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How theory is used and articulated in qualitative research: Development of a new typology

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... In line with this, concerns are raised about the growing number of generic approaches that do not delve deeper into the underlying meaning of themes or categories within the theoretical and historical context of the researched topic (Braun & Clarke, 2019;Caelli et al., 2003;Malterud, 2016). The rigour in qualitative methods, therefore, requires an in-depth analysis of the empirical material (Egry & da Fonseca, 2018), and theories can serve as 'tin-openers', enabling a sharper focus and revealing fresh and distinguishing patterns (Bradbury-Jones et al., 2014;Collins & Stockton, 2018;Malterud, 2016). ...
... were selected with the intention of analysing the text excerpt in significantly different ways to demonstrate how the relationship between qualitative research and theory is both complex and contentious(Bradbury-Jones et al., 2014). The three theoretical perspectives represented different traditions and were based on distinct sets of assumptions from scientific disciplines, such as sociology, psychology and ethical philosophy. ...
... The three theoretical positions could thus demonstrate the complexities in which interpretations of the same text emerged differently and had the potential to illustrate a link between the use of a specific theory and the discovered 'truths' in the empirical data. The disciplinary nature of theory was also captured by supporting the sub-analysis with relevant studies in the given area, thus showing how analyses were neither clear-cut nor discrete entities(Bradbury-Jones et al., 2014). ...
Article
Over the last 50 years, there has been significant development of qualitative research and related methods in healthcare. Theoretical frameworks support researchers in selecting appropriate research approaches, procedures and analytical tools. However, the implications of the choice of theory are sparsely elucidated. Based on a text excerpt from a public debate article, the study aimed to show how different theory-inspired analytical perspectives produced varied understandings of the same text. The study presented three subanalyses inspired by Bourdieu's sociological theory, Lazarus and Folkman's psychological theory and utilitarian ethics, respectively. The analyses showed that by using different theoretical analytical perspectives in inductive processes, an immediate interpretation of the text was not obvious. It became possible to spot the underlying meta-theoretical assumptions, as the interpretations were not taken for granted or indisputable. Our analyses suggest that different theoretical lenses lead to different interpretations of the same empirical material, recognising the existence of multiple truths or realities. Thus, utilising a theoretical perspective in inductive analyses can enhance transparency and rigour because the analytical optics are made explicit to the reader. This allows the reader to follow the analysis processes and comprehend from which theoretical starting point a truth arises.
... This has the potential to obscure and silences any potential for the development of unique strengths and skills that can be characterised as resilience [32] which in turn go unrecognised or undervalued. As a rapidly growing field of enquiry, knowing more about the degree to which theories and the nature of theories can shape the integration of knowledge will promote understanding and support for LGBT + lives [33,34]. How resilience is conceptualised and defined in research could help improve definition and methods used to study it and help deepen our understanding about what interventions might be effective in promoting resilience and quality of later life [29]. ...
... More importantly, the findings highlight how resilience theory is insufficiently applied throughout all stages of the research process. In keeping with previous commentary on the use of theory in research [33,34], within the studies included in this review there was less of a tendency to use resilience theory to inform older LGBT+ research. Based on Bradbury-Jones et al. [33] typology of theory use, most of the papers met the criteria of either implied theory (level 2), partially applied (level 3) or retrospectively applied theory (level 4). ...
... In keeping with previous commentary on the use of theory in research [33,34], within the studies included in this review there was less of a tendency to use resilience theory to inform older LGBT+ research. Based on Bradbury-Jones et al. [33] typology of theory use, most of the papers met the criteria of either implied theory (level 2), partially applied (level 3) or retrospectively applied theory (level 4). Retrospective application can be observed in papers that were classified as outcome studies, where resilience theory was 'considered at the end of the study as a means of making sense of research findings' and/ or 'introduced as an afterthought' [33, p. 137]. ...
