Article type
Year
Abstract
Objectives:
The increasing number of Cochrane protocols and reviews that incorporate a qualitative synthesis is a clear indicator that what was once a field for the ‘interested few’ is on its way to becoming mainstream practice. It is important that those engaging in a qualitative or mixed methods synthesis have a clear understanding of what particular approaches intend to do and which methods best fit a review’s goals.
Description:
This workshop is an accessible introduction to qualitative synthesis methodologies, addressing the purpose and challenges of several searching, sampling, appraisal and synthesis techniques, drawing from supplemental guidance to chapter 20 of the Cochrane Handbook (available from the Cochrane Qualitative Research Methods Group website). The workshop will cover guidance on: • selecting an appropriate sampling frame for a qualitative review by illustrating different scenarios from published examples of reviews; • what the key criteria are (or should be) for assessing study quality and how this might influence the choice of a critical appraisal instrument; and • choosing between different synthesis methods using recently developed methodological decision trees. The workshop will be a valuable learning experience for all those involved in systematically reviewing evidence from a variety of different study designs.
The increasing number of Cochrane protocols and reviews that incorporate a qualitative synthesis is a clear indicator that what was once a field for the ‘interested few’ is on its way to becoming mainstream practice. It is important that those engaging in a qualitative or mixed methods synthesis have a clear understanding of what particular approaches intend to do and which methods best fit a review’s goals.
Description:
This workshop is an accessible introduction to qualitative synthesis methodologies, addressing the purpose and challenges of several searching, sampling, appraisal and synthesis techniques, drawing from supplemental guidance to chapter 20 of the Cochrane Handbook (available from the Cochrane Qualitative Research Methods Group website). The workshop will cover guidance on: • selecting an appropriate sampling frame for a qualitative review by illustrating different scenarios from published examples of reviews; • what the key criteria are (or should be) for assessing study quality and how this might influence the choice of a critical appraisal instrument; and • choosing between different synthesis methods using recently developed methodological decision trees. The workshop will be a valuable learning experience for all those involved in systematically reviewing evidence from a variety of different study designs.