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Journal of Preventive Medicine and... Mar 2023Qualitative research methodology has been applied with increasing frequency in various fields, including in healthcare research, where quantitative research methodology... (Review)
Review
Qualitative research methodology has been applied with increasing frequency in various fields, including in healthcare research, where quantitative research methodology has traditionally dominated, with an empirically driven approach involving statistical analysis. Drawing upon artifacts and verbal data collected from in-depth interviews or participatory observations, qualitative research examines the comprehensive experiences of research participants who have experienced salient yet unappreciated phenomena. In this study, we review 6 representative qualitative research methodologies in terms of their characteristics and analysis methods: consensual qualitative research, phenomenological research, qualitative case study, grounded theory, photovoice, and content analysis. We mainly focus on specific aspects of data analysis and the description of results, while also providing a brief overview of each methodology's philosophical background. Furthermore, since quantitative researchers have criticized qualitative research methodology for its perceived lack of validity, we examine various validation methods of qualitative research. This review article intends to assist researchers in employing an ideal qualitative research methodology and in reviewing and evaluating qualitative research with proper standards and criteria.
Topics: Humans; Qualitative Research; Research Design; Grounded Theory; Delivery of Health Care; Data Analysis
PubMed: 37055353
DOI: 10.3961/jpmph.22.471 -
Nature Mar 2018Meta-analysis is the quantitative, scientific synthesis of research results. Since the term and modern approaches to research synthesis were first introduced in the... (Review)
Review
Meta-analysis is the quantitative, scientific synthesis of research results. Since the term and modern approaches to research synthesis were first introduced in the 1970s, meta-analysis has had a revolutionary effect in many scientific fields, helping to establish evidence-based practice and to resolve seemingly contradictory research outcomes. At the same time, its implementation has engendered criticism and controversy, in some cases general and others specific to particular disciplines. Here we take the opportunity provided by the recent fortieth anniversary of meta-analysis to reflect on the accomplishments, limitations, recent advances and directions for future developments in the field of research synthesis.
Topics: Animals; Biological Evolution; Biological Science Disciplines; Ecology; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Meta-Analysis as Topic; Research
PubMed: 29517004
DOI: 10.1038/nature25753 -
The Journal of the Royal College of... 2015In today's NHS, qualitative research is increasingly important as a method of assessing and improving quality of care. Grounded theory has developed as an analytical... (Review)
Review
In today's NHS, qualitative research is increasingly important as a method of assessing and improving quality of care. Grounded theory has developed as an analytical approach to qualitative data over the last 40 years. It is primarily an inductive process whereby theoretical insights are generated from data, in contrast to deductive research where theoretical hypotheses are tested via data collection. Grounded theory has been one of the main contributors to the acceptance of qualitative methods in a wide range of applied social sciences. The influence of grounded theory as an approach is, in part, based on its provision of an explicit framework for analysis and theory generation. Furthermore the stress upon grounding research in the reality of participants has also given it credence in healthcare research. As with all analytical approaches, grounded theory has drawbacks and limitations. It is important to have an understanding of these in order to assess the applicability of this approach to healthcare research. In this review we outline the principles of grounded theory, and focus on thematic analysis as the analytical approach used most frequently in grounded theory studies, with the aim of providing clinicians with the skills to critically review studies using this methodology.
Topics: Data Collection; Grounded Theory; Health Services Research; Humans; Qualitative Research; Research Design
PubMed: 26517098
DOI: 10.4997/JRCPE.2015.305 -
International Journal of Qualitative... 2014
Topics: Grounded Theory; Health Services Research; Humans; Public Health; Qualitative Research; Research Design
PubMed: 25326092
DOI: 10.3402/qhw.v9.26152 -
Health Services Research Aug 2015Grounded theory (GT) is an established qualitative research method, but few papers have encapsulated the benefits, limits, and basic tenets of doing GT research on user...
OBJECTIVE
Grounded theory (GT) is an established qualitative research method, but few papers have encapsulated the benefits, limits, and basic tenets of doing GT research on user and provider experiences of health care services. GT can be used to guide the entire study method, or it can be applied at the data analysis stage only.
METHODS
We summarize key components of GT and common GT procedures used by qualitative researchers in health care research. We draw on our experience of conducting a GT study on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients' experiences of health care services.
FINDINGS
We discuss why some approaches in GT research may work better than others, particularly when the focus of study is hard-to-reach population groups. We highlight the flexibility of procedures in GT to build theory about how people engage with health care services.
CONCLUSION
GT enables researchers to capture and understand health care experiences. GT methods are particularly valuable when the topic of interest has not previously been studied. GT can be applied to bring structure and rigor to the analysis of qualitative data.