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Within the literature, resilience is described as either a trait, an outcome or a process and no universal definition exists. A growing body of research shows that older LGBT+ adults show signs of resilience despite facing multiple inequalities that negatively impact their health and social wellbeing. The aim of this review was to examine how resilience is defined in LGBT+ ageing research and how it is studied. A mixed-study systematic search of peer-reviewed research papers published before June 2022 was conducted using the electronic databases CINAHL, Embase, Medline, PsycInfo, Social Science Database and Web of Science. This resulted in the screening of 7101 papers 27 of which matched the inclusion criteria. A quality appraisal was conducted using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Findings show that papers often lack a clear definition of resilience and application of resilience theory within the studies, although many of the papers conceptualised resilience as either a trait, process or an outcome. However, resilience was rarely the primary focus of the studies and was researched using a variety of measurement instruments and conceptual frameworks. Given the socioeconomic disparities, diverse social relations, histories of discrimination and stigma, and acts of resistance that have shaped the lives of older LGBT+ populations, resilience is a topic of growing interest for researchers and practitioners. Clear definitions of resilience and application of resilience theory could help improve methods used to study the concept and lead to more robust findings and the development of effective interventions. Greater clarity on the concept of resilience could also broaden the focus of research that informs policies and practice, and support practitioner training in resilience and the particular experiences of older LGBT+ adults.
... Researchers draw on philosophical assumptions, paradigms, theories and conceptual frameworks in the research process to ensure they are not only aware of but can also articulate, how their ideas about the nature of reality, their ways of knowing, their values and their preconceived ideas influence how they engage in research (Creswell & Poth, 2018). The ontological and epistemological positions of researchers influence the type of questions that are asked, the methodologies that are taken up and the methods that are used in data collection, analysis, interpretation and evaluation (Bradbury-Jones et al., 2014;Pope & Mays, 2020). ...
... Since the time nursing first took up the formal qualitative inquiry, the traditions associated with the various available qualitative methodologies led to questions and debates about if or how theory should be used, where it should be situated, or whether it has a role in shaping a study given the inductive nature of qualitative research (Anfara & Mertz, 2006;Bradbury-Jones et al., 2014;Meyer & Ward, 2014;Mitchell & Cody, 1993). While nuances exist across methodological traditions, a somewhat ubiquitous idea in nursing with respect to qualitative research is that, unless a researcher is required by virtue of methodological positioning to enter a study with a 'blank slate' (tabula rasa), a study must be firmly grounded in a theoretical framework at the outset (Thorne, 2016). ...
... Since the time nursing first took up the formal qualitative inquiry, the traditions associated with the various available qualitative methodologies led to questions and debates about if or how theory should be used, where it should be situated, or whether it has a role in shaping a study given the inductive nature of qualitative research (Anfara & Mertz, 2006;Bradbury-Jones et al., 2014;Meyer & Ward, 2014;Mitchell & Cody, 1993). While nuances exist across methodological traditions, a somewhat ubiquitous idea in nursing with respect to qualitative research is that, unless a researcher is required by virtue of methodological positioning to enter a study with a 'blank slate' (tabula rasa), a study must be firmly grounded in a theoretical framework at the outset (Thorne, 2016). ...
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Aims To explore the nuances of theory utilization in qualitative methodologies, discuss the different relationships that applied qualitative methodologies have with theory and use the foundational underpinnings of interpretive description to challenge strongly entrenched ideas of theory that have extended into applied qualitative nursing research. Design Methodology discussion paper. Data sources Narrative literature review and personal observations. Conclusion Many qualitative research traditions have viewed the use of an explicit theoretical framework as an integral grounding for qualitative research studies. Much of the discussion of theory in extant qualitative methodological literature focuses on its use in the context of traditional methodologies such as ethnography, phenomenology and grounded theory, with less attention on methodological approaches developed for applied and practice disciplines such as nursing. Uncritical adoption of ideas about theory based on traditional qualitative methodological conventions can result in findings with little utility for application to the practice context. Impact Nursing researchers should think critically about how theory is used in research endeavours geared towards applied practice and ensure that their methodological choices are in alignment with their philosophical and disciplinary epistemological positionings.
