How to write up your Braun and Clarke Reflexive Thematic Analysis (without losing your mind)
Okay, writing up your Braun and Clarke reflexive thematic analysis... sigh. You've done the hard work - immersed yourself in the data, developed codes, crafted insightful themes - and now you're staring down that final mountain: writing it all up.
Let’s be honest, this is the stage where lots of people get stuck. You’ve got something brilliant sitting in your notes, and when it comes to putting it into words? Total blank. I’ve supported postgraduate students through their dissertations for over 20 years, and this is the bit that trips up even the most diligent of folks.
So if you’re there right now, wondering how on earth to turn all that coding and theme development into a compelling narrative, you’re in the right place.
First things first: what is the write-up?
Think of this part as storytelling. You’re moving from sorting, coding, and identifying patterns to crafting a narrative that actually makes sense to someone who wasn’t knee-deep in your transcripts for weeks - or months - on end. You’re not just reporting what people said - you’re interpreting what it means.
That means:
Describing your themes
Using illustrative quotes to ground your analysis
Interpreting what it all adds up to, and why it matters
Your job here is to guide the reader through the journey. You're not handing over raw puzzle pieces and saying “good luck!”, you're showing them the full picture.
Structuring your thematic analysis write-up
Let’s break this down into super-simple steps. I’ll use an example to help illustrate things: a qualitative study exploring remote work experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Let’s say your research title is: Exploring the impact of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
After your initial paragraph or two introducing the chapter, start by telling your reader what your main themes are. Don’t save them up like a surprise twist - give them a clear roadmap right from the start.
For example:
“This chapter explores four central themes that emerged from the data. These themes highlight how remote work reshaped social and professional dynamics, blurred the lines between personal and professional lives, introduced new modes of communication, and triggered self-reflection around productivity. The themes were…”
Then, name the themes straight away - like this:
Dynamics of remote work relationships
Balancing work-life dynamics in remote settings
The role of digital communication in shaping work culture
Reflections on productivity and self-discipline
Nice and clear. Your reader now knows what to expect.
Writing up each theme: one at a time
Think of each theme as a mini chapter. Each one should include:
A description of the theme
Illustrative quotes from your participants
Your interpretation and analysis
Let’s walk through an example together from the same project we used above.
Start by introducing the theme:
“This theme explores how participants struggled with the blurred boundaries between work and home life during periods of remote working. Many found it difficult to establish a clear divide between professional responsibilities and personal time, and described the impact this had on their routines, wellbeing, and sense of identity.”
Then, bring in some illustrative quotes:
🗨️ “I found myself replying to emails at 11pm because there was no clear end to the workday anymore.”
🗨️ “I couldn’t switch off. Even on weekends, I’d feel guilty if I wasn’t logged in or checking Slack.”
🗨️ “My home stopped feeling like a home. It was just another workspace with a kitchen.”
These quotes do a lot of the heavy lifting - they bring the theme to life and ground your analysis in real voices. Just be careful to select quotes that are meaningful and representative. Each one should earn its place.
“You’re not handing over raw puzzle pieces and saying ‘good luck!’, you’re showing them the full picture.”
Interpretation and analysis: the ‘So, what?’
Now we get to the juicy bit - interpreting your theme. This is where you connect the dots and explain why this theme matters.
Ask yourself:
What does this theme reveal about the research topic?
What does it tell us about the wider context?
Are there any links to theory?
How does this align with (or challenge) existing research?
Here’s an example of what that might look like:
“This theme highlights the emotional and practical challenges participants faced in managing the overlap between their personal and professional lives during remote working. The absence of physical separation between workspaces and living spaces often resulted in feelings of guilt, burnout, and disconnection from home as a place of rest. These experiences appeared across the dataset in various forms, suggesting this was a widespread issue.
The findings suggest that the perceived ‘flexibility’ of remote work was often a double-edged sword. While some participants initially welcomed the autonomy it offered, this often gave way to an ‘always on’ culture that blurred boundaries and created pressure to be constantly available.
This aligns with existing literature on digital burnout and the erosion of work-life boundaries in contemporary work cultures (Jones, 2016). Participants also described strategies to cope with this - setting device time limits, creating rituals to ‘end’ the workday, or carving out physical spaces in the home for work. While not always successful, these efforts reflected ongoing attempts to regain control and preserve wellbeing.”
Notice how we’ve moved from description to interpretation - and then linked that interpretation to theory and literature. You can do the same for each theme.
Be reflexive!
Don’t forget—this is reflexive thematic analysis. You’re not a neutral bystander. Your own perspective matters. So be open about it.
For example:
“As someone who was also working from home during the pandemic, I was particularly attuned to participants’ reflections on blurred boundaries and emotional fatigue. I remained mindful of how my own experiences might shape my interpretation of the data - especially when analysing tone, emphasis, and underlying frustrations.”
This adds depth and transparency to your analysis and helps your reader understand where you’re coming from.
Once you’ve written up all your themes…
Step back. Zoom out. It’s time to pull everything together into a coherent conclusion to your findings chapter.
This part is often overlooked, but it’s so important. You want to show how the themes fit together as a whole.
Going back to our remote work study, we might say:
“Together, these four themes reveal how remote work reshaped not only the structure of people’s working days but also their emotional and social experiences of work. It affected how they related to others, how they communicated, and how they saw themselves in professional and personal roles.
Themes 1 and 3 capture the shifting external dynamics - relationships and communication - while Themes 2 and 4 focus more on internal challenges and adaptations. Viewed together, they tell a layered story of adaptation, struggle, and reflection.”
Don’t forget your research aims
Always come back to your original aims or research questions.
“This research set out to explore how remote work during the pandemic impacted individuals’ work experiences and wellbeing. The themes collectively show that this shift disrupted not only organisational practices but personal routines, values, and identities.”
You might also connect your findings back to theory and think about practical implications.
“The findings suggest that offering flexible working options isn’t enough - organisations must also consider how to support employees in setting boundaries, creating meaningful connections, and maintaining wellbeing.”
Final thoughts
Writing up your reflexive thematic analysis isn’t just about describing what your participants said, it’s about interpreting, connecting, and telling the story of your data. Yes, it’s a big task. But breaking it down into clear, manageable steps makes it much more doable.
So, recap time:
Introduce your themes clearly.
Write up each theme by describing it, illustrating it, and interpreting it.
Step back and tell the bigger story.
Connect it all back to your research question, theory, and practice.
Be reflexive throughout.