The DOI matches its Crossref record; 63 of the 64 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Shedding the cobra effect: problematising thematic emergence, triangulation, saturation and member checking
Open accessAbstract
Context: Qualitative research is widely accepted as a legitimate approach to inquiry in health professions education ( HPE ). To secure this status, qualitative researchers have developed a variety of strategies (e.g. reliance on post‐positivist qualitative methodologies, use of different rhetorical techniques, etc.) to facilitate the acceptance of their research methodologies and methods by the HPE community. Although these strategies have supported the acceptance of qualitative research in HPE , they have also brought about some unintended consequences. One of these consequences is that some HPE scholars have begun to use terms in qualitative publications without critically reflecting on: (i) their ontological and epistemological roots; (ii) their definitions, or (iii) their implications. Objectives: In this paper, we share our critical reflections on four qualitative terms popularly used in the HPE literature: thematic emergence; triangulation; saturation, and member checking. Methods: We discuss the methodological origins of these terms and the applications supported by these origins. We reflect critically on how these four terms became expected of qualitative research in HPE , and we reconsider their meanings and use by drawing on the broader qualitative methodology literature. Conclusions: Through this examination, we hope to encourage qualitative scholars in HPE to avoid using qualitative terms uncritically and non‐reflexively.
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“In the reviewed articles, for example, authors made reference to concepts, concerns and practices that reflect (post) positivist concerns – and ones which are often entirely normalised within disciplinary contexts.”
In the citing paper
“Luckily, qualitative methodologists have already done a lot of the heavy lifting here (e.g., Braun & Clarke, 2021b;Smith & McGannon, 2018;Varpio et al., 2017Varpio et al., , 2021)), presenting thoughtful considerations of what's assumed and at stake in various supposedly universal criteria.”
From Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing researcher (2023) · cites this paper as Varpio et al., 2017
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“This concept is widely debated, however, and Varpio et al. provides a great description of why information power might be a better concept.6”
From How to … assess the quality of qualitative research (2020) · cites this paper as [6]
In the citing paper
“Varpio et al. further explain how the concepts of triangulation or crystallisation are used as a quality marker in somewhat different ways, depending on the paradigm.6”
From How to … assess the quality of qualitative research (2020) · cites this paper as [6]
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Self-citation
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Sorted by citations
Thematic analysis of qualitative data: AMEE Guide No. 131
Kiger, M. E., & Varpio, L. (2020) · Medical Teacher · doi:10.1080/0142159x.2020.1755030 · Cited by 3,787
Self-citationBraun, V., & Clarke, V. (2023) · International Journal of Transgender Health · doi:10.1080/26895269.2022.2129597 · Cited by 2,878
A practical guide to reflexivity in qualitative research: AMEE Guide No. 149.
Olmos-Vega, F. M., Stalmeijer, R. E., Varpio, L., & Kahlke, R. (2023) · Medical Teacher · doi:10.1080/0142159x.2022.2057287 · Cited by 2,014
Self-citationTwelve tips for conducting qualitative research interviews
McGrath, C., Palmgren, P. J., & Liljedahl, M. (2018) · Medical Teacher · doi:10.1080/0142159x.2018.1497149 · Cited by 898
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2024) · Palliative Medicine · doi:10.1177/02692163241234800 · Cited by 954
“29,30 For example, some described ‘small samples’ or a lack of (statistical) generalisability as limitations of the research; some described saturation as a criterion for stopping data generation (unsurprisingly perhaps, as saturation is widely advocated for and referenced in both COREQ and SRQR;…”
Background
Metadata
- Authors
- Varpio, L., Ajjawi, R., Monrouxe, L. V., O'Brien, B. C., & Rees, C. E.
- Affiliations
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (US)
- Deakin University (AU)
- Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (TW)
- Department of Medicine University of California San Francisco San Francisco California USA
- Monash University (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Varpio, Lara
- Venue
- Medical Education
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2016-12-16
- Volume
- 51
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 40-50
- ISSN
- 0308-0110 (ISSN-L)
- 1365-2923
- OpenAlex
- W2562778769
- Semantic Scholar
- f6cc49a0d5ae5b26dadfdbc5c52c7ebf8dea5908
- Cited by
- 1,028
- References
- 64
- Citations by year
- 2026: 146 · 2025: 169 · 2024: 167 · 2023: 138 · 2022: 137 · 2021: 108 · 2020: 59 · 2019: 44 · 2018: 41 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 2
- FWCI
- 152.39
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- figshare.com
- Locations
- Medical Education (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- NOVA (University of Newcastle Australia) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Qualitative Research Methods and Applications
- Social Sciences › Education › Innovations in Medical Education
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics
- Keywords
- qualitative research methodology, health professions education, triangulation, saturation, member checking, reflexivity, ontological and epistemological assumptions, research legitimacy
- MeSH terms
- Health Occupations, Humans, Research Design, Qualitative Research
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