... 217). Echoing this, as we have argued previously in Bradbury-Jones et al. (2014), the problem is not so much lack of theory per se, but rather lack of identification and articulation of the theory. ...
... In 2014, based on a robust analysis of qualitative studies, we published a typology on the levels of visibility expounded in qualitative studies in the context of health and social sciences (Bradbury-Jones et al. 2014). The typology consists of five levels (Table 1). ...
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The relationship between theory and qualitative research has been much debated. In 2014, based on an analysis of qualitative studies, we published a five-point typology on the levels of visibility expounded in such studies. The typology captured a range of theoretical visibility – from seemingly absent to consistently applied. In 2020, we undertook a project to critique and revise the typology, guided by the ADAPT-ITT framework. ADAPT-ITT was developed originally to inform the adaptation of evidencebased interventions to new geographic regions, cultural contexts or populations related to HIV. It has subsequently evolved as a helpful framework in a number of health and social fields. The ADAPT-ITT framework provides a systematic, stepwise process that allows existing interventions to be adapted, rather than creating new interventions unnecessarily. The use of ADAPT-ITT to guide the adaptation of a methodological framework (as opposed to a health intervention) is novel and we used it flexibly, as reported in this article. Core to this process was the engagement of 14 international qualitative research experts, drawn mainly from health and social science disciplines. The outcome was a revised typology, presented in this article. We offer this as a reflexive aide for the conduct and reporting of qualitative research.
... Although theory often occupies a central role in higher education research, there is great complexity in how and why researchers use theory in their work. The use of theory is often uneven, varying from deep integration to superficial addition, if it is present at all (Bradbury-Jones, Taylor, & Herber, 2014;Tight, 2012). Given that theory presents several beneficial possibilities for higher education research, this complexity challenges the teaching, execution, and application of higher education research. ...
... As Bradbury-Jones et al. (2014) argued, a typology of theoretical visibility can be used by researchers, practitioners, academic journals and other field-specific outlets, and consumers alike. In particular, a system for applying and locating theory can help researchers better present their theoretical underpinnings in a way that explicitly connects theory to their research purpose, questions, design, and interpretations. ...
... A systems approach to medication risk management informed by the principles of the Human Error Theory was applied to establish a data analysis and interpretation framework [3,33]. Such a framework has been widely applied in patient and medication safety research [2,3,34,35]. ...
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Paediatric patients are prone to medication errors, but an in-depth understanding of errors involving high-alert medications remains limited. We aimed to investigate incident reports involving high-alert medications to describe medication errors, error chains and stages of the medication management and use process where the errors occur in paediatric hospitals. A retrospective document analysis of self-reported medication safety incidents in a paediatric university hospital in 2018–20. The incident reports involving high-alert medications were investigated using an inductive qualitative content analysis and quantified (frequencies and percentages). A systems approach to medication risk management based on the Theory of Human Error was applied. Altogether, 560 medication errors were identified within the study sample (n = 426 incident reports). Most medication errors were associated with administration (43.1 %, n = 241/560) and prescribing (25.2 %, n = 141/560). Error chains involving two to four medication errors in one or more stages of the medication management and use process were present in 26.1% (n = 111/426) of reports, most of which originated from prescribing (62.2%; n = 69/111). The medication errors (n = 560) were classified into 14 main categories, the most common of which were wrong dose (13.9%; n = 78/560), omission of a drug (12.9%; n = 72/560) and documentation errors (10.0%; n = 56). Paediatric medication error chains often start from prescribing and pass through the medication management and use process. Systemic defences are especially needed for manual tasks leading to wrong doses, drug omission and documentation errors. Intravenous medications and chemotherapeutic agents, optimising drug formularies and handling, and high-alert drug use at home require further actions in paediatric medication risk management.
... version 9.0 because it streamlines data processing, which is particularly useful while writing. Bradbury et al. (2014). We used key themes to classify all of the transcribed material. ...
