Evaluating Qualitative Research in Social Geography: Establishing ‘Rigour’ in Interview Analysis

Baxter, Jamie; Eyles, John

doi:10.1111/j.0020-2754.1997.00505.x

Cited by 773 publications

(609 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…27,28 For the purposes of this review the following criteria were employed to gauge the quality of the studies identified in the search process. These criteria were based upon the work of scholars from the qualitative tradition 19,27,29,30 and to the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme 20 (see also Hammell 24 The most important aspect of quality for papers to be included in a meta-synthesis is clear evidence that the themes reported by the original researchers were rooted in the data; 17,20,26,27 thus papers were only included if there were adequate participants' perspectives to demonstrate the plausibility of the researchers' interpretations.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experience of rehabilitation following spinal cord injury: a meta-synthesis of qualitative findings

Hammell¹

2007

Spinal Cord

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Study design: Meta-synthesis of qualitative research. Objectives: To identify, compare and synthesize published qualitative evidence concerning the experience of rehabilitation following spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods: Published articles were identified from the Medline, CINAHL and Sociological abstracts databases, a hand search through selected journals published since 1990, and from reference lists. These were assessed for their relevance to the focus of interest and appraised for rigour. The key themes that emerged from the data were summarized, compared and synthesized. Results: The search located 64 papers and four books, of which eight papers (describing seven studies) met the review criteria for relevance and rigour. Thematic comparison and synthesis resulted in the identification of seven concepts that encapsulate the important dimensions of rehabilitation from participants' perspectives: (1) the importance of specific staff qualities; (2) the need for a vision of future life possibilities; (3) the importance of peers; (4) the relevance of programme content; (5) the institutional context of rehabilitation; (6) the importance of reconnecting the past to the future; (7) the importance of meeting the needs of the real world. Conclusions: If rehabilitation services are to be evidence-based, relevant and effective in meeting the needs of people with SCI they must be informed by the perspectives of people with SCI. The findings of this review suggest that the most important dimension of rehabilitation for people with SCI is the calibre and vision of the rehabilitation staff.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experience of rehabilitation following spinal cord injury: a meta-synthesis of qualitative findings

Hammell¹

2007

Spinal Cord

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“…30 A number of guidelines exist for evaluating qualitative research. 21,26,36,43,44 However, the procedure for critiquing qualitative research is not one of judging rigid adherence to rules or specific prescriptive criteria, 45,46 but is a process of weighing the various elements of the research in an effort to determine their appropriateness given the purpose and context of the study. 44 Sandelowski et al 25 recommend using very general criteria for quality in evaluating the studies relevant to the systematic review.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For the purposes of this review the following criteria were employed to gauge the quality of the studies, and were the guidelines for rigour that underpinned the present study. These criteria were formulated with reference to the work of scholars from the qualitative tradition 21,26,36,43 …”

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confidence: 99%

Quality of life after spinal cord injury: a meta-synthesis of qualitative findings

Hammell¹

2006

Spinal Cord

165

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Study design: Meta-synthesis of qualitative research. Objectives: To identify, compare and synthesize the factors found to contribute to, or detract from the experience of a life worth living following spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods: Published articles were identified from the Medline, CINAHL and Sociological Abstracts databases, a hand search through selected journals published since 1990, and from reference lists. These were assessed for their relevance to the focus of interest and appraised for rigour and quality. The key themes that emerged from the data were summarized, compared and synthesized. Results: The search located 64 papers and four books, of which seven papers met the review criteria for relevance and rigour, and in which 10 main concepts were identified: (1) body problems, (2) loss, (3) relationships, (4) responsibility for, and control of one's life, (5) occupation, and ability to contribute, (6) environmental context, (7) new values/perspective transformation, (8) good and bad days, (9) self-worth, (10) self-continuity. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the utility of synthesizing qualitative research to provide a greater depth of insight into the factors that contribute to, and detract from, quality of life (QOL) after SCI. It also provides a more nuanced understanding of the experience of QOL following SCI than is achievable by quantitative methods. Future qualitative research is required to probe further the concepts and connections identified in this study, and to identify how rehabilitation services might best address these issues. Sponsorship: N/A. The vast majority of research into QOL following SCI has adopted a quantitative approach, 3 reflecting researchers' assumptions that quality can be measured quantitatively; that the determinants of QOL following SCI can be reliably predicted by able-bodied researchers; and that the subjective experience of a life can be objectively and accurately discerned by another person. These assumptions have been challenged [5][6][7][8][9][10] and it has been argued that the results of these studies are both misleading and of questionable value. 11 Indeed, it has been suggested that how someone attempts to 'measure' QOL says more about their own values, priorities and fundamental orientation to life than it does about the QOL of the people whose lives are ostensibly being studied. 3,12 Quantitative research is hypothesis-driven, requiring researchers to predetermine the variables to be measured and thus to identify in advance those factors that are relevant and important to the issue under investigation. This inevitably limits the range of possible findings. For example, if 'pain' is not included as a variable in a quantitative study of QOL then pain will not be found to influence QOL. Quantitative methods are therefore Recognizing the inherent problems with attempts to quantitatively measure QOL among people with SCI many researchers have advocated the use of qualitative methods that can explore both the meaning of QOL for people with SCI and the f...

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“…As this was a remotely conducted post-hoc project evaluation, information received in key informant interviews could not be cross-verified through a process of informant triangulation (Baxter and Eyles, 1997) in order to eliminate potential interviewee biases (Kumar, 1986). Ideally, with greater resources and time available, this study should have involved speaking with project participants, community members and other project staff in order to verify that key informants accurately described the project design and implementation, and did not over-or understate the level of project effectiveness or community involvement.…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning our Lessons: A Review of Alternative Livelihood Projects in Central Africa

Wicander¹,

Coad²

2015

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Evaluating Qualitative Research in Social Geography: Establishing ‘Rigour’ in Interview Analysis

Cited by 773 publications

References 59 publications

Experience of rehabilitation following spinal cord injury: a meta-synthesis of qualitative findings

Experience of rehabilitation following spinal cord injury: a meta-synthesis of qualitative findings

Quality of life after spinal cord injury: a meta-synthesis of qualitative findings

Learning our Lessons: A Review of Alternative Livelihood Projects in Central Africa

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