Article type
Year
Abstract
Background: Very little is known about how study quality affects the results of systematic reviews which include qualitative research. Syntheses of qualitative research can produce new insights or a more comprehensive understanding of the phenomena under review from the perspectives of those studied. The findings of higher quality studies might be expected to make bigger or more useful contributions to these types of syntheses.
Objectives: To examine the relationship between the quality of qualitative studies and their contribution to syntheses of people's perspectives and experiences.
Methods: Sixty-two quality appraised studies included in six systematic reviews on health promotion and public health topics were the source of data. Each study was assigned a synthesis contribution score based on the number of relevant themes or findings it contributed. These scores were plotted against study quality. Statistical and visual analyses were used alongside an analysis of unusual cases.
Results: The relationship between study quality and its contribution to synthesis was not straightforward. Other factors, such as how close a match the study aims, methods and findings were to the review question, were also important for explaining synthesis contribution. However, lower quality studies did not contribute as much to syntheses compared to high quality studies. The production of in-depth description and conceptual understanding were key features of the good quality qualitative studies with larger synthesis contributions.
Conclusions: This study suggests that the quality of qualitative studies does matter for systematic reviews. In reviews focused on understanding people's perspectives and experiences higher quality studies have more to contribute and there may be little to gain from including lower quality studies.
Acknowledgements: The author holds a senior research scientist award funded by the Department of Health (England). The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Department of Health.
Objectives: To examine the relationship between the quality of qualitative studies and their contribution to syntheses of people's perspectives and experiences.
Methods: Sixty-two quality appraised studies included in six systematic reviews on health promotion and public health topics were the source of data. Each study was assigned a synthesis contribution score based on the number of relevant themes or findings it contributed. These scores were plotted against study quality. Statistical and visual analyses were used alongside an analysis of unusual cases.
Results: The relationship between study quality and its contribution to synthesis was not straightforward. Other factors, such as how close a match the study aims, methods and findings were to the review question, were also important for explaining synthesis contribution. However, lower quality studies did not contribute as much to syntheses compared to high quality studies. The production of in-depth description and conceptual understanding were key features of the good quality qualitative studies with larger synthesis contributions.
Conclusions: This study suggests that the quality of qualitative studies does matter for systematic reviews. In reviews focused on understanding people's perspectives and experiences higher quality studies have more to contribute and there may be little to gain from including lower quality studies.
Acknowledgements: The author holds a senior research scientist award funded by the Department of Health (England). The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Department of Health.