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This study aims to explore issues related to the distribution of zakat among zakat recipients in the Asnaf settlement in Kuantan Pahang. The study uses qualitative methods to collect research data. A total of 6 zakat recipients among the Asnaf were involved in this study. The findings found that four main issues are the focus: satisfaction, dishonest behaviour, monitoring, and contribution adequacy. Discussion and recommendations are included at the end of the study.
... Thus the theory has not driven the research from its outset. This is a typical decision in the qualitative research space, which means that choosing not to apply theory to the qualitative study is not the single or exceptional case (Bradbury-Jones et al., 2014). Because in qualitative research, it is not the conceptual literature that determines the direction of the empirical research, but the findings of the conducted empirical qualitative research guide the researchers to select the literature purposefully in order to support the empirical findings (Giles, Harrison, 2023). ...
... Social cohesion encompasses a diverse array of subconstructs such as network social capital, social support, social participation, solidarity, and collective efficacy (Ehsan et al., 2019;Kawachi & Subramanian, 2018;Pérez et al., 2020). Social cohesion has also been defined as perceived trust, and the ability to activate local networks for cooperation around shared concerns and mutual benefit and is sometimes seen as synonymous with social capital (Bradbury-Jones et al., 2014). Importantly, social cohesion appears to be a critical mediator of the relationship between neighborhood socioeconomic factors and resident mental health at both the individual level (Hong et al., 2014;Kress et al., 2020;Rios et al., 2012) and the neighborhood level (Drukker et al., 2006;Xue et al., 2005). ...
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Integrative theorizing is needed to advance our understanding of the relationship between where a person lives and their mental health. To this end, we introduce a social identity model that provides an integrated explanation of the ways in which social-psychological processes mediate and moderate the links between neighborhood and mental health. In developing this model, we first review existing models that are derived primarily from a resource-availability perspective informed by research in social epidemiology, health geography, and urban sociology. Building on these, the social identity model implicates neighborhood identification in four key pathways between residents’ local environment and their mental health. We review a wealth of recent research that supports this model and which speaks to its capacity to integrate and extend insights from established models. We also explore the implications of the social identity approach for policy and intervention. Public Abstract We need to understand the connection between where people live and their mental health better than we do. This article helps us do this by presenting an integrated model of the way that social and psychological factors affect the relationship between someone’s neighborhood and their mental health. This model builds on insights from social epidemiology, health geography, and urban sociology. Its distinct and novel contribution is to point to the importance of four pathways through which neighborhood identification shapes residents’ mental health. A large body of recent research supports this model and highlights its potential to integrate and expand upon existing theories. We also discuss how our model can inform policies and interventions that seek to improve mental health outcomes in communities.
... This process is described in level 4 of Bradbury-Jones et al's typology of how 'theory is used and articulated in qualitative research'. 16 ...
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Background The retention of doctors is an important issue for the National Health Service; yet evidence suggests that the proportion of doctors wanting to leave UK medicine is increasing. Some of these doctors chose to continue their medical careers in other countries, however, some decided to leave the profession entirely. Objectives This was the first study to interview a cohort of UK doctors who have left the medical profession to embark on alternative careers. Participants were asked about the reasoning behind their decision to leave medicine. Design Qualitative study using one-to-one, semi-structured virtual interviews. Participants 17 participants, recruited via purposive sampling. Setting Zoom interviews with 17 former UK doctors who had left medicine to pursue alternative careers were conducted between February and July 2021. Findings Data were analysed using thematic analysis and the theory of work adjustment was applied to findings. The most frequently discussed reasons for leaving were associated with factors preventing participants from providing a desired level of patient care, work-life balance, a lack of support, a lack of control over working lives and the pull of alternative careers. While reasons for leaving varied between participants, all participants reported greater satisfaction in their new careers. Conclusion New careers were able to address many of the issues that caused participants to leave UK medicine. Consequently, it is important that some of the key issues raised in this study are addressed to retain more doctors in the UK medical workforce.
