High-quality Qualitative Research Research Articles

Quality in qualitative research: a relational process

PurposeDemonstrating quality in qualitative research is challenging. Excessive reliance on checklists can lead to poor quality qualitative research masquerading as high quality. We seek to equip readers with foundational understanding of how to ensure quality of their qualitative research by emphasizing a relational approach to research.Design/methodology/approachWe outline existing paradigm-specific and cross-paradigm accounts of the constituents of quality in qualitative research and identify credibility and relevance as the shared criteria. We define quality in qualitative research as a relational process wherein the relations constitutive of credibility and relevance are actively constructed throughout the research process.FindingsQuality cannot be ensured with the help of checklists alone. Quality arises from formulating a research question that is relevant; sampling for (or accessing) data through a credible process pertaining to the relevant concern; engaging analysis in a credible manner and doing justice to the data while continuing to remain relevant to the studied concern. Quality in qualitative research is a set of relationships, threaded through the entire research process, between the researcher and the researched concern, participants, data, data analysis and audience. The foundations of qualitative inquiry, across all paradigms, demand an engaged, committed researcher attending iteratively and with care – relationally – to every stage of the research process in pursuit of quality.Originality/valueWe elaborate parsimonious quality criteria that are specific to qualitative research. Adopting a relational ethic of commitment to quality at each stage of the research process is conducive towards high-quality qualitative research.

What Evidence?: Qualitative Publishing in the Canadian Journal for Dietetic Practice and Research.

Background: Qualitative research involves the analysis of data in various forms (i.e.,written text such as interview transcripts, literature, or a personal diary; visual media such as photographs, maps, or memes; and audio materials such as podcasts, music, or voice notes) to describe and/or interpret phenomena and humans' perceptions and experiences of the world, including of food, health, and well-being. Dietetic-scholars have raised concerns about the dearth and quality of qualitative dietetic research.Objective: To document the availability and quality of qualitative research published in Canadian dietetic literature.Methods: A manifest content analysis of articles published in the Canadian Journal of Dietetic Research and Practice (CJDRP) between 2012 and 2021.Results: In total, 340 articles were published between 2012 and 2021 of which 43 (12.6%) used qualitative methods. Overall, the quality of qualitative articles was poor; articles frequently failed to report the methodological approach or a theoretical framework. Methods of data collection, data analysis, and strategies to ensure rigor were seldom described in detail. Reported limitations were often inappropriate for qualitative research.Discussion: Qualitative research is markedly underrepresented in the CJDPR. Efforts are needed to ensure that high-quality qualitative research evidence and publishing opportunities are available to Canadian dietetic practitioners and researchers. This study provides baseline data to evaluate the impact of future efforts.

Seven Practical Recommendations for Designing and Conducting Qualitative Research in Medical Education.

Qualitative research seeks to provide context, nuance, and depth of understanding in regard to systems, behaviors, and/or lived experiences. As such, it plays a key role in many areas of medical education. Composed of myriad methods and methodologies, each of which may be valuable for some areas of inquiry but less so for others, qualitative research can be challenging to design, conduct, and report. This challenge can be conceptualized as ensuring that the study design, conduct, and reporting are "fit for purpose," following directly from a well-formulated research question. In this Perspective, we share seven important and practical recommendations to enhance the design and conduct of high-quality qualitative research in medical education: 1) craft a strong research question, 2) link the study design to this question, 3) assemble a team with diverse expertise, 4) prioritize information power when selecting recruitment and sampling strategies, 5) collect data carefully, 6) rigorously analyze data, and 7) disseminate results that tell a complete story.

The impact of COVID-19 on young people's mental health, wellbeing and routine from a European perspective: A co-produced qualitative systematic review.

