themes.

Present your thematic analysis with the AI presentation maker from Adobe Express.

Once your findings are complete, use our AI presentation maker to transform them into a clean, professional slide deck. Just enter your theme titles or research topic, and the tool will suggest layouts and slide structures. It’s perfect for pitching results to clients, briefing a team, or submitting academic work. Drop in theme headings, supporting quotes, and visual elements like icons or charts. You can customise it with your brand colours or presentation style and export it in minutes – no design skills needed.

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Good to know.

What is thematic analysis best used for?

Thematic analysis is great for exploring people’s experiences, perspectives, or emotions in depth, especially when looking for recurring patterns across qualitative data like interviews or open-ended surveys.

Why do people use thematic analysis?

People use thematic analysis because it helps make sense of complex, unstructured data and turns it into clear, actionable themes. It’s flexible, intuitive, and suitable for a wide range of disciplines.

How do you write up thematic analysis results?

Introduce your themes clearly, support each with quotes or examples from your data, explain how they were found, and show how they connect to your research aims or questions.

Is Adobe Express free?

Yes, our free plan offers many core features, including thousands of templates, photo editing and effects, animation, and 5 GB of storage. See our pricing page for details and to compare plans.