... Secondly, a holistic view furnishes in-depth description of causal instruments that are critical for interactions while providing unique knowledge that cannot be acquired through a single theory-driven model (Jackson et al., 2013). Thirdly, it bolsters the relevance of the outcomes while also making them more predictable (Talukder et al., 2018), and lastly, a variety of epistemological theories can be employed in the area of the relevant research for developing and supporting the model, in order to examine the philosophical foundations of the research (Bradbury-Jones et al., 2014). ...
Article
Most governments around the world have established open government data repositories during the last decade in an effort to make public data more accessible and usable, and to encourage citizen participation. Open government data has beneficial effects on economic growth by stimulating the industry to produce goods and services, which in turn accelerates production, job provision, and government tax earnings. However, in developing countries, the use of open government data is currently at its nascent stage and facing the problem of less participation besides the lack of continuance intention of utilization. To fill in the identified gap, the current study integrated Expectation Confirmation Model and IS success model to propose a model, which may help in predicting users’ continuance intention to utilize open government data. The proposed model may provide a baseline to develop innovative services by considering information quality and system quality so that users can get full benefits of open government data.
... Esta investigación se encuentra, más concretamente, enmarcada dentro de lo que Bradbury-Jones et al. (2014) acuñan como un proyecto de investigación impulsado y guiado por la teoría, es decir, un proyecto en el que la teoría es introducida en él desde el exterior hacia el interior y desde el inicio para, posteriormente, convertirse en central y hacerse presente no solamente ahí donde resulta más evidente, es decir, en el proceso de análisis interpretativo de los datos generados, sino también de manera transversal en todas las fases de la investigación, atribuyéndoles solidez y robustez (Grant & Osanloo, 2014). ...
... Burnham, et al. [61] described the switching costs as the one-time costs that the customers incur while switching from one supplier to the other. Switching costs are the assessment of time, resources, and effort by consumers that results when the service providers are changed [62]. In our study background, the e-tax system is a relatively new concept in Bangladesh, and users are not well acquainted with the new system; they may anticipate effort and time to know about new systems, which may lead to inconsistencies and adverse responses contributing to user resistance. ...
Article
The aim of this study is to investigate the acceptance and rejection behavior of electronic tax system at the same time. This study applied a conceptual framework focused on the dual-factor concepts of "enablers" and "inhibitors" to illustrate users' desire to exercise the e-tax system. In the dual model the Theory of Consumption Value (TCV) and Status Quo Bias (SQB) have been used to describe the reason behind consumers' accepting or rejecting the e-tax system through perceived enablers and deliberate inhibitors. A survey has been conducted in Bangladesh to collect data from 422 taxpayers, and the structural equation model was used to validate the proposed model. We find that functional value, social value, and emotional value are seen to have positive and direct impacts on the user's preference to use the e-tax system, while user’s resistance to use adversely impacts the use of the e-tax system. The results also signify that the user's resistance to using the e-tax is due to switching costs, inertia, and perceived risk. Several suggestions are provided for the practitioners to implement the e-tax system successfully by eliminating resistance factors.
... The interview guide was framed based on TPB constructs. The interview guide (Table 2) was developed by incorporating specifically written open-ended questions aiding rapport building, and if needed subsequent, more targeted questions with nonleading and not assumptive manner to placing the participants to express their feelings, attitudes, and experiences at ease [52,53]. Clarity and comprehensibility of the interview guide was checked by the second author (CA), whose native language is English, and then piloted in a non-study group. ...
... 15 The model was embedded in study design, as a topic guide for interviews, and as a framework for data analysis to enhance theoretical coherence and consistency. 16 Using an interpretive description approach, 17 we sought clinically usable explanations for weight management behaviours by exploring complex patient experiences through the conceptual COM-B model. ...
