A qualitative researcher is analyzing interviews about experiences of remote work during the pandemic. They notice a recurring theme of 'isolation' among participants. However, they decide to only focus on this theme and ignore other nuanced feelings such as 'adaptability' and 'community'. What potential pitfall of thematic analysis is the researcher likely falling into?

The researcher is falling into the pitfall of **selective focus or theme fixation**: by concentrating only on the “isolation” theme and ignoring other themes, they risk missing the full complexity of the data. This happens when analysts let one prominent idea drive the whole analysis, leading to an incomplete or biased interpretation. For example, if an interviewee says, “I felt isolated but also found a supportive virtual community,” the researcher would only record the isolation, losing the insight about community. Such a narrow focus can misrepresent participants’ experiences and weaken the study’s validity.