Steps for Conducting Thematic Analysis 1. Familiarization with Data Start by immersing yourself in the data collected from interviews and focus groups. Take notes and begin to identify initial impressions, patterns, and interesting features. 2. Generating Initial Codes Develop a coding framework based on significant features of the data. Coding involves labeling sections of the data with descriptive tags (codes). Codes can be derived inductively (emerging from the data) or deductively (informed by existing theories or literature). For example, codes might include "financial challenges," "risk management strategies," or "student accessibility issues." 3. Searching for Themes Group related codes into broader themes. This step involves identifying overarching concepts that represent the essence of the coded data. For example, codes related to "funding issues," "budget constraints," and "resource allocation" could form the theme "Financial Challenges." 4. Reviewing Themes Evaluate the themes to ensure they accurately reflect the data and are coherent and distinct. This may involve revisiting the original data to confirm that the themes align with the participants' responses and experiences. 5. Defining and Naming Themes Create detailed definitions for each theme. Describe what each theme is about and what aspects of the data it captures. Choose clear, informative names for each theme that encapsulate the essence of the content. 6. Writing Up the Analysis Pre