How to do Deductive Thematic Analysis in MAXQDA

In this video, I will teach you how to perform deductive thematic analysis with MAXQDA and go from raw transcripts such as this.

To having clear codes under your preconceived themes like this.

My name is Bernard Mugo. I like to refer to myself simply as an academic.

In the past three years, I’ve helped more than 200 PhD students analyze qualitative data and finally complete their thesis or dissertations.

 In the course of helping such a large number of students have gained invaluable experience of the best practices that you can use to perform qualitative analysis of your interviews and be able to retrieve quality findings.

Let’s look at the differences between inductive and deductive thematic analysis.

Under thematic analysis, we have two main approaches.  

The two main approaches are inductive and deductive approach

So we have inductive thematic analysis.

 And we have deductive thematic analysis.

 What are the differences between inductive and deductive thematic analysis?

In inductive thematic analysis we come to the data with an open mind.

So we let the data determine the themes.

All themes come from what we get from the data.

 Through first doing something we call open coding.

 We get codes without any preconceived ideas.

In contrast in what we have in deductive analysis.

In deductive thematic analysis, we come to the data with preconceived themes

The themes are already predetermined

Because the themes are predetermined.

We are coming to the data to get codes.

 And to fit them in our already preconceived or predetermined themes.

So what’s an example of an inductive approach to thematic analysis?

We have very many, but I’ll give you two.

One is RTA, reflexive thematic analysis.

This one is a framework by Braun and Clarke.

Reflexive thematic analysis has six steps.

Also known as the Braun and Clarke six step framework for thematic analysis.

Another inductive approach to thematic analysis is Collaizis approach.

Those are two approaches of doing inductive thematic analysis.

What about deductive thematic analysis?

We have different approaches.

One of the main approaches is the code book approach.

And we also have the template approach.

These are just two names for the same thing.

That means we come up with a code book with the themes.

Or a template with the themes and their descriptions.

Before we start doing the coding.

So we start with a template or a code book with preconceived or predetermined themes.

Then we find data.

 Then code that data and match it to the preconceived or predetermined themes.

So for the purposes of this video, I’m going to be doing deductive thematic analysis.

And I’m going to be following the code book approach.

And I’m going to be using MAXQDA this is just a software for organizing our data.

Now let’s conduct deductive thematic analysis.

Deductive thematic analysis remember involves coming to the data with predetermined themes or preconceived themes that we want to match with the data.

For this tutorial, the data that I’m going to analyze is from an example study titled.

Challenges in Managing HIV and Non-Communicable Diseases and Health Workers’ Perception Regarding Integrated Management of Non-communicable Diseases during Routine HIV Care in South Central Uganda, a qualitative study.

So this is a qualitative study of health workers who attend to HIV patients.

 So these are the themes that were predetermined.

Or these are the themes that we want to find in the data from the interviews or from the transcripts.

 Theme one, Common non-communicable diseases among patients with HIV.

So the description for this theme is the prevalent non-communicable diseases among HIV patients.

The second theme is health systems, challenges in managing HIV and non-communicable diseases.

The explanation for this theme is the challenges health workers encounter managing HIV together with non-communicable diseases.

We have the third theme, health workers perception of integrated management of non-communicable diseases in HIV Care.

So the description for this theme is the views of health workers concerning the integration of non-communicable diseases in HIV routine checkups.

For this study, I have one transcript, which I’m going to analyze using MAXQDA.

So let’s open MAXQDA and perform deductive thematic analysis.

So the first thing that I’m going to do is to create a new project and call this deductive thematic analysis.

I save my MAXQDA project.

When you open MAXQDA.

You’ll see it has different menus or tools.

We have the top tool or the top menu.

We have the secondary menu here.

And we have a menu on the left with documents and codes.

So in the documents is where we are going to import our transcript.

Clicking on the document section.

Let’s go to transcripts in the second menu.

Go to transcript without timestamps.

And let’s import this raw transcript.

Click open.

So that’s the transcript that has been imported.

Well, now that’s the transcript that we are going to analyze through deductive thematic analysis.

 Again, I remind you that in deductive thematic analysis.

We come to the data with preconceived or predetermined themes.

So I want to go and copy my themes

And import them into MAXQDA.

I copy the first theme.

I go to the code section.

Click on the plus sign.

Paste my theme here.

I go back and copy this description.

