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Cited by 203Qualitative Research Methods and ApplicationsQualitative Research Methods and EthicsHealth Policy Implementation Science

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 37 of the 38 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Beyond exploratory: a tailored framework for designing and assessing qualitative health research

Open access
Rendle, Katharine A, Abramson, Corey M, Garrett, Sarah B, Halley, Meghan C, Dohan, Daniel·2019·BMJ Open
DOI 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030123PMC PMC6720470
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Abstract

The objective of this commentary is to develop a framework for assessing the rigour of qualitative approaches that identifies and distinguishes between the diverse objectives of qualitative health research, guided by a narrative review of the published literature on qualitative guidelines and standards from peer-reviewed journals and national funding organisations that support health services research, patient-centered outcomes research and other applied health research fields. In this framework, we identify and distinguish three objectives of qualitative studies in applied health research: exploratory, descriptive and comparative. For each objective, we propose methodological standards that may be used to assess and improve rigour across all study phases—from design to reporting. Similar to hierarchies of quality of evidence within quantitative studies, we argue that standards for qualitative rigour differ, appropriately, for studies with different objectives and should be evaluated as such. Distinguishing between different objectives of qualitative health research improves the ability to appreciate variation in qualitative studies and to develop appropriate evaluations of the rigour and success of qualitative studies in meeting their stated objectives. Researchers, funders and journal editors should consider how further developing and adopting the framework for assessing qualitative rigour outlined here may advance the rigour and potential impact of this important mode of inquiry.

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Figure 1 Three broad types of qualitative health research.
Figure 1 Three broad types of qualitative health research.CC BY-NC · PubMed Central

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  1. Lamont M , White P . Workshop on Interdisciplinary Standards for Systematic Qualitative Research. Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation, 2008.

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Metadata

Authors
Rendle, K. A., Abramson, C. M., Garrett, S. B., Halley, M. C., & Dohan, D.
Affiliations
  • University of Pennsylvania (US)
  • University of Arizona (US)
  • University of California, San Francisco (US)
  • Palo Alto Medical Foundation (US)
Corresponding author
Rendle, Katharine A
ORCID
Venue
BMJ Open
Publisher
BMJ
Published
2019-08
Volume
9
Issue
8
Pages
e030123
ISSN
2044-6055 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030123
PMC
PMC6720470
OpenAlex
W2970520008
Cited by
195
References
38
Citations by year
2026: 27 · 2025: 46 · 2024: 38 · 2023: 36 · 2022: 35 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 4
FWCI
32.40
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc
Locations
  • BMJ Open (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • HighWire Press Open Archive (acceptedVersion)
  • UA Campus Repository (The University of Arizona) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (ME-1409-22996)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Education › Qualitative Research Methods and Applications
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Policy Implementation Science
Keywords
qualitative health research, scientific rigor, methodological standards, research objectives, exploratory research, descriptive research, comparative analysis, quality assessment framework, reporting guidelines, health services research, patient-centered outcomes research, research funding agencies, journal editorial guidelines
MeSH terms
Health Services Research, Humans, Research Design, Qualitative Research, Patient Outcome Assessment

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