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Objectives: To explore ways to enhance the design of risk factor management and weight-loss services for people with overweight/obesity and atrial fibrillation (AF). Background: AF is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, with serious consequences for health and quality of life. Some evidence indicates weight reduction in people with AF and overweight/obesity may improve symptoms. This population may require additional support with weight management due to factors associated with ageing and health. Design: Qualitative investigation based on semi-structured interviews. Methods: 12 adult participants (4 female, 8 male) with diagnosed AF and a current or previous body mass index >27 kg/m2 were recruited at a large tertiary cardiac referral centre in southern England between September 2020 and January 2021. Participants completed quality of life and AF symptom questionnaires using Think-Aloud technique and semi-structured interviews relating to their weight management experiences, needs and preferences. Interviews were audio recorded and analysed thematically using the Capability, Opportunity and Motivation-Behaviour model as a theoretical framework. Results: Three main themes were identified. Being out of rhythm explores the psychological and physical impact of AF on weight management; doing the right thing discusses participants' weight management experiences and broaching the subject explores participants' perspectives on weight management conversations with clinicians. Conclusions: There was dissatisfaction with the weight management advice received from healthcare professionals including cardiologists. Participants wanted open, non-judgemental discussion of cardiac health implications of overweight/obesity supported by referral to weight management services. Improved communication including research findings regarding the benefits of weight loss as a factor in AF management might increase motivation to adhere to weight-loss advice in this population.
... 18 Ethnographic research is suitable for exactly that, with the overall goal being to explore and interpret the cultural construction of a given social setting or phenomenon-something that more conventional qualitative methods seem to miss. 2,19 At the same time, pharmaceuticals, as research objects, hold great potential for ethnography. As famously noted by Whyte, van der Geest and Hardon, medicines have social lives in the sense that they take up an important role in many social aspects of peoples' daily lives. ...
Chapter
Ethnography has much to offer research in social pharmacy and health services yet is rarely applied. This chapter provides an overview of the principles of ethnography starting with a brief historical account of the methodology. The first part of the chapter then explains how ethnography can shed light on the social context of pharmaceuticals, thereby introducing new ways of thinking, to researchers in the health and natural sciences. This is done by digging into the epistemology of ethnography, exploring how it differs from other methodologies (qualitative and quantitative), and how it builds on the core principles of constructivism and reflexivity. The second part of the chapter is concerned with how to conduct an ethnographic study, focusing on participant observation and fieldwork. Ethnography literally means “writing about people”; therefore, an entire section is devoted to various ways of writing up ethnographic data, from thick descriptions and field notes to social theory and analysis. Finally, there is a section on ethics, followed by advice on how to move forward with an ethnographic project. The chapter ends with some reflective questions and application exercises for designing an ethnographic study and training observation skills.
... Selvom der kan saettes spørgsmålstegn ved, om teori bør inddrages i diskussionen og derved retrospektivt (33), bidrog Van Manens fire eksistentialer (20) til en nuancering og en ny forståelse af undersøgelsens fund. Dette var med til at flytte fokus fra en specifik til en mere generel og almenmenneskelig kontekst. ...
Article
Title: Behind closed doors: Patients’ and relatives’ experiences of social contact during source isolation. Background: Patients are isolated in single rooms when admitted with a contagious disease. Studies have shown that source isolation affects social contact and can lead to patients suffering from anxiety and depression. Purpose: To gain a deeper insight into how patients and their relatives experience social contact during source isolation. Method: The study included individual interviewswith seven patients and five relatives. Data was analysed and interpreted by means of qualitative content analysis. Findings: Four themes were identified: (1) The dual meaning of the single room – between freedom and limitation, (2) Risk of contamination changes the physical and social contact – inside and outside the single room, (3) Care interactions – between presence and distance, (4) Concerns and responsibility experienced by the relatives. Conclusion: The single room influenced the experience of social contact for both patients and their relatives by creating a private room. However, it also created limitations in the contact to the healthcare professionals and the outside world. The risk of contagious disease changed the body experience and lead to physical distance among relatives, inside as well as outside the room. Finally, the study provided insight into the relatives’ perspectives, particularly their responsibilities and concerns.
