Discussion Post Reply
Prepare a reply to 2 discussion posts below. Each reply half a page and one resource
1.Annette : As I began to work on my TOE and (1) familiarize myself with the articles for my literature review, I started to get overwhelmed by having to sort through 20 articles for cryotherapy and 20 articles for photobiomodulation (PBM) in my comparative analysis. How would I sort all of the articles and make sure to capture the major and relevant themes? However, as I began to take notes in the margins of the TOE, themes began to emerge. The literature began to speak for itself, without me having to try to identify commonalities. I began to notice similarities such as pain management, cost-effectiveness, dosimetry, adverse events/ safety profile, prevention or treatment efficacy, healing time of ulcerations, etc.
(2) As I noticed, these similarities, I started color-coding ideas so that I would be able to use this color-coded table to (3) identity/ generate themes. I then utilized these themes and (4) reviewed them to (5) define and name the themes collectively. Finally, I will (6) utilize those themes to write up the thematic review of the literature.
Caulfield (2022) acknowledges the use of color-coding data to identify themes in the literature in his Step-by-Step Guide for writing a thematic literature analysis. He recommends highlighting various phrases in different colors, which correspond to a specific idea or feeling. He then recommends analyzing the color-coded ideas and identifying patterns. This process will direct the writer to themes since color-coded items are typically encompassed within a broader theme (Caulfield, 2022).
As previously mentioned, I had a similar process. For example, I began to notice verbiage regarding the variability of dosimetry, laser parameters, and the need for standardization of PBMT parameters within the literature. I then assigned a color to that category and took note of it whenever it showed up in the literature, making sure to include it in the themes and highlight it accordingly. I then used these ideas to create a Dosimetry theme section of my paper, which I will discuss in my thematic discussion.
References:
Caulfield, J. (2022, November 25). How to do thematic analysis: Step-by-step guide & examples. Scribbr. Retrieved February 13, 2023, from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/thematic-analysis/Links to an external site.
2. Angie : These are the steps that will be followed when organizing themes from the articles chosen for analysis and when organizing my table of evidence.
Familiarization: this is the beginning process of becoming familiar with the data that is within the articles chosen for analysis. To move on to the next step the entire data set must be understood and known.
Coding: This set entitles a brief description of what the data is stating. These words represent the meaning and patterns seen in the data. A codebook can be used to keep track of the codes and sticky notes or color coding can organize the data in a meaningful way.
Generating themes: After coding all the data into codes, these codes can be organized to identify recurring themes in the data. A theme is broader than codes, and many times involve interpreting codes and data.
Reviewing and refining themes: This process is analyzing the themes identified from the previous step. Each theme must be distinctive and clear, with identifiable differences and the themes must have data supporting them. Themes also have to align with the purpose of the analysis being performed. A thematic map can help organize thoughts and refine the themes into sub-themes with their corresponding codes.
Reporting: This is the last step of the thematic analysis. The methods and steps of this process need to be communicated and reported.
Jones, S. (2022, February 9). Interpreting themes from qualitative data: a thematic analysis. Eval Academy. Retrieved on February 15, 2023, from https://www.evalacademy.com/articles/interpreting-themes-from-qualitative-data-thematic-analysis