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on young people's (YP) mental health has been mixed. Systematic reviews to date have focused predominantly on quantitative studies and lacked involvement from YP with lived experience of mental health difficulties. Therefore, our primary aim was to conduct a qualitative systematic review to examine the perceived impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on YP's (aged 10-24) mental health and wellbeing across Europe. We searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, Web of Science, MEDRXIV, OSF preprints, Google, and voluntary sector websites for studies published from 1st January 2020 to 15th November 2022. European studies were included if they reported qualitative data that could be extracted on YP's (aged 10-24) own perspectives of their experiences of Covid-19 and related disruptions to their mental health and wellbeing. Screening, data extraction and appraisal was conducted independently in duplicate by researchers and YP with lived experience of mental health difficulties (co-researchers). Confidence was assessed using the Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research (CERQual) approach. We co-produced an adapted narrative thematic synthesis with co-researchers. This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42021251578. We found 82 publications and included 77 unique studies in our narrative synthesis. Most studies were from the UK (n = 50; 65%); and generated data during the first Covid-19 wave (March-May 2020; n = 33; 43%). Across the 79,491 participants, views, and experiences of YP minoritised by ethnicity and sexual orientation, and from marginalised or vulnerable YP were limited. Five synthesised themes were identified: negative impact of pandemic information and restrictions on wellbeing; education and learning on wellbeing; social connection to prevent loneliness and disconnection; emotional, lifestyle and behavioural changes; and mental health support. YP's mental health and wellbeing across Europe were reported to have fluctuated during the pandemic. Challenges were similar but coping strategies to manage the impact of these challenges on mental health varied across person, study, and country. Short-term impacts were related to the consequences of changing restrictions on social connection, day-to-day lifestyle, and education set-up. However, YP identified potential issues in these areas going forward, and therefore stressed the importance of ongoing long-term support in education, learning and mental health post-Covid-19. Our findings map onto the complex picture seen from quantitative systematic reviews regarding the impact of Covid-19 on YP's mental health. The comparatively little qualitative data found in our review means there is an urgent need for more high-quality qualitative research outside of the UK and/or about the experiences of minoritised groups to ensure all voices are heard and everyone is getting the support they need following the pandemic. YP's voices need to be prioritised in decision-making processes on education, self-care strategies, and mental health and wellbeing, to drive impactful, meaningful policy changes in anticipation of a future systemic crisis.

1998-2021년간의 유아다문화교육 국내 학술 연구동향

Objectives The purpose of this study is to examine and analyze the current research trends of multicutural(MC) education(ED) for young children during 1998-2021, and to collect basic data to predict research directions for Early Childhood Education(ECE) in multicultural perspective in the future.
 Methods 610 final academic journal articles were selected and analyzed after 3 step filtering process were made for 909 original data collected by key words 'early childhood multicultural education' from RISS(Research Information Sharing Service). 299 data was excluded for its’ duplication, irrelevance, and no full texts provided. Most frequently used analytic criteria for searching research trends were adapted from preliminary studies in EC multicultural(MC) education(ED) research trends. Data analysis was made by research publication year & 4-year-term, research object, research method, research topic, and researcher's academic area.
 Results As a result of multicultural education research for young children in the 4th(2010-2013), 5th(2014-2017), 6th(2018-2021), 3rd(2006-2009), 1st(1998-2001), and 2nd term(2002-2005) in order. There was an increase from the 1st term(1998-2001) to the 4th term(2010-2013), and a decrease from the 5th term(2014-2017) with a steady trend of many studies since then. According to research objects, the most studies were conducted for in-service teachers for young children, infants, parents, materual resources, education resources, education re-lated workers, According to research method, quantitative research showed the highest frequency, followed by qualitative research, literature reviews, and mixed research in research trend. The most popular reserch topics were contents of multicultural education, followed by multicultural families, multicultural teaching goals, multi-cultural educational programs, multicultural teachers, multicultural education environment, multicultural educaion institutions, multicultural policies, and curricula. As analytic results by researcher’ academic area, social sciences with education mostly occupy the result persentage, and followed by humanities, inter-disciplinary sciences, nat-ural sciences, arts and physical education, and engineering.
 Conclusions This study show that the resarch trend on early childhood multicultural education over the past 24 years has been on a continuous increase since the third quarter of 2006, and has been on a downward trend since the fifth quarter of 2014. however, research on basic early childhood multicultural education since 2006 has been conducted. it was receiving continuous attention. Not only is there a need for high-quality qualitative research that can complement quantitative reserch as a research method, and greater interest in research targeting young chil-dren is needed, but it is also necessary to go beyond the current research trend that mainly focuses on pedagogy for children in a rapidly changing multicultural society. It suggests the need for national policy support and atten-tion to peripheral disciplines such as socio-cultural, humanities, and complex studies.

Enriching research practices through knowledge about Indigenous research methodologies

