Nurse Researcher

evidence & practice

data management

Using the framework approach to analyse

qualitative data: a worked example
Alison Hackett, Karen Strickland

Implications for practice

• The framework approach helps researchers to immerse themselves in qualitative data and reflexivity, which can
increase their understanding of participants’ views and experiences
• To use it successfully, novice researchers should seek supervisors experienced in applying it to qualitative data
• Novice researchers should consider applying for training in qualitative analysis before collecting data

Citation
Hackett A, Strickland K (2018) Using the framework approach to analyse qualitative data: a worked example. Nurse Researcher. doi:
10.7748/nr.2018.e1580
Peer review
This article has been subject to external double-blind review and has been checked for plagiarism using automated software
Correspondence
alison.hackett@stir.ac.uk
Conflict of interest
None declared
Accepted:
20 November 2017
Published online
Xxxxx???

Abstract
Background Data management and analysis are crucial stages in research, particularly qualitative research, which accumulates large
volumes of data. There are various approaches that can be used to manage and analyse qualitative data, the framework approach
being one example widely used in nursing research.
Aims To consider the strengths and challenges of the framework approach and its application to practice. To help the novice
researcher select an approach to thematic analysis.
Discussion This paper provides an account of one novice researcher’s experience of using the framework approach for thematic
analysis. It begins with an explanation of the approach and why it was selected, followed by its application to practice using a worked
example, and an account of the strengths and challenges of using this approach.
Conclusion The framework approach offers the researcher a systematic structure to manage, analyse and identify themes, enabling
the development and maintenance of a transparent audit trail. It is particularly useful with large volumes of text and is suitable for use
with different qualitative approaches.

Author details
Alison Hackett, lecturer, faculty of health sciences and sport, school of nursing midwifery and health, University
of Stirling, Scotland; Karen Strickland, professor of nursing, clinical chair, faculty of health, University of
Canberra, Australia

Keywords
data collection, research, qualitative research

Introduction
Data management and analysis are crucial stages in research, particularly in qualitative research, where data analysis often starts
while data are being collected (Moule et al 2016). The volume of information collected means it is essential for qualitative researchers
to organise and manage the data to ensure it can be easily retrieved for analysis as well as assure others of the research’s rigour and
trustworthiness.
In view of this, it is important when designing a study to choose an analytical approach carefully (Parahoo 2014). However, this is
no easy task and can be challenging for the novice researcher. Deciding which approach is most appropriate depends not only on
understanding the approaches, but also the philosophical stances underpinning them (Morse et al 2002, Snape and Spencer 2010). The
aims of the research and the questions should also guide the decision (Spencer et al 2014, Parkinson et al 2016).
There are various approaches that can be undertaken to manage and analyse qualitative data. This paper will provide an account of
the author (AH’s) experience of using the ‘framework approach’ (Spencer et al 2003) for managing and thematically analysing data
from a qualitative study exploring UK school nurses (SN)’s perceptions of their roles and their training needs for child protection. It
begins with an explanation of framework and why it was selected, followed by its application to practice through a worked example,
and an account of the strengths and challenges of using this approach.

What is the framework approach?

Framework is an approach to qualitative data analysis that offers researchers a systematic structure to manage, analyse and identify
themes, and is particularly useful with large volumes of text. Ritchie and Spencer developed it in the 1980s at the UK’s National
Centre for Social Research for use in policy development research, which required a highly structured systematic approach to the
analysis of qualitative data (Ritchie and Lewis 2003 [Q1: Add Ritchie et al (2010)?]). Such a structured approach has been found to
provide useful guidance to novice researchers (Smith and Firth 2011).
Framework is matrix-based and comprises five interconnected stages that provide clear guidance on data analysis, from initial
collection and management through to the development of explanatory accounts (Smith and Firth 2011, Spencer et al 2014). Central to
the approach is the development of a ‘thematic framework’ specific to the research study. This enables the researcher to label, classify
and organise data in relation to main themes, concepts and categories (Ritchie et al 2010).
The framework is based on an analytical hierarchy, which Spencer et al (2010) chose to depict using the metaphor of a ladder, each
rung representing a distinct stage of analysis (Figure 1). This metaphor highlights the fact that qualitative analysis is a continuous,
flexible and iterative process in which the researcher frequently moves up and down between the different stages of analysis, and
backwards and forwards across the data to identify emerging themes.

