Quality in qualitative research

1
(No Transcript)
2
Quality in qualitative research

• ESRC research methods festival
• July 2008
• Jane Lewis, NCB

3
Coverage of talk

• why is quality so difficult in qualitative
  research?
• NatCens work to develop a framework
• some subsequent developments

4
Why is quality so difficult?

• diversity of theoretical approaches
• diversity of methods
• importance of non-standardised, unstructured,
  flexible approaches
• concerns about methodolatry
• diversity of positions on key concepts

5
Range of positions on quality criteria

Parallel but modified criteria
Guiding principles and ideas
Accept traditional criteria
Alternative criteria
Reject criteria
6
Our work to develop a framework

• literature review and review of existing
  frameworks
• consultation
• developed framework
• workshop
• refined, tested, refined

7
Structure and applicability

• scoped applicability esp in terms of
• theoretical positions
• methods
• 4 guiding principles
• 18 appraisal questions
• for each, a series of quality indicators

8
Some developments sinceDixon-Woods et al (2007)

• used CO and CASP frameworks unprompted
  judgement to determine inclusion in systematic
  review
• frameworks produced less agreement
• frameworks sensitised assessors to methodological
  issues
• tipped balance to sound but less insightful
• reproducability not validity

9
Some developments sinceWalsh and Downe (2006)

• reviewed 8 frameworks
• synthesised and removed redundant criteria
• 12 essential criteria, 53 specific prompts

10
Some developments sinceDaly et al (2007)
hierarchy of evidence
Generalizable studies
Conceptual studies
Descriptive studies
Single case study
11
Conclusions

• a fair amount of common ground
• reducing complexity is difficult
• different needs of specialists vs non-specialists
• different requirements for assessing quality vs
  eligibility
• theoretical contribution needs to be based on
  methodological rigour

12
References

• Spencer L, Ritchie J, Lewis J and Dillon L (2003)
  Quality in Qualitative Evaluation A framework
  for assessing research evidence London Cabinet
  Office http//www.gsr.gov.uk/professional_guidance
  /quality.asp
• Dixons-Woods M, Sutton A, Shaw R, Miller T, Smith
  J, Young B, Bonas S, Booth A and Jones D (2007)
  Appraising qualitative research for inclusion in
  systematic reviews a quantitative and
  qualitative comparison of three methods in J
  Health Serv Res Policy vol 12 no 1 Jan 2007
• Walsh D and Downe S (2006) Appraising the
  quality of qualitative research in Midwifery vol
  22
• Daly J, Willis K, Small R, Green J, Welch N,
  Kealy M and Hughes E (2007) A hierarch of
  evidence for assessing qualitative health
  research in Journal of Clinical Epidemiology vol
  60

13
Jane Lewis jlewis_at_ncb.org.uk