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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Real qualitative researchers do not count: the use of numbers in qualitative research.

Two myths about qualitative research are that real qualitative researchers do not count and cannot count. These antinumber myths have led to the underutilization of numbers in qualitative research and to the simplistic view of qualitative research as non- or antinumber. Yet numbers are integral to qualitative research, as meaning depends, in part, on number. As in quantitative research, numbers are used in qualitative research to establish the significance of a research project, to document what is known about a problem, and to describe a sample. But they are also useful for showcasing the labor and complexity of qualitative work and to generate meaning from qualitative data; to document, verify, and test researcher interpretations or conclusions; and to re-present target events and experiences. Although numbers are important in the treatment of qualitative data, qualitative researchers should avoid the counting pitfalls of verbal counting, overcounting, misleading counting, and acontextual counting.

Abortion, Induced↗
PubMed2001

Knowledge representation and qualitative simulation of salmon redd functioning. Part I: qualitative modeling and simulation.

This work aims at representing empirical knowledge of freshwater ecologists on the functioning of salmon redds (spawning areas of salmon) and its impact on mortality of early stages. For this, we use Qsim, a qualitative simulator. In this first part, we provide unfamiliar readers with the underlying qualitative differential equation (QDE) ontology of Qsim: representing quantities, qualitative variables, qualitative constraints, QDE structure. Based on a very simple example taken of the salmon redd application, we show how informal biological knowledge may be represented and simulated using an approach that was first intended to analyze qualitatively ordinary differential equations systems. A companion paper (Part II) gives the full description and simulation of the salmon redd qualitative model. This work was part of a project aimed at assessing the impact of the environment on salmon populations dynamics by the use of models of processes acting at different levels: catchment, river, and redds. Only the latter level is dealt with in this paper.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Mixing qualitative methods: quality assurance or qualitative quagmire?

Although the advisability of combining qualitative and quantitative approaches has been questioned on the grounds of incompatibility of epistemological assumptions that underpin the two paradigms, mixing methods within the qualitative paradigm has been viewed as a more straightforward enterprise. This article challenges this view, highlighting the existence of several qualitative traditions, each with its own distinctive set of assumptions about what constitutes appropriate research questions; theoretical frameworks; research settings; relationships with those whom we study; techniques for eliciting data; form and content of data; and approaches to analyzing, presenting, and disseminating data. Multimethod qualitative approaches can be seen to occupy a contested domain. Analytical rigor would be strengthened by acknowledging and addressing the potentially contradictory assumptions on which one draws when seeking to combine qualitative methods. As qualitative researchers, it is incumbent on us to pay attention to context--not just in terms of the data collected but in terms of our own methodological positions.

Data Collection↗
PubMed2007

Directly observed therapy and tuberculosis: how can a systematic review of qualitative research contribute to improving services? A qualitative meta-synthesis.

AIM: This paper reports the findings from a qualitative meta-synthesis concerning people with, or at risk of, tuberculosis, service providers and policymakers and their experiences and perceptions of tuberculosis and treatment. BACKGROUND: Directly observed therapy is part of a package of interventions to improve tuberculosis treatment and adherence. A Cochrane systematic review of trials showed an absence of evidence for or against directly observed therapy compared with people treating themselves. METHOD: Qualitative systematic review methods were used to search, screen, appraise and extract data thematic analysis was used to synthesize data from 1990 to 2002, and an update of literature to December 2005. Two questions were addressed: 'What does qualitative research tell us about the facilitators and barriers to accessing and complying with tuberculosis treatment?' and 'What does qualitative research tell us about the diverse results and effect sizes of the randomized controlled trials included in the Cochrane review?' Findings help explain the diverse trial results in a Cochrane systematic review of directly observed therapy and tuberculosis and consider implications for research, policy and practice. FINDINGS: Five themes emerged from the 1990 to 2002 synthesis: socio-economic circumstances, material resources and individual agency; explanatory models and knowledge systems in relation to tuberculosis and its treatment; the experience of stigma and public discourses around tuberculosis; sanctions, incentives and support, and the social organization and social relationships of care. Two additional themes emerged from the 2005 update. CONCLUSION: The qualitative meta-synthesis improved the relevance and scope of the Cochrane review of trials. The findings make a major contribution to the development of theory concerning global WHO-branded disease control and the practicality of local delivery to people.