Topics: Grounded Theory; Health Services Research; Humans; Patient Satisfaction; Qualitative Research; Research Design
PubMed: 25523315
DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.12275 -
Acta Neurochirurgica Jun 2021Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. DCM is common (estimated prevalence, 2% of adults) and significantly impacts quality... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. DCM is common (estimated prevalence, 2% of adults) and significantly impacts quality of life. The AO Spine RECODE-DCM (Research Objectives and Common Data Elements in DCM) project has recently established the top research priorities for DCM. This article examines the extent to which existing research activity aligns with the established research priorities.
METHODS
A systematic review of MEDLINE and Embase for "Cervical" AND "Myelopathy" was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Full-text papers in English, exclusively studying DCM, published between January 1, 1995 and August 08, 2020 were considered eligible. Extracted data for each study included authors, journal, year of publication, location, sample size and study design. Each study was then analysed for alignment to the established research priorities.
RESULTS
In total, 2261 papers with a total of 1,323,979 patients were included. Japan published more papers (625) than any other country. Moreover, 2005 (89%) of 2261 papers were aligned to at least one research priority. The alignment of papers to the different research priorities was unequal, with 1060 papers on the most researched priority alone (#15, predictors of outcome after treatment), but only 64 total papers on the least-researched 10 priorities. The comparative growth of research in the different priorities was also unequal, with some priorities growing and others plateauing over the past 5 years.
DISCUSSION
Research activity in DCM continues to grow, and the focus of this research remains on surgery. The established research priorities therefore represent a new direction for the field.
Topics: Cervical Vertebrae; Humans; Japan; Neurosurgery; Periodicals as Topic; Quality of Life; Research; Spinal Cord Diseases
PubMed: 33625603
DOI: 10.1007/s00701-021-04767-6 -
Military Medical Research Feb 2020Methodological quality (risk of bias) assessment is an important step before study initiation usage. Therefore, accurately judging study type is the first priority, and... (Review)
Review
Methodological quality (risk of bias) assessment is an important step before study initiation usage. Therefore, accurately judging study type is the first priority, and the choosing proper tool is also important. In this review, we introduced methodological quality assessment tools for randomized controlled trial (including individual and cluster), animal study, non-randomized interventional studies (including follow-up study, controlled before-and-after study, before-after/ pre-post study, uncontrolled longitudinal study, interrupted time series study), cohort study, case-control study, cross-sectional study (including analytical and descriptive), observational case series and case reports, comparative effectiveness research, diagnostic study, health economic evaluation, prediction study (including predictor finding study, prediction model impact study, prognostic prediction model study), qualitative study, outcome measurement instruments (including patient - reported outcome measure development, content validity, structural validity, internal consistency, cross-cultural validity/ measurement invariance, reliability, measurement error, criterion validity, hypotheses testing for construct validity, and responsiveness), systematic review and meta-analysis, and clinical practice guideline. The readers of our review can distinguish the types of medical studies and choose appropriate tools. In one word, comprehensively mastering relevant knowledge and implementing more practices are basic requirements for correctly assessing the methodological quality.
Topics: Animals; Bias; Humans; Psychometrics; Reproducibility of Results; Research; Research Design
PubMed: 32111253
DOI: 10.1186/s40779-020-00238-8 -
The EMBO Journal Jun 2015The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) points out that using the Journal Impact Factor as a proxy measure for the value or quality of specific...
The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) points out that using the Journal Impact Factor as a proxy measure for the value or quality of specific research and individual scientists leads to biased research assessment. How can we resist misusing metrics?
Topics: Editorial Policies; Journal Impact Factor; Research; Research Design
PubMed: 26056152
DOI: 10.15252/embj.201570010 -
Journal of Investigative Medicine : the... Jan 2021
Topics: Animals; Biomedical Research; Humans; Research Design; Research Personnel
PubMed: 33318056
DOI: 10.1136/jim-2020-001741 -
Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 2017While in some jurisdictions chiropractic is fully integrated in public and insurance funded health care systems, in others it is outside and considered as complementary...
While in some jurisdictions chiropractic is fully integrated in public and insurance funded health care systems, in others it is outside and considered as complementary or alternative health care. There is a paucity of data and rigorous scientific studies regarding most aspects of chiropractic practice although research activity has been increasing in recent years. We call for papers for a thematic series in that can help define chiropractic better to stakeholders inside and outside the profession under the theme
Topics: Chiropractic; Complementary Therapies; Delivery of Health Care; Humans; Manipulation, Chiropractic; Research
PubMed: 29118972
DOI: 10.1186/s12998-017-0163-x