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9 months ago in Epistemology , Research Methodology , Thematic Analysis By AnthonyEngix
What distinguishes inductive (data-driven) thematic analysis from deductive (theory-driven) thematic analysis in the context of a PhD, and what are the philosophical implications of choosing one approach over the other?
I'm at a crossroads designing my analysis. I understand the textbook difference between inductive and deductive TA, but I'm struggling with the deeper implications. What does choosing a primarily data-driven versus theory-driven path mean for my study's philosophical grounding and the kind of knowledge I claim to produce in my PhD?
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By Chris Answered 2 months ago
This is a pivotal choice that shapes your entire claim to knowledge. In practice, inductive means your themes are strongly linked to the data itself, with prior theory taking a back seat it often aligns with a constructionist epistemology, producing knowledge from the participant's world. Deductive starts with a theoretical lens (e.g., using a specific model's concepts as themes), testing or exploring it within your data, often aligning with a more realist or critical stance. For your PhD, you must be explicit: are you generating new insight from the ground up, or are you examining how existing ideas manifest in a new context? This dictates the "so what" of your findings.
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