Introduction
 Learning about Indigenous research paradigms and methodologies offers insights and reflexive opportunities for those who seek to improve their research practice. This paper explores how research at the ‘interface’ can enrich scholarly inquiry across the academy. Whilst a single paper cannot do justice to the sophistication and nuance of Indigenous methodologies, as an authorship team of one Indigenous and two non-Indigenous academics, and through our established relationship and subsequent conversations, we present in this paper seven distilled methodological learnings that can enrich standard qualitative research practice. We predominantly explored the work of Indigenous scholars worldwide, and where relevant have drawn on non-Indigenous scholars where there may be ‘interface’ compatibilities. We also build off some of our previous work such as Andrews (2020a, 2020b), Andrews (2021) and Bolton and Andrews (2018).
 It is very important to clearly state that we are not suggesting readers, particularly non-Indigenous readers, use this paper as a template for Indigenous research, or as a guide for conducting research with Indigenous peoples and communities. Rather, our intention is to share our personal learnings about Indigenous research with a view to bridging methodological understanding to achieve high quality qualitative research. Indigenous researchers have sought to navigate the interface between Indigenous and western research to generate new knowledge that reflects the interests, values and priorities of Indigenous peoples. The last twenty-five years has seen significant effort by Indigenous scholars across the globe to establish an Indigenous academic research agenda and pioneer change in research practices. The interface between Indigenous and western knowledge systems has much to offer research as a basis for the generation of new knowledge (Durie, 2004; Martin, 2008). It is at this interface, or intersection between two knowledges, that we make connections and offer our insights.
 This paper is divided into four sections: Beginning, Middle, Reflective End and New Beginnings, a framework drawn from our work. Within these four sections are seven key methodological reflections under the sub-headings: Understanding place in research, Positionality, Worldviews in research, Privileging knowledges, Relational accountability, Storytelling as methodology and Circular research processes, and at each sub-heading is our key learnings. This is shown in Figure 1, noting the arrows grow in size as we approach ‘Beginning Again’ as a way of illustrating the enriching of knowledges and practices as the learning process loops iteratively.

FAMILY-CENTERED COLLABORATIVE CARE FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC MENTAL ILLNESS: A NARRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW

IntroductionChronic mental illnesses are long-lasting and recurring, require continuous care as well as an integrated and collaborative approach to organize the care. This study sought to examine whether family center collaborative care is an acceptable treatment option for individuals with chronic mental illness.ObjectivesIs the family-centered collaborative care suitable for patients with chronic mental illness?MethodsFrom the years 2000 to 2021, ten electronic databases relating to family-centered collaborative care for mental illness were searched adopting PRISMA’s checklistResultsAfter systematic search, 27 articles and a thesis were found. According to moderate to high quality qualitative research, family-centered collaborative care was considered acceptable intervention, though a few studies supporting it.ConclusionsThis study examines theoretical, methodological, and practical considerations as a basis for more robust data collection based on individual experiences and evidence-based practice.Reference(s)1.Wittchen, H.-U., et al., The size and burden of mental disorders and other disorders of the brain in Europe 2010. European neuropsychopharmacology, 2011. 21(9): p. 655-679.2.CUTLER, J.L., Kaplan and Sadock’s synopsis of psychiatry. 2016, LWW.3.Thornicroft, G., et al., The personal impact of schizophrenia in Europe. Schizophrenia research, 2004. 69(2-3): p. 125-132.4.Vigo, D., G. Thornicroft, and R. Atun, Estimating the true global burden of mental illness. The Lancet Psychiatry, 2016. 3(2): p. 171-178.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Family-centered collaborative care for patients with chronic mental illness: A systematic review.

Chronic mental illnesses (CMI) are long lasting and reoccurring and require continuous care as well as an integrated and collaborative approach to organize the care. This study sought to examine whether family centered collaborative care is an acceptable treatment option for individuals with CMI. From the years 2000 to 2021, ten electronic databases relating to family centered collaborative care for mental illness were searched adopting Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analysis checklist. Twenty seven relevant articles and a thesis from among 6956 studies retrieved, were assessed their quality appraisal through four standardized tools. The studies were rated as good, moderate, or poor. Studies were calibrated, different opinions were discussed, and extracted data were done. Evidence included 11 randomized controlled trials (from 19 articles), one randomized control trial, three mixed methods studies (from 3 articles and 1 thesis), and a qualitative study (from 4 articles). The quality of seven studies was good, 15 were moderate quality, and seven were poor quality. According to moderate to high quality qualitative research, family centered collaborative care was considered an acceptable intervention; though a few studies supported it. The findings demonstrated that family involvement in the care of patients with CMI affects no recurrence of the disease, and no re hospitalization of patients with this disorder. As a result, engaging family members in the care process can have a positive impact on the health and well being of these patients.

