Codes vs Themes in Thematic Analysis Explained

Work with me: https://survivingresearch.com/done-for-you-nvivo-thematic-analysis-service/ 📩 Email: [email protected]👈 Codes and themes are not the same thing — and confusing them is one of the most common mistakes in thematic analysis and qualitative data analysis. In this video, I break down the exact difference between codes and themes in qualitative research, so you can stop second-guessing your analysis and move forward with confidence. Whether you're following Braun and Clarke's reflexive thematic analysis or another approach, understanding this distinction is foundational. PhD students and dissertation researchers often reach the coding stage and hit a wall — they have hundreds of codes but no idea how to move to themes. This video solves that problem with a clear, practical explanation. 📌 What you will learn: ✅ What a code is and how it functions in thematic analysis ✅ What a theme is and how it differs from a code ✅ How to move from codes to themes in your analysis ✅ Common mistakes researchers make at this stage — and how to avoid them By the end, the distinction between codes and themes in qualitative analysis will be clear and actionable for your research. Link to mentioned video. How to analyze interview transcripts in qualitative research (RTA with Nvivo 14) https://youtu.be/j8-xA_cIG_4?si=F2Dr-vgvRMnZk8Fy References Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa Byrne, D. (2021). A worked example of Braun and Clarke’s approach to reflexive thematic analysis. Quality & Quantity, 56(56). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-021-01182-y Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:15 Two main approaches to thematic analysis 01:17 Analogy 02:13 Definition of codes 02:56 How to develop codes. 09:26 Definition of themes 09:41 How to develop codes.