Directly Observed Therapy↗
PubMed2001

Knowledge representation and qualitative simulation of salmon redd functioning. Part II: qualitative model of redds.

This paper describes a qualitative model of the functioning of salmon redds (spawning areas of salmon) and its impact on mortality rates of early stages. For this, we use Qsim, a qualitative simulator, which appeared adequate for representing available qualitative knowledge of freshwater ecology experts (see Part I of this paper). Since the number of relevant variables was relatively large, it appeared necessary to decompose the model into two parts, corresponding to processes occurring at separate time-scales. A qualitative clock allows us to submit the simulation of salmon developmental stages to the calculation of accumulated daily temperatures (degree-days), according to the clock ticks and a water temperature regime set by the user. Therefore, this introduces some way of real-time dating and duration in a purely qualitative model. Simulating both sub-models, either separately or by means of alternate transitions, allows us to generate the evolutions of variables of interest, such as the mortality rates according to two factors (flow of oxygenated water and plugging of gravel interstices near the bed surface), under various scenarios.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Effect of depression on dementia presentation: qualitative assessment with the Qualitative Evaluation of Dementia (QED).

Two novel, bedside, dementia assessment instruments, the Executive Interview (EXIT) and the Qualitative Evaluation of Dementia (QED) were used to examine the effects of DSM-III-R major depressive episodes on the clinical presentation of patients diagnosed with NINCDS "possible" AD. Intergroup comparisons were made of the various bedside cognitive measures given to 102 of 118 consecutive patients presenting to a university geriatric assessment clinic and consultation service. The assessment instruments used were: (1) the EXIT: a 15-minute, 25-item bedside interview for the assessment of executive control function (ECF); (2) the QED: a brief, clinically based checklist that operationalizes the approach of a geriatric psychiatrist to the qualitative assessment of dementing illnesses (when QED scores are mapped against EXIT scores, a qualitative picture of dementia typology emerges); and (3) the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE): a familiar bedside measure of cognitive function. Depressed and nondepressed patients differed significantly on the QED. There was no overlap in the QED scores of patients with probable AD versus those with depression. The QED discriminated between depressed and nondepressed patients with possible AD. Possible AD patients with depression could not be qualitatively distinguished from those with depression alone, although they could be discriminated by the EXIT. Only 44% of possible AD cases fall within the EXIT x QED 90% confidence limits for probable AD. No differences were found on either the QED or the MMSE between depressed non-AD patients and nondepressed patients exhibiting "dementia with no cortical features." The MMSE was insensitive to cognitive impairment in non-AD cases. NINCDS "possible" AD is a qualitatively heterogeneous group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Barriers to timely care of acute infections in nursing homes: a preliminary qualitative study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: During a large prospective study of lower respiratory infections in nursing home residents, project staff observed that in some facilities there was consistent difficulty in obtaining timely identification of potential subjects. Starting with this motivation, we conducted a preliminary qualitative study to investigate the process of illness identification and initiating management in episodes of acute infection. We sought factors promoting timely or delayed identification and treatment of acute infections among nursing home residents. DESIGN: Qualitative study using focus groups and in-depth semi-structured interviews of residents, nurses, and physicians involved in episodes of acute-illness care in nursing home residents. SETTING: Four nursing homes participating in a longitudinal study of the course and outcomes of lower respiratory infection. PARTICIPANTS: Focus groups included nurses and physicians with experience in nursing home care. Interviews were conducted with those involved in six episodes of acute illness. Interviewees included four nursing home residents (two others were not cognitively intact), seven nurses, and six physicians or their staff. DATA ANALYSIS: Identifying themes from focus group contributions and content analyses of interviews. RESULTS: We identified a four-stage model describing illness identification and management. Content analysis of interview transcripts revealed 22 factors that influenced timeliness of effective care with communication problems commanding the central focus. Barriers included: (1) failure of the communication medium; (2) evening or weekend illness onset with concomitant difficulty in contacting an on-call physician; (3) clinical decision-makers who interact through intermediaries; (4) the communication of inappropriate or inaccurate information; (5) inadequate information transfer at shift changes; and (6) prior relationship between staff nurse and physician. CONCLUSION: Effective identification and management of acute infections requires successful communication at multiple levels; however, breakdowns are common. Our model provides a framework for improving acute illness care in nursing homes, which offers important insights potentially useful in quality improvement activities in nursing homes and may facilitate further research.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Rigorous, rapid, reliable and qualitative? Computing in qualitative method.