Qualitative research in pediatric urology

Qualitative studies have become increasingly common in the pediatric urology literature due to their ability to enhance our understanding of physicians' and patients' preferences, attitudes, and beliefs. The pediatric urology literature currently lacks clear guidelines for reporting qualitative research. In their absence, it is challenging to judge the quality of these studies. The objectives of this educational article are to define what is involved in rigorous qualitative research studies, help readers recognize high-quality qualitative research, and provide practical skills in designing and implementing qualitative research. Acknowledging researcher biases, taking steps to reduce bias and increase reflexivity, and clear descriptions of research and data collection methods all contribute increased rigor and trustworthiness of qualitative studies. Proper selection of qualitative methodology, derived from the research question to be answered, establishes a foundation for reliable and meaningful data. As the field continues to grow, the standardization of reporting of these essential parameters becomes paramount so readers can gauge how findings can be appropriately applied to clinical practice.

Trajectory of Teacher Well-Being Research between 1973 and 2021: Review Evidence from 49 Years in Asia.

This review portrays a dynamic developmental trend in the teacher well-being literature in Asia between 1973 and 2021 using a descriptive quantitative analysis approach. A search of the Scopus database identified 168 journal articles across 46 countries and regions in Asia. This number of publications indicated a substantial change in the knowledge corpus, particularly during the pandemic, although overall production was still relatively low. Further results revealed diversity but an imbalance of research location, research type, research methods, data collection techniques, and research foci. A functionalist perspective may suggest that the knowledge base on teacher well-being is at a beginning stage. Recommendations for future research are proposed including cross-region collaborations, more developed research foci, using mixed-method approaches, high-quality qualitative research designs, innovative qualitative techniques, and diverse qualitative data collection techniques.

The impact of working in academia on researchers' mental health and well-being: A systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis.

To understand how researchers experience working in academia and the effects these experiences have on their mental health and well-being, through synthesizing published qualitative data. A systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis was conducted to gain a comprehensive overview of what is currently known about academic researchers' mental health and well-being. Relevant papers were identified through searching electronic databases, Google Scholar, and citation tracking. The quality of the included studies was assessed and the data was synthesised using reflexive thematic analysis. 26 papers were identified and included in this review. Academic researchers' experiences were captured under seven key themes. Job insecurity coupled with the high expectations set by the academic system left researchers at risk of poor mental health and well-being. Access to peer support networks, opportunities for career progression, and mentorship can help mitigate the stress associated with the academic job role, however, under-represented groups in academia are at risk of unequal access to resources, support, and opportunities. To improve researchers' well-being at work, scientific/academic practice and the system's concept of what a successful researcher should look like, needs to change. Further high-quality qualitative research is needed to better understand how systemic change, including tackling inequality and introducing better support systems, can be brought about more immediately and effectively. Further research is also needed to better understand the experiences and support needs of post-doctoral and more senior researchers, as there is a paucity of literature in this area. The review protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021232480).

The value of qualitative methods to public health research, policy and practice.

This article reviews the role and use of qualitative methods in public health research.‘Signs of quality’ are introduced to help guide potential authors to publish their qualitative research in public health journals. We conclude that high-quality qualitative research offers insights that quantitative research cannot. It is time for all public health journals to recognise the value of qualitative research and increase the amount that they publish.

QMiP statement on controversial Qualitative Research publication

Many, if not all, of our readers will be aware of the controversial paper which was published earlier this year, often referred to as ‘that paper’. As a committee, QMiP have discussed internally and produced the below statement which we have posted online in response to ongoing discussions. We are reproducing this here for transparency and to ensure this is available to as many QMiP members as possible.We hope the below statement makes the position of the QMiP committee clear; whilst we do not agree with nor condone the approaches used in this instance, this should not take away from the high-quality qualitative research that takes place in our field and which we seek to champion.

Teenagers and Young Adults with Cancer: An Exploration of Factors Contributing to Treatment Adherence.

This systematic appraisal explores the literature surrounding treatment adherence in teenagers and young adults (TYAs) with cancer, with the aim of identifying influential factors that could affect adherence rates. This area is particularly important due to the increased risk of relapse and death associated with nonadherent behavior. In addition, TYAs are found to be the age group least likely to adhere to medical regimes. A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted and seven studies met the inclusion criteria, the articles were then critiqued using a data extraction form and eight themes were generated and discussed. This review highlights the complexities and difficulties in measuring adherence, as well as the key factors affecting adherence, before identifying implications for practice. Good communication and relationships are crucial between all parties involved in TYAs’ care including the patients, professionals, parents, and peers. A model of adherence was adapted on the basis of the result of the systematic review, other literature pertaining to adherence in TYAs, and the clinical experience of the authors. Personal factors and external factors, along with treatment factors and interactions with the system all have an effect on the patient's response or ability to adhere. It is apparent that there is a need for more high-quality qualitative and quantitative research in this area, with an emphasis on finding interventions that directly improve adherence specific to this age group.

