Synthesising qualitative and quantitative evidence: A review of possible methods
Abstract
Background: The limitations of traditional forms of systematic review in making optimal use of all forms of evidence are increasingly evident, especially for policy-makers and practitioners. There is an urgent need for robust ways of incorporating qualitative evidence into systematic reviews. Objectives: In this paper we provide a brief overview and critique of a selection of strategies for synthesising qualitative and quantitative evidence, ranging from techniques that are largely qualitative and interpretive through to techniques that are largely quantitative and integrative. Results: A range of methods is available for synthesising diverse forms of evidence. These include narrative summary, thematic analysis, grounded theory, meta-ethnography, meta-study, realist synthesis, Miles and Huberman's data analysis techniques, content analysis, case survey, qualitative comparative analysis and Bayesian meta-analysis. Methods vary in their strengths and weaknesses, ability to deal with qualitative and quantitative forms of evidence, and type of question for which they are most suitable. Conclusions: We identify a number of procedural, conceptual and theoretical issues that need to be addressed in moving forward with this area, and emphasise the need for existing techniques to be evaluated and modified, rather than inventing new approaches.
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Thematic analysis has been identified as a potential method for research synthesis, but what it involves is unclear and there are few examples of its use for synthesising research.
“Thematic analysis has been identified as one of a range of potential methods for research synthesis alongside meta-ethnography and 'metasynthesis', though precisely what the method involves is unclear, and there are few examples of it being used for synthesising research [35].”
From Methods for the thematic synthesis of qualitative research in systematic reviews (2008) · cites this paper as [35]
Interpretive reviews see the essential tasks of synthesis as involving both induction and interpretation.
“Interpretive reviews, by contrast, see the essential tasks of synthesis as involving both induction and interpretation.”
From Conducting a critical interpretive synthesis of the literature on access to healthcare by vulnerable groups (2006) · cites this paper as [4]
Aggregative reviews are concerned with assembling and pooling data, may use techniques such as meta-analysis, and require a basic comparability between phenomena so that the data can be aggregated for analysis.
“Aggregative reviews are concerned with assembling and pooling data, may use techniques such as meta-analysis, and require a basic comparability between phenomena so that the data can be aggregated for analysis.”
From Conducting a critical interpretive synthesis of the literature on access to healthcare by vulnerable groups (2006) · cites this paper as [4]
Aggregative reviews have a defining characteristic of a focus on summarising data, and an assumption that the concepts under which those data are to be summarised are largely secure and well specified.
“Their defining characteristics are a focus on summarising data, and an assumption that the concepts (or variables) under which those data are to be summarised are largely secure and well specified.”
From Conducting a critical interpretive synthesis of the literature on access to healthcare by vulnerable groups (2006) · cites this paper as [4]
The study employed a structured narrative review to synthesize existing research on AI adoption and its role in value creation within SMEs in developing economies.
“This study employed a structured narrative review to synthesize the existing research on AI adoption and its role in value creation within SMEs in developing economies (Dixon-Woods et al., 2005; Green et al., 2006).”
From Artificial Intelligence Adoption for Sustainable Development in SMEs: Challenges, Strategic Pathways, and Lessons for Developing Economies (2026) · cites this paper as Dixon-Woods et al., 2005
Narrative Summary is often used in systematic reviews alongside systematic searching and appraisal techniques.
“Narrative Summary is often used in systematic reviews alongside systematic searching and appraisal techniques [7].”
In practice Narrative Summary is still largely an informal approach and is subject to criticism of its lack of transparency.
“Despite methodological guidance, in practice Narrative Summary is still largely an informal approach and as such, is subject to criticism of its lack of transparency [7].”
The integrated mixed methods synthesis was based on the mixed methods approach to systematic review evidence initially proposed by Dixon-Woods and colleagues and further developed by Heyvaert, Hanees and Obghena.
“Our IMMS was based on the mixed methods approach to systematic review evidence initially proposed by Dixon-Woods and colleagues and further developed by Heyvaert, Hanees and Obghena [7, 8].”
The NPM synthesized empirical generalizations from groups of related studies, producing taxonomies, maps of relations between concepts, and generalizations.
“At this stage, the NPM synthesized empirical generalizations from groups of related studies, and producing taxonomies, maps of relations between concepts, and generalizations [24].”
From Development of a theory of implementation and integration: Normalization Process Theory (2009) · cites this paper as [24]
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- Authors
- Dixon-Woods, M., Agarwal, S., Jones, D., Young, B., & Sutton, A.
- Affiliations
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester;
- University of Leicester (GB)
- University of Liverpool (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Agarwal, Shona
- Young, Bridget
- Venue
- Journal of Health Services Research & Policy
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2005-01
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 45-53
- ISSN
- 1355-8196 (ISSN-L)
- 1758-1060
- OpenAlex
- W1981717548
- Cited by
- 2,132
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 130 · 2025: 127 · 2024: 111 · 2023: 138 · 2022: 128 · 2021: 154 · 2020: 134 · 2019: 174 · 2018: 124 · 2017: 119 · 2016: 117 · 2015: 91 · 2014: 94 · 2013: 114 · 2012: 78
- FWCI
- 8.55
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Health Services Research & Policy (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Leicester Research Archive (University of Leicester) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Economic and Social Research Council
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty › Meta-analysis and systematic reviews
- Social Sciences › Education › Qualitative Research Methods and Applications
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Policy Implementation Science
- Keywords
- mixed methods synthesis, qualitative evidence, quantitative evidence, systematic review methodology, meta-ethnography, realist synthesis, qualitative comparative analysis, Bayesian meta-analysis, meta-study, narrative summary, grounded theory, content analysis, case survey
- MeSH terms
- Bayes Theorem, United Kingdom, Health Services Research, Meta-Analysis as Topic, Evidence-Based Medicine
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
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