Sitting with the Data: Experimenting with Meditative Thematic Analysis

Authors

Steve Haberlin, University of Central FloridaFollow

Abstract

While qualitative researchers have turned to non-traditional forms and methods to collect and analyze data, including contemplative and mindfulness approaches to inquiry relatively little has been written in the professional literature about how to specifically use meditation techniques as a qualitative data analysis method. In this article, I describe how I engaged in meditation and used mindfulness to code data and derive thematic patterns during the completion of my dissertation at the University of South Florida. I explore the notion of practicing meditation to foster a creative silence, which may encourage insights and thematic findings to emerge more spontaneously.

Keywords

contemplative inquiry, meditation, mindful inquiry, mindfulness

Author Bio(s)

Steve Haberlin is an assistant professor of curriculum and instruction at the University of Central Florida. His research centers on the use of mindfulness and meditation practices within educational contexts. He is the author of Meditation in the College Classroom: A Pedagogical Tool to Help Students De-Stress, Focus, and Connect. Please direct correspondence to steve.haberlin@ucf.edu

Publication Date

7-29-2024

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2024.6636

Recommended APA Citation

Haberlin, S. (2024). Sitting with the Data: Experimenting with Meditative Thematic Analysis. The Qualitative Report, 29(7), 1969-1980. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2024.6636