Hi, greatly appreciate if anyone can help me to point out the differences between these two approaches. I need to carry out two studies. Study 1: the method to collect the data will be based on structured questionnaires and semi-structured interview. Study 2: the method will be based on in-depth interviews. For Study 1, my supervisors told me to use thematic approach to do data analysis as it involves semi-structured interviews and Study 2, go with framework analysis. Thematic for study 1 sounds logically enough to me but I don't understand why I need to use Framework for study 2 as I don't see the differences. From my reading for qualitative approaches, Thematic is more easier to do and learn when comparing to the other ones. Also, both Thematic and Framework share similar methodological principles, such as identifying, analysing and reporting themes/patterns within data. But the procedures may vary, which Framework has a more structure laid out. Please let me know if I am right on this point?

I thought I can use Thematic for both studies. Can someone please tell me the differences between them? and examples when to choose thematic and not framework? Many thanks for your help.

Hi Hydi,

I not know the difference between a thematic approach and a framework one. I know that the framework approach is often used in health care research. The idea it to have a relative good idea about that you are going to talk about (topic guide!), then to do all the interviews, then to put the data together, start looking for themes and based on that create a framework.

As such a framework approach is useful to identify themes and to use when time and resources are limited.

Please note that "grounded theory" is often used, this means that you analyse while you collect, while with a framework approach you collect things more or less all at once and then start analysing.

Hydi, I am also not sure of the difference between framework and thematic approach. You probably know the the national centre for social research uses framework
http://www.natcen.ac.uk/natcen/pages/hw_framework.htm#
My understanding of framework is that you bring together all the themes into a matrix - This can be organised by for example putting all the responses for a particular questions together. I understand its a good way to organise and get familiar with your data.

Thanks Rick and Bulb for the information. I thought I could use Thematic or framework for data collection of my Study 1 and 2. As far as I know and like you said, framework is more structure. I also heard that you use it when you have a priori. I am not sure if this is always the case. But I couldn't find any sources to justify this and I couldn't ask my 4 supervisors: 3 suggested me to use these approaches and one asked why use ramework but not the other?. I also know for sure they will throw the same question in my face on my first viva. So I have to figure out now how to answer the question.

sorry I have misspelled "Bulbs" but "Bulb"