In four weeks go from stuck with your qualitative data to a thematic analysis you are proud to defend
A four-week cohort programme for doctoral students and professional researchers working with Braun and Clarke's Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Live training, group coaching, and peer support to help you complete your analysis with rigour and confidence.
Next Virtual Cohort Starts
Monday 6 July (4 weeks)
Mondays 10.00 - 12.00 (BST): Live training session
Thursdays 14.00 - 15.30 (BST: Group coaching & practice
*Limited places
Learn alongside researchers who know exactly what you are going through
Get answers to your specific questions from someone who has sat on both sides of the examination table
Produce analysis that stands up to examiner scrutiny, with a documented audit trail to prove it
Build a systematic, defensible process that you can explain clearly and confidently
Work directly with your own data, so you leave with real progress made, not just theoretical knowledge
Stop second-guessing yourself. Know why you made each decision and be able to justify it
Get perspectives from peers who are working through the same challenges in real time
Finish the programme with weeks of analysis done, not just notes on how to start
Create the audit trail that examiners expect to see, built as you go
Get unstuck fast, with expert guidance tailored to your specific data and research context
4 Week Bootcamp
A unique and ground-breaking approach to support and guide students and researchers through the analysis process.
Go on a journey of analysis and interpretation with peers and an expert.
Structured learning combining intensive live training with collaborative group coaching and practice sessions.
This is the first cohort, which means you get something the next group will not: direct access to Karen throughout, a deliberately small group for more personalised support, and an early-adopter price that will not be available again. In return, we ask that you attend the live sessions, engage with the coursework, and share your feedback at the end. You will get more from this cohort than any future version of it.
Weekly live training sessions
2 hours of expert led content each week, including coding and analysis training. Deep dives into each phase of Braun & Clarke's framework with practical examples, live Q&A, and methodological guidance to strengthen your analytical foundation. Sessions are recorded for you to watch back and for those who are unable to join each live weekly session.
Mondays 10.00 - 12.00 (BST)
Weekly group coaching & practice
1.5 hours of live group coaching with peers. Work through real data extracts, troubleshoot analytical challenges, and refine your coding and thematic decisions alongside fellow doctoral researchers in a supportive cohort setting.
Thursdays 14.00 - 15.30 (BST)
Implement Braun & Clarke's six phase approach with structured coding, reflexive documentation, and systematic theme development. Strengthen methodological rigour, enhance transparency, and produce publication and viva ready qualitative research that you are proud to have created.
Week 1. Position yourself as a reflexive researcher and understand RTA
Most researchers feel unsure about where to begin and whether they are approaching analysis the right way. This module gives you the conceptual grounding to move forward with clarity.
Understand RTA foundations, epistemological positioning, and the reflexive mindset essential for qualitative thematic analysis.
Week 2. Learn to generate meaningful codes
Coding can feel overly-complicated and abstract. This module gives you a systematic, defensible process for developing codes that accurately represent your data.
Develop and refine your coding process.
Move from data familiarisation to semantic and latent code development.
Consider inductive and deductive coding.
Week 3. Transform codes into robust themes
This is where many researchers lose confidence, unsure if what they are seeing in the data is really a pattern.
This module walks you through the process of building strong themes.
Organise coded data, identify overarching patterns, and synthesise candidate themes with strong analytical grounding.
Develop and review your themes and thematic map.
Week 4. Create publication and viva ready analysis
The goal is not just to finish your analysis. It is to be able to present it with confidence, knowing the decisions you made were the right ones and you can explain exactly why.
Refine, define and name your themes.
Generate a final map.
Demonstrate methodological rigour.
Leave with a substantial portion of your analysis complete and concrete plans for remaining work.
ABOUT
Meet Dr Karen Lumsden
Karen is a qualitative research specialist with over 22 years of experience in thematic analysis, qualitative research design, doctoral supervision, mentoring and coaching. She has supported thousands of researchers across social sciences, healthcare, and education in developing rigorous, publication-ready qualitative studies.
She set up Qualitative Training in 2019 to better train and support students and professional researchers on their research journeys.
Karen has not only taught reflexive thematic analysis to thousands of researchers. She has also supervised doctoral candidates, examined their work, and seen firsthand the types of questions which examiners and reviewers ask about qualitative analysis. When she guides you through your analysis, she is not only teaching you the method. She is preparing you for the moment you will be asked to defend it.
For more info visit: www.qualitativetraining.com
Or connect on LinkedIn here.
Decades of experience in the use of Braun & Clarke's Reflexive Thematic Analysis including delivery of highly rated training in the approach.
Published researcher with expertise in qualitative methodology and methods, reflexivity, and research ethics.
Award winning author of Crafting Autoethnography. 2026 International Association of Autoethnography and Narrative Inquiry award for 'outstanding edited book of the year'.