Copy the description for what does this predetermined theme mean?

I want to paste here.

So that’s the description for that theme.

If you double click on the memo.

 You can see the description here.

So that’s the first predetermined theme.

Let’s have the second predetermined theme that we want to find in the data.

I come here and copy the theme.

Click on the plus sign,

Then paste the theme.

Copy this description.

Paste.

That’s the second theme I have.

I wanted the third theme here.

So I repeat the process.

Now these are the predetermined themes that we want to find in the interview data.

Because we are doing deductive thematic analysis.

I want to right click here.

And go to sort A to Z to organize my themes from theme one to three in the right order.

So those are my themes.

Predetermined themes.

So let’s go and find codes.

To match to the predetermined themes and therefore conduct thematic analysis.

Well, let’s read the title.

Challenges in Managing HIV and Non-Communicable Diseases and Healthcare Workers’ Perception regarding Integrated Management of Non-Communicable Diseases during routine HIV care in South Central Uganda, a qualitative study.

So this is a focus group.

They’re calling it key informant for interviews, but this is a focus group.

 Because they are interviewing many people at once.

So let’s read the questions.

Let’s start with the interviewer.

Hello.

Thank you very much for sacrificing time to be in this discussion.

Then the interviewer asks the participants.

Kindly share the common non-communicable diseases NCDs that you manage at the hospital.

So let’s first read the whole paragraph, then come back and start coding.

Let’s read the question again and let’s read our theme.

Common Non-communicable Diseases among HIV patients.

We see so many codes.

 So this person says they see an array of chronic conditions with a particular prevalence of cardiovascular conditions notably hypertension.

So some non-communicable diseases is Hypertension.

 The incidence of high blood pressure is notably frequent constituting a significant proportion of patient population seeking medical attention at our hospital.

So I want to code all these from here, that whole sentence.

Let’s click on the second button, which is code with a new code.

We want to call this hypertension.

Which is one of the most common non-communicable diseases that this healthcare provider witnesses.

Or sees among HIV patients.

 Drag and drop that code under theme 1.

 So one of the common non-communicable diseases among HIV patients is hypertension.

 If you double click on the code.

 Click on the transcript.

You can see the citation of the participant quote that we just coded.

Let’s have more codes.

While we do receive individuals with other chronic conditions such as heart diseases.

I want to copy that whole sentence from while.

And again create this and call this heart disease.

Don’t forget drag and drop this code under the theme that it belongs to.

We are doing deductive thematic analysis.

So we have to find codes to connect to our preconceived or predetermined themes.

Again, we have diabetes here.

 For diabetes when we have a word that’s also a code, we can select code in vivo.

You see when you code in vivo. The code is also the quote.

 When I click on that code.

You can see diabetes.

Again.

I drag and drop that code under theme 1.

 Cancer.

I also want to code in vivo.

So code in vivo.

Then drag and drop it under theme 1.

Kidney diseases.

 I also want to code in vivo.

You can see now we are matching.

We can see we have five codes already.

Now we are going to the data and getting codes and connecting them to our predetermined themes.

This is how we do deductive thematic analysis.

 Let’s keep reading.

Metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, especially diabetes.

 So they talk about diabetes again.

So I want to drag and drop that quote inside the diabetes code.

Hypertension were reported to be common among person living with HIV.

So hypertension, drag, and drop that into Hypertension.

Let’s look at another participant.

Remember, this is like a focus group.

 So this is one participant KI-9.

Let’s look at KI-2.

They say high blood pressure is common among people living with HIV. So high blood pressure.

High blood pressure is the same as hypertension.

 So I highlight that I drag and drop that inside hypertension code.

If you already have a code to add more content.

You just highlight the sentence and drag and drop it inside.

The code where you want it to be.

 So when you take blood pressure for instance lets say for 10 people two or three will have high blood pressure.

High blood pressure needs attention as more people report pressure compared to other NCDs non-communicable diseases.

Because I see like the whole statement is important.

 I drag and drop that inside the hypertension Code.

If you double click on the hypertension code.

And you come and click on these transcripts.

You’ll start seeing the different codes that we have coded.

Let’s look at another KI-19.

In my capacity as a trained and certified counselor, I regularly engage with clients facing high blood pressure related issues.

 These individuals not only encounter substantial challenges but also Psychological support in conjunction with adherence messages.

