When I first started writing up my findings, I thought vignettes were just nice narrative touches…something to make the data “come alive.” But as I worked through my reflexive thematic analysis, I realised they were doing much more.
Vignettes became tools for meaning-making.
Rather than dropping in quotes to support a point, I began stitching together multiple data sources – interview excerpts, field notes, pauses, body language – to build short, situated vignettes that captured complex moments. This helped me show nuance, not just tell it.
Braun & Clarke remind us that theme development is interpretive. For me, vignettes helped carry that interpretation in a grounded, layered, and human way.
One tip? Don’t treat vignettes like sidebars. Build them into your themes. Let them do analytical work.
Melissa Smith 