Make AI a coding assistant, not the final researcher
Use AI to support coding while preserving human review of themes against the dataset.
The move: keep the thematic-analysis loop visible. A rigorous AI-assisted qualitative workflow has three layers. First, familiarity: read enough source material yourself to know the texture of the data. Second, coding: let AI propose concise labels, but require quote IDs and allow overlapping codes. Third, theme development: review, merge, split, and name patterns based on the research question. Why this works The risk in AI synthesis is premature neatness. A model is rewarded for making a clean answer, so it may smooth contradictions, ignore minority cases, or turn repeated words into fake themes. Reflexive thematic analysis protects against that by…
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