A lot of clients express concerns that they’re experiencing blood pressure like symptoms where their blood pressure are measured.

Most are told that they are hypertensive.

 Drag.

And drop that into hypertension.

That’s a common non-communicable disease among people living with HIV.

 Then in contrast to cardiovascular diseases, our clients exhibit a higher prevalence of mental health conditions with depression emerging as a prominent concern among non-communicable diseases.

Another non-communicable disease that’s common among individuals With HIV and AIDS.

Is mental health issues and most importantly depression.

So I code that depression.

Drag and drop depression under theme 1.

Remember, we are doing deductive thematic analysis.

Where we are finding codes to fit in our already predetermined themes.

Let’s look at KI-20.

I’m skipping areas that are not important.

So depression is like a sister to HIV at the hospital is very common.

Many will become worried to the extent of failing to perform normal duties.

And on investigation, a diagnosis comes positive for depression.

 So depression is a very common non-communicable disease among people living with HIV.

Drag and drop that statement under the depression code.

Let’s keep coding KI-1.

Depression is very common here in every other three clients.

We will experience depressive symptoms at least one every year.

So depression.

Generally, mental health concerns are highly prevalent.

Clients have a lot of worries we have clients who have attempted suicide.

So another mental health concern is suicidal ideation.

 So suicidal ideation is a very common mental health issue or non-communicable disease among individuals living with HIV.

I drag and drop it under theme 1.

Then mental health concerns are very common.

Depression is a very serious issue that is KI-16.

Let’s drag and drop it under depression.

Remember, as we add more quotes the numbers are changing here.

For instance you see this is number four.

That means we have added four quotes from different key informants.

Let’s look at KI-4 Hypertension and depression.

Just for hypertension, I drag and drop that.

And depression emerge as predominant concerns among no communicable diseases within our community.

So depression.

Let’s drag and drop this here.

Notably, hyperglycemia is identified at a prevalence of 8%, representing a less common occurrence just when juxtapose with higher prevalence rates of hypertension and depression.

So they also talk about hyperglycemia.

Hyperglycemia relates to diabetes.

So let’s drag and drop that in diabetes.

What am I doing first to conduct deductive thematic analysis?

 I went and came up with predetermined or preconceived themes.

Then I imported the themes into MAXQDA and arranged them well.

 After importing them.

 I started reading my transcript and generating open codes to fit in my predetermined themes.

To conduct deductive thematic analysis.

 These are the steps that we follow.

 I also want to code for theme 2.

Let’s look at that question.

Health system challenges in managing HIV and NCDs.

So the interviewer asked the participants.

kindly share the challenges managing HIV and NCDs. What are the challenges, the health system challenges of doing this?

We experience multifaceted challenges during the management of both HIV and NCDs. Several issues including intricate task of handling adverse events.

I want to code this as difficulties in handling adverse events among patients.

I want to drag and drop it under theme 2

These are the codes I want to connect to theme 2.

 The health system challenges in managing HIV.

 Remember, these are predetermined themes.

 Then the overwhelming workload, that’s a very good code.

We code that in vivo

Then we drag and drop that under the theme 2

Overwhelming workload.

We can always come and edit the codes.

 If you don’t like that the code starts with a small letter.

 You can edit right click.

Click on properties.

And edit

The communication gap between specialists and lower cadre health workers.

 So let’s highlight this and code this as.

 Communication challenges between specialists and low rank healthcare workers.

So again, that code I drag and drop it under theme 2

Then limited financial and human resources.

I want to code limited financial resources alone.

This other one is Limited human resources.

So these two codes.

 We click them and drag and drop them under theme 2.

And the unsupportive clinical guidelines that do not incorporate NCD management during routine HIV care and treatment make it challenging.

 Let’s say insufficient clinical guidelines.

You see?

So I want to drag this too.

Perfect.

 I can even expand my themes so that I allow you to look at the themes we are generating.

Remember the themes came first because this is deductive thematic analysis.

So we had predetermined themes.

And now we go and find codes to fit in the themes.

And that’s how we conduct deductive thematic analysis.

After that we can go and revise our codes.

Combine our codes based on shared meaning,

And then we report our findings.

If you would like to know how we report our findings.

 You will read my previous transcript which I’ve done before, although it relates to inductive thematic analysis.

 It’s good to read the transcript and see how do we get the data out of MAXQDA and have a findings report.