How to conduct thematic analysis with ATLAS.ti

Who this article is for

Anyone who wants to use ATLAS.ti to conduct thematic analysis for interviews, focus groups, surveys, literature, observations, or other qualitative research data.

How to conduct thematic analysis in ATLAS.ti

ATLAS.ti provides a suite of tools specifically designed to support researchers through the various stages of thematic analysis, from data preparation to the final presentation of themes.

This section will cover the practical application of ATLAS.ti in thematic analysis, highlighting key functionalities and how they facilitate each step of the process. 

You can follow this workflow in ATLAS.ti Windows, Mac, and Web.

Step 1 – Importing and organizing data

The first step in utilizing ATLAS.ti for thematic analysis is importing and organizing your data within the software. ATLAS.ti accommodates a wide range of data types, including textual documents, audio files, videos, geographic data, social media comments, and images. Once imported, data can be organized into groups based on criteria such as source type or participant demographics, making it easier to manage and navigate through the data. This initial organization lays the groundwork for an efficient analysis process.

• In ATLAS.ti Windows

1. Create a new project or open an existing one. From the welcome screen click "New Project" or from an existing project click File > New > Create New Project

2. Add your documents to the project. From inside the project click Add Document > Add File(s)

3. Organised the data into group(s)

• Open the Document Manager.
• Select the documents (use Ctrl or Shift to select multiple documents).
• Drag and drop the selected documents into the left-side panel
• Enter a group name.
• Add documents to an existing group by dragging and dropping them into a group

• In ATLAS.ti Mac

1. Create a new project or open an existing one. From the start screen click "New Project" or from an existing project click Project > New

2. Add your documents to the project. From inside the project click Document > Add Documents

3. Organised the data into group(s)

• Open the Document Manager.
• Select the documents (use Cmd or Shift to select multiple documents).
• Drag and drop the selected documents into the left-side panel or right click and select New group from selection
• Enter a group name.
• Add documents to an existing group by dragging and dropping them into a group

• In ATLAS.ti Web

1. Create a new project or open an existing one. From the welcome screen click Add Project > Create Project

2. Add your documents to the project. From inside the project click Document manager > Add Documents
   1. You can select the document format you need to import. Please note that multimedia files are not yet supported.

3. Organised the data into group(s).
   1. In the Document Manager, click on the three dots in the top-right corner and select Groups from the drop-down menu.
   2. Enter the name(s) of your document group(s) and click the "+" button

c. From the Document Manager, select one or more documents using the checkboxes.

d. Click the three dots at the bottom of the screen.

e. Choose Add to Group and select the target group.

Step 2 – Familiarization and initial coding

Familiarization with the data is critical in thematic analysis. Use memos or comments to record early observations.

• In ATLAS.ti Windows
  • To create a new memo: Click Memo > Memos > New Memo

• You can add comments anywhere you interact with your document, for example: From the side panel:
  • Right-click on the document.
  • Select Edit Comment.
  • Enter the participant’s metadata in the comment field.
  • Save your changes.

• In ATLAS.ti Mac
  • To create a new memo: Click Memo > New Memo

• You can add comments anywhere you interact with your document, for example: From the document:
  • Open the document.
  • Click in the comment field in the side panel.
  • Enter your comment.

• In ATLAS.ti Web
  • To create a new memo: Click Memo Manager > New Memo

• You can add comments in two ways:
  • From the document:
    • Open the document.
    • Click the three dots (⋯) in the top right corner.
    • Enter your comment in the available field.

• From the Document Manager:
  • Open the Document Manager.
  • Select the document.
  • Enter your comment in the available field in the side panel.

• This phase is also supported by the software's ability to facilitate manual and AI-driven coding of the data. ATLAS.ti supports this process by allowing you to mark important passages, create quotations, and begin manual or AI-assisted coding. This step helps you build a deeper understanding of the data before developing more structured codes and themes.
  • Add initial codes manually:
    • Open a document.
    • Read through the content carefully.
    • Highlight a segment of data (this can be text, video, audio, images, or any other kind of qualitative you work with)
    • Right-click on the highlighted segment
    • Select the “apply codes” option
    • Type in your desired code name in the coding window, and press enter to attach the code
  • Use AI tools:
    • In ATLAS.ti Windows: Under the Search & Code tab, ATLAS.ti offers several ways of searching for relevant information in your data that can then be automatically coded. Features such as AI Coding, Intentional AI Coding, Text Search and Auto-Code, and Concept Search can support researchers in exploring large datasets more efficiently.

• In ATLAS.ti Mac: Several automatic coding and AI-supported analysis tools are available under the Analysis top menu.

• In ATLAS.ti Web: Several AI-supported and automatic coding are available. You can use:
  • AI Coding and AI Coding with Intention from the Tools option in the document toolbar.

• Smart Search from the Search tool to search for keywords, related terms, synonyms, or semantic concepts across your documents and automatically apply codes to matching segments.

• Concepts from the View section: Go to View > New View > Concepts

Step 3 – Refining codes and identifying themes

As your thematic analysis develops, the Code Manager can help refine and organize your coding system. You can group related codes into themes using code groups, create hierarchies with category codes and subcodes, merge duplicate codes, rename codes as concepts become clearer, and use colors to visually organize related ideas. Your codes can easily be edited in the code manager.