OBJECTIVE: To explore whether qualitative methods are problematic and persuasive in health education research. METHOD: Explored this problem through the 3 goals of rigor, rapidity, and reliability and their special meanings in qualitative analysis. RESULTS: For each, contributions of qualitative computing software are identified and their effects assessed. CONCLUSION: Qualitative researchers are assisted by software tools in pursuit of each of these goals, but in each area there is a need for software design to address the tasks of research where rigor, rapidity, and reliability are paramount requirements.

Australia↗
PubMed2004

'Questerviews': using questionnaires in qualitative interviews as a method of integrating qualitative and quantitative health services research.

OBJECTIVES: Multi-method approaches are increasingly advocated in health services research (HSR). This paper examines the use of standardised self-completion questionnaires and questions, during in-depth interviews, a technique termed 'questerviews'. METHODS: 'Questerview' techniques were used in four empirical studies of health perceptions conducted by the authors. The studies included both standardised self-completion questions or questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Respondents were tape-recorded while they completed the standardised questionnaires and were encouraged to discuss their definitions of terms and responses to items in-depth. In all studies, 'questerviews' were fully transcribed and data analysis involved the scrutinising of transcripts to identify emergent themes. RESULTS: Responses to the standardised items led to rich sources of qualitative data. They proved to be useful triggers as respondents discussed their understanding and definitions of terms, often explaining their responses with stories from their own experiences. The items triggered detailed exploration of the complex factors that comprise health, illness and healthcare seeking, and gave considerable insight into the ways in which people respond to standardised questions. Apparently simple questions and response categories conceal considerable complexity. CONCLUSIONS: Inclusion of standardised survey questions in qualitative interviews can provide an easy and fruitful method to explore research issues and provide triggers to difficult or contested topics. Well designed and validated questionnaires produce data of immense value to HSR, and this value could be further enhanced by their use within a qualitative interview. We suggest that the technique of 'questerviews' is a tangible and pragmatic way of doing this.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

Focus on qualitative methods: Using qualitative methods in intervention studies.

Qualitative research commonly is viewed as the antithesis of the clinical trial and far removed from the immediate practical aims of intervention studies and nursing practice. Yet, qualitative methods can be used to enhance the significance and harness the benefits of clinical trials, and to emphasize the distinctive work and outcomes of nursing care. Qualitative methods are especially useful for further describing or explaining subject variation on outcome variables, verifying outcomes obtained from standardized instruments, and clarifying and evaluating interventions in their real-life contexts.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗
PubMed1997

Focus on qualitative methods. Qualitative metasynthesis: issues and techniques.

There has been an accumulation of qualitative studies in recent years, but little cumulation of the understandings gained from them. Qualitative research appears endangered both by efforts to synthesize studies and by the failure to do so. Techniques used have included reciprocal translations of key metaphors and concepts and qualitative and quantitative comparative analyses to produce narrative and theoretical integrations. The major problem yet to be resolved is developing usable and communicable systematic approaches to conducting metasynthesis projects that maintain the integrity of individual studies.

Data Interpretation, Statistical↗
PubMed2003

Establishing student competency in qualitative research: can undergraduate nursing students perform qualitative data analysis?

