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A fused mixed-methods approach to thematic analysis of personal networks: Two case studies of caregiver support networks

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 May 2021

Reza Yousefi Nooraie Open the ORCID record for Reza Yousefi Nooraie [Opens in a new window] ,
Bronwyn Thompson ,
Chelsea D’Silva ,
Ian Zenlea ,
Maryam Tabatabaee  and
Ardavan Mohammad Aghaei
Reza Yousefi Nooraie*
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Rochester, 265 Crittenden Blvd., CU 420644, Rochester, New York 14642, USA
Bronwyn Thompson
Affiliation:
Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada (e-mails: bronthomp88@gmail.com, chelsea.d’silva@thp.ca, Ian.Zenlea@thp.ca)
Chelsea D’Silva
Affiliation:
Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada (e-mails: bronthomp88@gmail.com, chelsea.d’silva@thp.ca, Ian.Zenlea@thp.ca)
Ian Zenlea
Affiliation:
Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada (e-mails: bronthomp88@gmail.com, chelsea.d’silva@thp.ca, Ian.Zenlea@thp.ca) Division of Children’s Health, Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Maryam Tabatabaee
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Tehran University of Medical sciences, Tehran, Iran (e-mails: marytabaee@gmail.com, ardavanaghaei@gmail.com)
Ardavan Mohammad Aghaei
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Tehran University of Medical sciences, Tehran, Iran (e-mails: marytabaee@gmail.com, ardavanaghaei@gmail.com)
*
*Corresponding author. Email: Reza_Yousefi-nooraie@URMC.Rochester.edu
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Abstract

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Thematic analysis of personal networks involves identifying regularities in network structure and content, and grouping networks into types/clusters, to allow for a holistic understanding of social complexities. We propose an inductive approach to network thematic analysis, applying the learnings from qualitative coding, fused mixed-methods analysis, and typology development. It involves framing (changing focus by magnifying, aggregating, and graphical configuration), pattern detection (identification of underlying dimensions, sorting, and clustering), labeling, and triangulating (confirmation and fine-tuning using quantitative and qualitative approaches); applied repeatedly and emergently. We describe this approach utilized in two cases of studying support networks of caregivers.

Keywords

network analysismixed methodstypologyego-networkscaregiver networks
Type
Research Article
Information
Network Science , Volume 9 , Issue 2 , June 2021 , pp. 236 - 253
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

Footnotes

Action Editor: Laura Koehly

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