Participatory theming is a type of qualitative data categorization or coding in which your themes or codes arise through collaboration with your research participants. Participatory theming is recommended for public consultation because you are able to empower participants and develop a real sense of community priorities.

• Participatory theming can be especially useful when working with engaged or knowledgable stakeholders. It is also good for work with underrepresented or marginalized groups since it helps to empower participants.
• You may find a participatory approach to theming is a natural add on to focus groups, world café approaches to data collection and indigenous approaches.

Here is an example of an approach that is particularly useful for participatory theming. Jason Diceman from dotmocracy.org outlines the process of dotmocracy in this short video (1.5 mins):

There are many ways to involve your participants in data analysis. I recommend the following approach as a way to get started:

• As you collect data, record it in such a way that it is in full view of participants.
  • You can ask participants, for example to write their views on post-it notes when they are responding to questions or other prompts.
  • Alternately, you can record the conversation on whiteboards or large pieces of paper, and then have participants write the ones they feel are most important on post it notes.
• Ask participants for categories they feel capture the conversation (inductive), or use categories you developed prior to data collection (hybrid or deductive).
  • Write categories on the whiteboard or large pieces of paper stuck to the wall.
• First pass: Have participants place their post it notes in the category they most feel it belongs
• Second pass: Have participants walk around reviewing all the post it notes and categories, and moving notes (data) around.
  • This works best when participants have conversations with each other about the data.
• Third pass (optional): Have participants use colored stickers to indicate priorities – use different colors to indicate different degrees of importance.
  • This is especially useful when developing policy or program recommendations.

Tips from the professor: Participatory theming is especially useful when employed in conjunction with world cafe, appreciative inquiry and indigenous methods, though technically you can find ways to use it with many different types of data collection, even interviews!

>>Next Page

<<Back to Analyzing Qualitative Data

<<<Back to Table of Contents