Table 2 The six phases of thematic analysis [52]

1 Familiarisation

We read and re-read the dataset and took notes through a curious approach to what was interesting in the data and to notice possibilities, connections, and quirks, which may add depth and nuance to our later coding.

2 Generating codes

Essential characteristics of the data that might be relevant to answering the aim of the study were identified. We organised data around similar meanings. By generating codes, we got a sense of the participants’ experiences of involvement, welfare technology and ethical aspects.

3 Searching and construction themes

We examined the codes systematically and identified patterns of meaning, developing potential themes from the analytical work and ‘tested it out’ concerning the aim.

4 Reviewing themes

All the themes were discussed and revised to avoid overlaps and to understand how each of the themes was related to each other. They were checked across the whole data set to determine if they reflected the data and the aim.

5 Defining and naming themes

We explored how well the themes worked together and separately and finished by defining and naming the final themes.

6 Producing the report

The last step was the selection of examples, preparing and writing this article.