• In ATLAS.ti Windows: Codes > Codes

• In ATLAS.ti Mac: Code > Show Code Manager

• In ATLAS.ti Web: Click on Code Manager icon on the left side of the page

• In ATLAS.ti Windows and Mac: most options can be accessed by right-clicking on the selected code or codes.

• In ATLAS.ti Web: Select the checkbox next to the code name. A black toolbar will appear with additional options. Click the three dots menu to access actions. To rename a code, change its color, or add comments and descriptions, select Open in Sidebar.

• In ATLAS.ti Windows and Mac:
  • To add code(s) into a group:
    • Select the codes (use Ctrl/cmd or Shift to select multiple codes).
    • Right click and select "New group from selection" or drag and drop the selected codes into the left-side panel
    • Enter a group name.
    • Add codes to an existing group by dragging and dropping them into a group

• In ATLAS.ti Web: Select the checkbox next to the code name. A black toolbar will appear > click the three dots menu > Add to group.

• In ATLAS.ti Windows and Mac:
  • To create a code hierarchy, you can drag and drop the codes or splitting the codes. There are two ways to create a category: by moving codes via drag & drop under a free code, or by splitting a code that already has codings.
  • Create a new code.
  • Select one or more codes in the code list using the common selection techniques for multi selections.
  • Drag the codes to the newly created code. A context menu opens. Select "Move code... under..." Or,
  • Select a code that you want to split into subcodes.
  • Right-click and select the option Split into Subcodes, or click on the dropdown Tools in the ribbon and select Split into Subcodes from there.
  • The Split Code tool opens. Click on Add Codes to enter the labels for the subcodes. After entering the first code, press the down arrow to move to the next entry field to enter the second label, and so on. Once you are done, click on Add.

• In ATLAS.ti Web: You can organize codes into hierarchies in two ways:
  • Move existing codes under another code that will act as the parent or category code. This can be an existing free code (a code without quotations) or another category code. To do this, click the icon next to the checkbox beside the code name and select the option to move the code into a category code.

• Select multiple codes by ticking the checkboxes next to the code names. A black toolbar will appear at the bottom of the screen. Click the three dots menu, select Move X Codes, and then choose the code that will become the parent or category code.

Step 4 – Visualizing connections and reporting findings

• One of ATLAS.ti's strengths is its advanced data visualization capabilities. Researchers can use tools like Code Co-Occurrence Analysis to create visual representations of the relationships between codes and themes.
• Combinations of codes that overlap with each other can also illuminate themes in your data, perhaps more ably than discrete codes. This is different from understanding codes as groups, as an analysis for codes that frequently occur together in the data can give a sense of the relationships between different aspects of a phenomenon.
• The Co-Occurrence Analysis tool helps researchers determine co-occurrence between different codes by placing them in a table, a bar chart, a Sankey diagram, or a force-directed graph. These visualizations can illustrate the strength of relationships between codes to you and your research audience. The relationships themselves can also be useful in generating themes useful for your analysis.
• In ATLAS.ti Windows and Mac:
  • Open the Code Co-occurrence Analysis tool from the Analyze tab in ATLAS.ti Windows, or the Analysis menu in ATLAS.ti Mac
  • Select which codes you want to put in rows and columns
  • The table shows how many times each pair of codes appear together in your data (i.e., when codes appear on the same quotation or on overlapping quotations)

• Click on any cell to view the underlying quotations on the right-hand side

• Visualize the results as a Sankey diagram, bar chart, or force-directed graph from the view menu

• In ATLAS.ti Web: The Code Co-occurrence Table is available in the View section. Click the View icon on the left-hand side, then select New View > Code Co-occurrence Table.

• Additionally, ATLAS.ti supports the creation of diverse reports and exports, such as Sankey diagrams, force-directed graphs, clouds, networks, and more.
  • In ATLAS.ti Windows and Mac select the exported format under Export

• In ATLAS.ti Web: Currently, exporting data visualizations as images is not supported in ATLAS.ti Web. As a workaround, you can take a screenshot or move the project to the Desktop version to export the visualization.

Common issues and mistakes

• Starting to code before becoming familiar with the data
  • Read through your data first and write initial notes before creating too many codes.
• Creating too many overlapping codes
  • Review your code list regularly and merge or rename codes when they represent similar ideas.
• Treating codes and themes as the same thing
  • Codes label smaller pieces of data. Themes represent broader patterns across codes and quotations.
• Not reviewing themes against the full dataset
  • A theme should fit both the coded extracts and the wider dataset.
• Using different workflows across team members
  • If several people are coding, agree on coding rules, code definitions, and project workflow before starting.

When to contact support

Contact ATLAS.ti Support if:

• You cannot import or organize your data.
• Codes, quotations, or memos are not behaving as expected.
• You need help finding the right ATLAS.ti tools for your thematic analysis workflow.
• You experience errors while coding, grouping codes, or exporting reports.

When contacting support, please include:

• Your ATLAS.ti version.
• Your operating system or whether you are using ATLAS.ti Web.
• A description of your workflow.
• Screenshots or error messages, if available.