Reflecting on LLM Support in Reflexive Thematic Analysis: An Exploratory Study

The launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 accelerated discussions and research into whether base large language models (LLMs) could increase the efficiency of qualitative analysis phases or even replace qualitative researchers. Reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) is a commonly used method for qualitative text analysis that emphasizes the researcher's subjectivity and reflexivity to enable a situated, in-depth understanding of knowledge generation. Researchers appear optimistic about the potential of LLMs in qualitative research; however, questions remain about whether base models can meaningfully contribute to the interpretation and abstraction of a dataset. The primary objective of this study was to explore how LLMs may support an RTA of an interview text from health science research. Secondary objectives included identifying recommended prompt strategies for…