Many undergraduate nursing programs require some level of research competency of their graduates. However, the competency level may vary depending on program goals and often is focused on quantitative methodologies. The purpose of this research was to determine nursing students' ability to perform qualitative data analysis. Twenty-eight undergraduate students enrolled in a data analysis course in the junior year of their baccalaureate program participated. After selecting the research question, students collected interview data from each other and posted it using a Web-based program. The students and instructor then performed a content analysis. After reviewing the instructor's analysis, which revealed three core themes, students' written analyses were read to determine their congruence with the instructor-generated themes. There was 89% agreement on the first theme, 96% agreement on the second theme, and 61% agreement on the third theme. Because of the high agreement rates between the instructor and student analyses, the author concluded that undergraduate nursing students, when provided with appropriate instruction, are capable of performing qualitative data analysis.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Assessing the qualitative data component in large-scale quantitative surveys: computer aided qualitative survey data management, retrieval and analysis.

In a large-scale survey the qualitative component of the interview is often used either to refine the quantitative coding categories or to get a 'general feel' for the respondents' comments with no attempt at analysis. This article reports on an approach which has been developed for solving some of the problems of linkage of qualitative and quantitative components at the survey analysis stage. This approach is dependent on efficient methods of data management and text retrieval, and presupposes a system of data collection that produces computer-based text files to store the verbatim comments of study participants. The size of the data set necessitated using a mainframe computer for data management, text retrieval and analysis. The article provides illustrations of how the analysis of 11 000 files consisting of textual data was facilitated.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Relation between qualitative vision and qualitative over-keratometry in hydrogel contact lens wearers.

In a single masked experiment qualitative vision (QV) and qualitative over-keratometry (QK) were determined in 10 patients wearing a variety of hydrogel lenses. Better QV (right eye vs. left eye) was reported by the patients. Better QK was judged by the author using a modified Bausch & Lomb keratometer. The two measures correlated in all 10 patients. Slitlamp observations confirmed the supposition that the variable quality of the over-keratometry (over-K) images was due to alterations of the prelens tear film. Over-K revealed a secondary image due to reflection at the concave surface of the contact lens. Observations of the nature of the primary and secondary images lead to the conclusion that the lenses do not buckle; hence, the quality of vision in the 10 patients studied was dependent upon the quality of the prelens tear film. Photographic examples of over-K images are shown.

Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic↗
PubMed2002

Qualitative detection of hepatitis C virus RNA: comparison of analytical sensitivity, clinical performance, and workflow of the Cobas Amplicor HCV test version 2.0 and the HCV RNA transcription-mediated amplification qualitative assay.

The qualitative Cobas Amplicor hepatitis C virus (HCV) version 2.0 assay (HCV PCR) and the Bayer Reference Testing Laboratory HCV RNA transcription-mediated amplification assay (HCV TMA) were compared for analytical sensitivity, clinical performance, and workflow. Limits of detection were determined by testing dilutions of the World Health Organization HCV standard in replicates of 15 at concentrations of from 1.0 to 70 IU/ml. The limit of detection of the HCV PCR assay was calculated to be 45 IU/ml on initial testing and 32 IU/ml after resolution of gray zone results. The calculated limit of detection for HCV TMA was 6 IU/ml. To compare clinical performance, 300 specimens, grouped as follows, were evaluated: 112 samples that were indeterminate in an anti-HCV enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and for which HCV RNA was not detected by HCV PCR; 79 samples that were EIA positive and for which HCV RNA was not detected by HCV PCR; and 105 samples that were both EIA and HCV PCR positive. For these groups, interassay concordance ranged from 96.2% to 100%. In addition, three HCV PCR gray zone specimens and one neonatal specimen were also evaluated. A 64-sample run (full run, 91 specimens) required 5 h for testing by HCV TMA, whereas almost 8 h were required to test a full run of 22 specimens by HCV PCR. HCV TMA demonstrated excellent concordance with HCV PCR when clinical samples were tested. However, HCV TMA was more sensitive than HCV PCR, required less time for test result completion, and had a greater throughput.

Hepacivirus↗