Figure 1. Thematic framework ladder

Relevance to nursing research

Framework has been widely used in nursing research (McMillen 2008, Smith and Firth 2011, Swallow et al 2011, Ward et al 2013).
It is also commonly used in evaluation projects that have adopted a qualitative approach and can be used with a wide variety of
narrative methods of collecting data, such as interviews, focus groups, observation and documentary analysis (Spencer et al 2003).

Why was it selected?

Framework is not aligned to any particular epistemological, philosophical or theoretical approach, and can be used with a range of
qualitative approaches (Gale et al 2013). This was an important consideration when designing the study in this paper’s worked
example, as the philosophical assumptions underpinning a study’s approach can influence the analysis of its data (Holloway and
Wheeler 2010, Ritchie et al 2010).
 AH wanted an approach to analysing data congruent with an interpretive stance and that would support data management,
identification of themes and interpretation of participant accounts. Framework provides a highly structured approach to the analysis of
qualitative data. Although this does hint at considerable influence from the quantitative paradigm (Gale et al 2013), the processes are
flexible and iterative, helping the researcher to interpret the data. In addition, the systematic processes and the ability for analysis to be
completed without the help of a computer provides useful structure and guidance for novice researchers (Swallow et al 2003, Brunt
2011).

A worked example
A qualitative phenomenological approach was used to explore SNs’ perceptions of their roles and training needs for child protection.
Six SNs were purposefully selected and data collected using semi-structured interviews. Ethical approval was not required under NHS
research governance arrangements, as the project was considered an opinion survey. However, ethical approval was obtained from the
university research and ethics committee, and permission obtained from the local NHS board.
Informed written consent was obtained from participants and they were advised that participation was voluntary. Confidentiality was
assured by adhering to the Data Protection Act 1998, and participants were assigned numerical codes to anonymise data.
Stage 1. Familiarisation
Following each semi-structured interview (n=6), the first author made field notes and transcribed the audio recording of the
interview. She then read the transcripts with the field notes, to familiarise herself with the content of each interview and obtain a broad
overview of participants’ responses. In addition, she made notes on each transcript, jotting down any topics and ideas that were
interesting or significant. She also noted her thoughts in a reflective diary, which allowed her to reflect on each stage of the research
and her role in the study (Smith 2006, Jootun et al 2009).
This stage enabled AH to immerse herself in the data, which is crucial in ensuring that the labels developed in the next stage were
supported by the data (Spencer et al 2014).
Stage 2. Constructing a thematic framework
AH reviewed the list of topics and ideas that emerged during the first stage, while remaining cognisant of the aims of the study and
the topics in the interview topic guide (Box 1), as these reflected the research questions. Subsequently, she noted the topics and ideas
on Post-it Notes and arranged these on flip-chart paper in order of relevance to the topic guide and similarity of ideas emerging during
the interviews.

Box 1. Extract of interview topic guide

» Current knowledge, experience, qualifications and training
» Perceived role and responsibilities in relation to safeguarding and protecting children and young people
» Current involvement in child protection issues
» Perceived educational/training needs for identifying and responding to child protection issues
» Awareness of child protection courses/training
» Perceived/actual barriers to uptake of training/educational courses

These became the initial thematic framework or ‘coding index’ of themes and sub-themes, which was then used to label the data in
the next stage (Box 2). The exemplar provided by Ritchie et al (2010b)[Q2: There is no Richie et al (2010b) in references. Is it just
2010?] was a useful reference point for completing this second stage correctly.

Box 2. Extract from coding index

2 Experience
2.1 Length of time since first qualification
2.2 Length of time in position as a school nurse
2.3 Importance of experience
2.4 Other
[Q3: Is there a reason these are all numbered 2.x?]