Attending to Methodological Challenges in Qualitative Research to Foster Participation of Individuals with Chronic Critical Illness and Communication Impairments

Individuals with chronic critical illness experience multiple complex physiological disturbances including ongoing respiratory failure, requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation, and thus communication impairments. In conducting a qualitative interpretive description study, we sought to ensure that individuals with chronic critical illness themselves were included as participants. Our commitment to recruiting these individuals to the study and ensuring their data meaningfully informed the analysis and findings required us to reconsider and challenge some of the traditional notions of high-quality qualitative research and develop appropriate practical strategies. These strategies included: (1) centering participant abilities and preferences, (2) adopting a flexible approach to conducting interviews, (3) engaging in a therapeutic relationship, and (4) valuing “thin” data. In this article, we extend existing literature describing the complexities of conducting research with individuals with communication impairments and strategies to consider in the hopes of informing future research with other populations historically excluded from study participation.

High-Quality Qualitative Research: Getting Into Gear

In this editorial, we leverage the metaphor of the road trip to help those authors submitting to the Journal of Service Research and other publications craft high-quality qualitative research (HQQR). We outline three criteria as hallmarks of HQQR: relevant research addresses important problems or gaps, rigorous research makes data collection and analysis transparent, and responsive research reflects the ability to adapt to concerns and critiques as the project unfolds. We unpack four essentials of the road trip that enable authors to deliver on the above criteria: vehicle (theory), route (research design), traveling companions (coauthors, participants), and safety kit (planning, tools). We explain how choices made by researchers not only can foster HQQR but can also fuel the journey to publication. Our “Road Trip Checklist” provides a quick reference to specific questions researchers should ask to address each essential element and offers article exemplars that masterfully respond to these questions. We hope this editorial encourages researchers to draw on qualitative techniques to explore service-related topics that would benefit from immersive fieldwork and that it inspires the necessary guidance and confidence to get on the road.

On the use and abuse of verbatim quotations in qualitative research reports

On the use and abuse of verbatim quotations in qualitative research reports

How to … assess the quality of qualitative research.

As a clinician interested in qualitative research, you are likely to have pondered whether a particular study is trustworthy. How do you know whether qualitative research findings are valid and can be applied in your setting? The quality standards you would look for in quantitative research do not apply. Furthermore, qualitative research is conducted within a number of paradigms, or ways of understanding the nature of reality and knowledge, each associated with different ways of defining, understanding and reporting quality. This 'Howto…' article aims to support health care practitioners, educators and researchers to recognise some of the essential characteristics or 'markers' of high-quality qualitative research. We hope that this article will support those reflecting on the quality of their own research, those justifying research design to funders and those reviewing qualitative research for journals or for inclusion in reviews.

How to … be reflexive when conducting qualitative research

Reflexivity can be a complex concept to grasp when entering the world of qualitative research. In this article, we aim to encourage new qualitative researchers to become reflexive as they develop their critical research skills, differentiating between the familiar concept of reflection and reflective practice and that of reflexivity. Although reflection is, to all intents and purposes, a goal-oriented action with the aim of improving practice, reflexivity is a continual process of engaging with and articulating the place of the researcher and the context of the research. It also involves challenging and articulating social and cultural influences and dynamics that affect this context. As a hallmark of high-quality qualitative research, reflexivity is not only an individual process but one that needs to be considered a collective process within a research team, and communicated throughout the research process. In keeping with our previous articles in this series, we have illustrated the theoretical concept of reflexivity using practical examples of published research.

A Critical Review of Qualitative Interview Studies with Alcoholics Anonymous Members

Background: Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a community-based NGO that supports people with alcohol misuse concerns to achieve and maintain abstinence. Qualitative methods are best suited to investigate individual experiences of recovery in AA, since this typically involves not only abstinence from alcohol but also the global psychological growth of the whole person. Despite this, the growing body of qualitative research exploring individual experiences in AA has yet to be collated. Objectives: The aims of this paper were to systematically search for and critically review qualitative interview studies with AA members. Methods: A systematic database and citation search identified 21 articles published between 1977 and 2014. Two independent reviewers assessed each research report and extracted data pertaining to the findings and the methodological quality of the studies. Results: Major themes across the reviewed articles included ‘rock-bottom’ experiences and powerlessness, and identity and change processes in AA. Findings related to the methodological quality of the papers were both general to qualitative research and more specific to AA. Conclusions/Importance: Research in this field has been characterized by a relatively uncritical discovery of AA narratives among AA members and by a lack of methodological rigor, which is likely to perpetuate its negative standing in the context of academia, and therefore in public and political discourse. Overall, findings demonstrated a pressing need for high quality qualitative research on AA.