Two decades of research on Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis: a bibliometric mapping and research agenda

This study provides a bibliometric overview of research informed by Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis from 2006 to 2025. Using 1,728 Web of Science Core Collection publications, it examines publication and citation trends and the intellectual foundations of thematic analysis. VOSviewer and Bibliometrix identify influential authors, institutions, journals, countries, and keyword networks. Findings show rapid growth in the use of thematic analysis, especially in the past decade, and a shift from procedural applications to interpretive, reflexive approaches associated with Big Q qualitative research. The H-classics corpus confirms Braun and Clarke’s work as the field’s central foundation while revealing tensions between descriptive and reflexive orientations. Four keyword clusters span health care, psychosocial research, developmental contexts, and global challenges. The study highlights the importance of epistemological transparency and reflexivity for strengthening methodological coherence and advancing qualitative inquiry across disciplines.