Stage 3. Indexing and sorting

Once the index had been compiled, it was applied to the transcripts. The transcripts were reread and labels applied to each transcript.
This was particularly time-consuming because of the length of the transcripts and the need to read each paragraph line by line to
interpret its meaning and decide which label to apply (Ritchie et al 2010).
 Ritchie et al (2010b) )[Q4: There is no Richie et al (2010b) in references. Is it just 2010?] also advised that this process needs to
be completed systematically, so copies of each transcript were saved as Microsoft Word documents with the ‘Track changes’ and
‘New Comment’ functions enabled to record the labels in their right-hand margins. Although this was time-consuming, it made
reading the labels easier, which was especially advantageous during later stages of analysis when constantly moving backwards and
forwards across data.
Following completion of indexing, the indexed transcripts were printed so the first author could reread them and develop thematic
charts.
Stage 4. Data summary and display
Ritchie et al (2010b) )[Q5: There is no Richie et al (2010b) in references. Is it just 2010?] suggested that, when constructing
thematic charts for initial themes, it is essential to record information for each participant and include a column to record any
comments. The first author used numbers to anonymise each of the participants, one verbatim quote from each participant, and the
comments box to note an initial interpretation and other relevant information such as changes in the participants’ tone of voice and any
noises that they made (see Table 1 for an extract of a thematic chart). For example, during one interview, the participant banged on a
table when making a point.

Table 1. Extract of thematic chart for experience

Experience 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Comments
Participant Length of time Length of time Importance of experience Other issues
number since first in position as a
qualification school nurse
School nurse 2 Qualified in Started in 2005 ‘Life experience brings you This nurse values life
1995 (17 years) (six years) to that too. If I had come experience and views it
into school nursing straight as important for her role
as a newly qualified nurse as a school nurse. School
without a whole load of life nurse 2 feels that
experience, I probably experience is essential to
would not have the same help in the identification of
ability to pick up on little child protection issues
things’

During this stage, it was essential to reread the transcripts and listen again to the audio recordings to ensure further immersion in the
data.
Stage 5. Mapping and interpretation
Following completion of the thematic charts (n=8) for each of the initial themes, the next stage was to develop the main themes and
sub-themes. This required constructing more charts, and mapping and interpretation of the data (Table 2), by going backwards and
forwards across the transcripts to obtain and clarify information and select relevant and appropriate quotes. It was also necessary to go
backwards and forwards across the thematic charts developed for the initial themes, to begin interpreting and making sense of data.

Table 2. Extract of the development of theme two: learning in practice

Data charted in column 2.3 (importance of Elements/dimensions identified-in order Theme/sub-theme
experience) identified in chart
School nurse 2. ‘You might have looked on it Life experience seems to be important for the Learning in practice/importance of
differently without the experience or not to be identification of child protection issues experience
able to pick that up the same. So that is
where life experience comes in’ (p2)
School nurse 6. ‘The more times you have to Feels that learning through experience Learning in practice/learning from experience
deal with situations, the more that you learn gained on the job is important
and you develop skills and strategies to help
you cope based on what went well and what
did not go well’ (p7)

Three main themes and six sub-themes emerged (Table 3). To assure the trustworthiness of the study, it was important that the
names assigned to the themes and sub-themes reflected the voices of the participants, and that the themes ‘gave voice’ to the
participants’ perceptions of their experiences.
 Table 3. Main themes and sub-themes
Theme Sub-themes
Role confusion » Lack of clarity
» Variation in practice
» Competing demands
Learning in practice » Importance of experience
» Learning from experience
» Learning from others
Learning in practice » Self-development
[Q6: Why is ‘Learning in practice’ repeated as a theme?] » Supporting child and young person
» Practice development

While the vast amount of information can feel overwhelming, this process does allow the researcher to become more immersed in
the data (Ritchie et al 2010, Smith et al 2011). The thematic charts enable the themes to be visibly represented and provide a
transparent audit trail, helping to explain how the data have been interpreted. Moreover, the use of a reflexive approach adds to the
rigour and trustworthiness of the findings (Bulpitt and Martin 2010, Freshwater et al 2010).

