Stage 3 · RefiningTutorial 8 of 21 · 7 minutes · Written

Record connections between themes

Draw the links you see between themes, codes and sub-codes, each marked Empirical or Theoretical, with a note on why.

Open the live demoDownload the template
  • What you needA loaded project with at least two themes, or the demo.
  • How longAbout seven minutes.
  • At the endConnections drawn on the map and saved in your Connections file.

Step by step

The same steps as the video, written out so you can follow at your own pace.

Steps
  1. Switch to Work mode in the node network
  2. Add a branch
  3. Describe it
  4. Show or hide connections
  5. Save your progress

Switch to Work mode in the node network

Choose Node network from Figure style and Work from Interaction. The tools for marking connections appear.

Add a branch

Choose + Add branch and pick the two themes, codes or sub-codes to link. They can be in the same theme or in different ones.

Describe it

Add a note on why the two are linked, choose Empirical or Theoretical, and set a direction if one leads to the other. An arrow always points at the effect.

Tip: Empirical is a link you can point to in the data, drawn solid. Theoretical is one you propose, drawn dashed.

Show or hide connections

The Show connections menu offers All connections, Open theme connections and Hide connections.

Save your progress

Links marked in the viewer are written to the Connections file when you save your progress. You can also add links as rows in the Connections tab of your spreadsheet.

Your path

Every tutorial in order. This one is marked, and the ones you finish fill in.

  1. Getting started

    From the template or an NVivo project to your first map, and saving it as files you keep.

    0 of 3 done
    1. Load your first fileMake a copy of the template, code a few rows, and open them in the viewer to see your first map.Getting started10 minutesOpen the tutorial
    2. Save your progress and carry on laterThemescape keeps no copy of your project. Save your work as files on your computer and load them next time.Getting started5 minutesOpen the tutorial
    3. Import a project from NVivo, MAXQDA or ATLAS.tiExport your NVivo, MAXQDA or ATLAS.ti project in the REFI-QDA format and import it, so your coding opens as a map without retyping.Getting started8 minutesOpen the tutorial

  2. Exploring

    Reading the map in its three views, opening themes in the reader and searching your project.

    0 of 3 done
    1. Move between the three viewsThe node network, the hierarchy and the file tree show the same coding. Learn what each one shows and when to reach for it.Exploring6 minutesOpen the tutorial
    2. Read a theme's definition and quotesSelect any theme or code to read its working definition, the participants behind it and its quotes, without leaving the map.Exploring5 minutesOpen the tutorial
    3. Search across codes, themes and quotesFind the theme, code or line of quote text you remember, and go straight to it on the map.Exploring4 minutesOpen the tutorial

  3. Refining

    Definitions, favourite quotes and connections in Work mode, and restructuring themes in the spreadsheet.

    0 of 7 done
    1. Edit definitions and favourite quotes in Work modeRewrite working definitions beside the quotes they account for, star your strongest evidence, and save the changes as files.Refining8 minutesOpen the tutorial
    2. Record connections between themesDraw the links you see between themes, codes and sub-codes, each marked Empirical or Theoretical, with a note on why.Refining7 minutesOpen the tutorial
    3. Merge, split and rename themesRestructure your analysis in the spreadsheet, where the coding lives, then load the files again to see the new shape.Refining8 minutesOpen the tutorial
    4. Arrange the map with Custom placementPut themes and codes where they make sense to you, in each view, and keep the arrangement in your layout file.Refining5 minutesOpen the tutorial
    5. Load a published model and check the mappingMap your coded data into a published model or framework, and check how it maps before you open the model.Refining8 minutesOpen the tutorial
    6. Change relationships and keep a reflexive logIn Model mode's Work mode, add relationships found in your data, adjust the published ones, and record why in the reflexive log.Refining8 minutesOpen the tutorial
    7. Try arrangements of a modelMove a model's top level parts to new rows and columns, save the arrangement under a name, and compare it with others.Refining5 minutesOpen the tutorial

  4. Presenting

    Present mode, figures from Build mode and taking your changes back to the spreadsheet.

    0 of 5 done
    1. Present to a supervisor or a panelHide the tools and walk through your themes, bringing your favourite quotes forward as you talk.Presenting5 minutesOpen the tutorial
    2. Make a figure in Build modeTurn a figure style into a finished figure, set its colours and export it for a thesis, article or poster. Build mode is in beta.Presenting10 minutesOpen the tutorial
    3. Bring your changes back into your spreadsheetTake the definitions, favourites and connections you refined in Themescape back into your coding workbook, in the same format.Presenting6 minutesOpen the tutorial
    4. Choose a starting layout and arrange a figureStart a Build mode figure from one of the figure styles, then move, shape, align and group its parts. Build mode is in beta.Presenting8 minutesOpen the tutorial
    5. Undo, Reset, Fit and Show hidden in Build modeHide what a figure does not need, undo a step, start again from the starting layout, and fit the figure to the screen.Presenting5 minutesOpen the tutorial

  5. Guided analysis

    For Student plans: working through Braun and Clarke's Phases 3 to 5 in Themescape for students.

    0 of 3 done
    1. Start guided analysis, and come backOn a Student plan, take your project into guided analysis in Themescape for students, save your progress, and return to the main viewer.Guided analysis5 minutesOpen the tutorial
    2. Generate and review themes in guided analysisPhase 3 sorts your codes into piles of candidate themes. Phase 4 reviews each candidate against its quotes and the whole dataset.Guided analysis10 minutesOpen the tutorial
    3. Refine, define and name themes in guided analysisPhase 5 gives each theme a name, a central organising concept and a definition, sets the order of your write up and confirms each theme.Guided analysis8 minutesOpen the tutorial

Your data stays with you

Themescape reads your data in the browser. The host never receives it.

  • Read locally

    Transcripts and quotes are read locally and never leave the machine.

  • Nothing to submit

    No file submission or permanent storage is required.

  • Quotes untouched

    Verbatim quotes are never altered, with a separate refined column for presentation wording.

  • Sheets is opt in

    The Google Sheets mode is opt in, for non-sensitive data only.

Read about privacy and data
Your file. Your browser. Your screen. Nothing travels to Themescape.

Common questions

Short answers to what researchers ask most. The FAQ page has the rest.

See all questions

What is the difference between a solid and a dashed line?

A solid line is an Empirical connection, a link seen in the data, such as a code or experience two themes share. A dashed line is a Theoretical connection, an association you propose with no code between them yet. Either can carry an arrow pointing to the effect, where one leads to another.

Does Themescape suggest connections?

No. You decide every link. Themescape draws the connections you record, in Work mode or in the Connections tab, and suggests nothing.

Can I link a code in one theme to a code in another?

Yes. A connection can join any two themes, codes or sub-codes, in the same theme or in different ones. In the Connections tab a sub-code is written as Code > Sub-code: the code name, a space, the > sign, a space, then the sub-code name.

See your own themes come to life

Try the live demo or start a 7 day free trial. Your data is read in your browser and never leaves your computer.

Try the live demoStart 7 day free trial