A hierarchy of evidence for assessing qualitative health research
A hierarchy of evidence for assessing qualitative health research
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DOI：
10.1016/j.jclinepi.2006.03.014
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发表时间：
2007-01-01
影响因子：
7.2
通讯作者：
Hughes, Emma
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Daly, Jeanne;Willis, Karen;Hughes, Emma
目的：本研究的目的是概述评估定性实证研究在健康和医学方面的贡献的明确标准，从而形成特定于定性方法的证据层次。 研究设计和设置：本文源于一系列基于健康文献中最新定性研究的批判性评估练习。我们专注于定性方法的核心方法程序（定义研究框架、抽样和数据收集、数据分析以及得出研究结论），以设计定性研究设计的层次结构，反映研究结论对卫生实践和政策决策的可靠性。结果：我们描述了实践证据定性层次结构的四个层次。最不可能产生良好实践证据的研究是单一案例研究，其次是描述性研究，这些研究可能提供有用的引文列表，但不提供详细的分析。更重视根据概念主题分析所有数据的概念研究，但可能因样本缺乏多样性而受到限制。使用概念框架得出适当多样化的样本并分析所有数据的可推广研究被认为提供了最佳的实践证据。每个级别都描述了明确的标准和说明性示例。结论：特定于定性方法的实践证据层次结构为使用这些方法对论文进行批判性评估以及定义证据的强度作为决策和政策制定的基础提供了有用的指南。 (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. 保留所有权利。
Objective: The objective of this study is to outline explicit criteria for assessing the contribution of qualitative empirical studies in health and medicine, leading to a hierarchy of evidence specific to qualitative methods.Study Design and Setting: This paper arose from a series of critical appraisal exercises based on recent qualitative research studies in the health literature. We focused on the central methodological procedures of qualitative method (defining a research framework, sampling and data collection, data analysis, and drawing research conclusions) to devise a hierarchy of qualitative research designs, reflecting the reliability of study conclusions for decisions made in health practice and policy.Results: We describe four levels of a qualitative hierarchy of evidence-for-practice. The least likely studies to produce good evidence-for-practice are single case studies, followed by descriptive studies that may provide helpful lists of quotations but do not offer detailed analysis. More weight is given to conceptual studies that analyze all data according to conceptual themes but may be limited by a lack of diversity in the sample. Generalizable studies using conceptual frameworks to derive an appropriately diversified sample with analysis accounting for all data are considered to provide the best evidence-for-practice. Explicit criteria and illustrative examples are described for each level.Conclusion: A hierarchy of evidence-for-practice specific to qualitative methods provides a useful guide for the critical appraisal of papers using these methods and for defining the strength of evidence as a basis for decision making and policy generation. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.