Framework: the strengths

Framework provides the researcher with a systematic structure that is visual and transparent, enabling the development and
maintenance of a clear audit trail from the start of data analysis (Tobin and Begley 2004, Vivar 2007, Smith and Firth 2011). This
allows others to follow the methods, processes and decisions taken to produce the findings and to make conclusions, which is an
important consideration when planning how to evidence a study’s robustness and rigour (Tobin and Begley 2004, Gale et al 2013,
Ward et al 2013). It also provides a step-by-step guide to the management and thematic analysis of data, which was particularly helpful
as its systematic nature helped to effectively organise and reduce data (NatCen Learning 2012, Gale et al 2013). This can also be
advantageous if a multidisciplinary team is undertaking the research (Gale et al 2013, Ward et al 2013, Parkinson et al 2016), as the
visual display of data makes it transparent for others to follow.
Another important strength of framework is that coding and charting enable the researcher to look down at emerging themes
(thematic analysis) and look across cases (case analysis), which can help to identify patterns (NatCen Learning 2012, Gale et al 2013).
Furthermore, as it is continuous and iterative, it provides researchers with the ability to move backwards and forwards across the data,
which helps them to become more familiar with and immerse themselves in it (Smith et al 2011), ultimately leading to a better
understanding of the perceptions and experiences’ of the study’s participants (Gale et al 2013).
Finally, framework can be used without qualitative data analysis software such as NVivo (Swallow et al 2003, Brunt 2011). This can
be of benefit to research students, who have limited time to complete their dissertations and not enough to learn how to use a specific
computer programme. Limited finances may also restrict access as many student dissertations are not funded research. However,
framework is also suitable for use with qualitative data handling packages (Gale et al 2013, Ward et al 2013, Parkinson et al 2016),
and NVivo has developed framework matrices to support framework analysis. This is a useful feature, especially when the data set is
large and multiple researchers are to be involved (Spencer et al 2014).

Framework: the challenges

There are some challenges when using this approach that should be accounted for when writing the research proposal. As with all
qualitative data analysis, it is time-consuming and resource-intensive, so the required time and resources should be included in the
research proposal, ideally before applications for funding are made (Gale et al 2013).
Making sense of the terminology is challenging and it can be confusing for the novice, although again this is true of many
approaches to qualitative data analysis. Spencer et al (2014) acknowledged there is a lack of agreement in qualitative analysis literature
about the use of terms, in particular ‘codes’, ‘themes’ and ‘categories’. However, the authors contend that rather than getting caught up
trying to work out the difference between a code and an index and a theme and a category, it is more important to understand the basic
analytical steps, which will provide the rigour.
In addition, creating the theoretical framework, constructing the thematic charts and summarising the data can be complicated,
especially if there is any ambiguity in the data. For example, in this study, one participant stated that they were clear about their role in
child protection, but then stated that they were unsure about their role. Consequently, the first author found herself trying to interpret
the meaning of subjective data at too early a stage in the process as more ideas emerged during mapping and interpretation. Parkinson
et al (2016) concurred and stressed the importance of being mindful of the aims of the research and the research questions throughout
the analysis. Furthermore, Gale et al (2013) highlighted that to successfully apply the framework approach, researchers should be
experienced in or trained in qualitative analysis, while IT skills, particularly the construction of spreadsheets, are crucial in the
development of the index and charting of the data, if specialist software isn’t being used to do this.

Reflections
Despite some of the challenges experienced in applying framework, its strengths outweigh the challenges and it provides a structure
for novice and experienced researchers. An important strength is that it is systematic and flexible, providing a framework to guide the
novice researcher through analysis of data.
The analytical hierarchy provided clear guidance on the stages that needed to be followed and the development of an index, which
was applied to the transcripts, provided consistency and helped to develop the initial thematic charts. Although there were different
charts for each of the initial themes, it was easier to identify similarities and differences of opinion between participants’ views.
Training in qualitative analysis would have been useful and AH intends to obtain training in framework matrices for her doctoral
study.

Conclusion
This paper considers the use of the framework approach in qualitative research and provides an account of one [Q7: What was
KS’s involvement with this paper?] novice researcher’s experience of using framework for qualitative data analysis. Framework is
an approach that provides researchers with a systematic and flexible structure to manage and analyse their data, enabling the
development and maintenance of a transparent audit trail. It can be used with or without the assistance of software, and is suitable for
the thematic analysis of different qualitative approaches. It also allows researchers to become immersed in their data, increasing their
understanding of participants’ experiences.
However, it can be complicated to use, resource-intensive and time-consuming, although arguably all methods of qualitative
analysis are time-consuming and resource-intensive. For these reasons, novice researchers should consider applying for training in
qualitative analysis before collecting data. Seeking supervisors who are experienced in the framework approach would ensure novice
researchers receive appropriate support and guidance.

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Figure 1 . Thematic framework ladder

Mapping and
interpretation
Data summary and
display
Indexing and sorting

Constructing a
thematic framework
Familiarisation