Experienced supervisor and mentor supporting doctoral candidates, professional researchers and interdisciplinary teams to improve and defend their qualitative work.
"The training provided a comprehensive overview. Karen broke the steps down with the use of examples, making the approach easy to understand and apply. The practical training workshop was particularly valuable, allowing us to gain confidence by practicing these skills. Karen also spent the time to tailor advice to meet the needs of each attendee which was so helpful. I highly recommend this course to anyone looking to deepen their understanding of thematic analysis."
Harriet Boyd
PhD candidate
"I have been feeling a bit intimidated about using thematic analysis for my dissertation, but this provided me with a lot of knowledge and ample opportunity to practice coding skills. I feel a lot more confident after having attended. Karen is very knowledgeable, kind, and encouraging. I would recommend this to anyone new to Thematic Analysis or qualitative research."
Chima Itabor
PhD candidate
"I just wanted to thank you again for an amazing training course today. It was not only a refresher of knowledge, but your perspective and experience has really helped me to look at things differently. This will be invaluable for my analysis and write up period."
Charlie Roberts
PhD Candidate, University of Essex
"I am a full time NHS Nursing Leader and Part Time PhD student undertaking an ethnographic study. I attended Karen's Thematic Analysis session recently and would absolutely recommend it. The session was detailed enough to ensure a good understanding of TA but whilst also being practical and realistic. Karen is kind and knowledgeable, ensuring that all participants felt included and answering both general questions and those that related to individual projects. Thanks Karen!"
Lesley Butterworth
Yorkshire Ambulance Service
Student rate
£495
Full four-week bootcamp with live training and group coaching:
4 weeks of live training sessions
Weekly group coaching and practice
Complete reflexive documentation suite
Thematic mapping guidance and templates
Access to the Qualitative Training community
Certificate of completion
Professional rate
£645
Full four-week bootcamp with live training and group coaching:
4 weeks of live training sessions
Weekly group coaching and practice
Complete reflexive documentation suite
Thematic mapping guidance and templates
Access to the Qualitative Training community
Certificate of completion
FAQ
Still have some questions before you dive in and commit?
Here are some answers to common questions.
PhD students
Masters students
Professional academic researchers
Health researchers
Social researchers in government, charity or public sector
Practitioners conducting qualitative research
Researchers preparing publications
Researchers seeking coding reliability approaches
Those looking for automated analysis or AI tools
Those who want software training only
Those who want a consultant to do the analysis for them or work on their analysis
You don't need to attend all of the live sessions but it is recommended. To get the most out of the programme you should prioritise the live group coaching and practice sessions to benefit from expert and peer support, and explore reflexive thematic analysis in practice. This opportunity won't be provided on future cohort dates so it is a good idea to take up this unique opportunity.
Yes, all sessions will be recorded and available to watch back for 30 days after the final live training session.
No. It is possible to start analysis of data you have collected so far (as qualitative analysis can be iterative). Or, if you prefer, you can work on data sets provided by the trainer for the practical aspects.
AI is not used in this training. It is also requested that participants do not upload any of the training materials, or data provided for practice in this programme, into any AI tools.
No. This would be unethical and inappropriate. My role is to guide you through the process, provide you with support and feedback to help you stay on the correct path, answer any questions you have, and help you build confidence in the strength and quality of your own work, so you can present it as such and be proud of it. You will do this alongside your peers, which helps you all to build in collaborative and peer reflexive analysis practice.
You do not need access to any software for this programme. We focus on the foundations and principles, and manual coding and analysis of qualitative data. You can choose to adopt software for the practice or at a later date, but the programme does not include trainer support for specific software programmes.
There are two rates: discounted student rate and professional researcher rate. Full payment must be received in advance of the first live session date in order to secure your place. Places are limited. Refund policy is 100% refund up to 7 days prior to the first live training session. 50% refund 3-6 days prior to first session. Less than 2 days before no refund (unless there is a waiting list and it is at trainer discretion to refund under these circumstances). Transfer to a future programme date may also be possible (at trainer discretion).
Not ready to commit to the 4 week programme?
Are you earlier in your research journey?
Do you need the essential training but not coaching and peer support?
Sign up for our next half-day live virtual Reflexive Thematic Analysis Masterclass instead on 29 July 2026.
Join our waitlist
If you're looking for support beyond July 2026, join our waitlist to be the first to receive details of upcoming Bootcamp and Masterclass dates on Reflexive Thematic Analysis.
Days
Hours
Minutes
P.S. Act quickly. This is a limited time offer...
Join our newsletter
Sign up for the very best training and coaching, and the latest news on qualitative methods.
Weekly tips, tricks and resources
Regular live masterclasses, recorded content, and cohort programmes to support your qualitative research needs
Community of 1000+ readers
© 2026 Qualitative Training. All rights reserved.