... An inductive approach to analysis was taken to ensure that the codes and themes were grounded in the views of participants themselves. Psychological theory was, however, applied retrospectively to assist with interpretation of the findings described in the discussion [26]. Theory on promotion-and -prevention-focused motivation was used to explain why people did and did not take part. ...
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Background The UK Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) emphasises the need for high levels of engagement with communities and individuals to ensure the effectiveness of any COVID-19 testing programme. A novel pilot health surveillance programme to assess the feasibility of weekly community RT-LAMP (Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification) testing for the SARS-CoV-2 virus using saliva samples collected at home was developed and piloted by the University of Southampton and Southampton City Council. Methods Rapid qualitative evaluation was conducted to explore experiences of those who took part in the programme, of those who declined and of those in the educational and healthcare organisations involved in the pilot testing who were responsible for roll-out. This included 77 interviews and 20 focus groups with 223 staff, students, pupils and household members from four schools, one university, and one community healthcare NHS trust. The insights generated and informed the design and modification of the Southampton COVID-19 Saliva Testing Programme and the next phase of community-testing. Results Discussions revealed that high levels of communication, trust and convenience were necessary to ensure people’s engagement with the programme. Participants felt reassured by and pride in taking part in this novel programme. They suggested modifications to reduce the programme’s environmental impact and overcome cultural barriers to participation. Conclusions Participants’ and stakeholders’ motivations, challenges and concerns need to be understood and these insights used to modify the programme in a continuous, real-time process to ensure and sustain engagement with testing over the extended period necessary. Community leaders and stakeholder organisations should be involved throughout programme development and implementation to optimise engagement.
... To Grant and Osanloo [47], a theoretical framework is a blueprint for a research inquiry, providing structures and vision for the research. Meleis [83], as cited by Bradbury -Jones, et al., [14], a theory is "an organized, coherent, and systematic articulation of a set of statements related to significant questions in a discipline that are communicated in a meaningful whole." It is a symbolic portrayal of aspects of reality that are discovered or invented for describing, explaining, predicting, or prescribing responses, events, situations, conditions, or relationships. ...
Article
The interactions of water, energy, and food resources resulting in WEF nexus thinking have been conceptualized as an integrated framework to achieve the security of the three vital resources. However, there are some gaps in WEF nexus research, which constrains the understanding and actualization of the nexus. Hence, this review paper aims to assess theories, human resource management implications, and emerging technologies' effect in understanding the nexus for its actualization. The research employed a qualitative research methodology to achieve the research objectives. The research findings revealed six (6) significant theories that can aid the understanding and actualization of the WEF nexus. The research also revealed that human resource management is strategic, highlighting the need for nexus thinking among human resources. Furthermore, the study revealed the three major emerging technologies of Artificial Intelligence, Big data analytics, and Internet of Things (IoT), which are shaping the WEF nexus through innovations and shaping the nature of the nexus. The study concluded that there is an interaction between the theories and human resources management for attaining the WEF nexus, which affects the extent of the sustainability of the innovations introduced by the emerging technologies. The study recommended quantification of the theories, training on nexus thinking of the current human resource in the WEF sectors, and capital investment on emerging technologies in the WEF nexus.
... The lack of theory in qualitative research seems to undermine its quality (Bradbury-Jones, Taylor, & Herber, 2014), however, my cultural (i.e. satvic) perspective (partly) guided me throughout the research process which I used as theory. ...
... There is a substantial body of literature highlighting the merits of theory application in qualitative research (Anfara & Mertz, 2015;Jackson & Mazzei, 2012). While theory is usually utilized in qualitative research, it is seldom made explicit (Bradbury-Jones et al., 2014;Collins & Stockton, 2018;Kelly, 2010). Therefore, in describing the present study, we explicitly communicate how theory was used throughout the research process. ...
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Despite the emerging research on in-law relationships and its impact on building healthy families, the majority of studies focus on women. Therefore, the evidence on male in-law relationships is scant. Even less is known about how Black families experience male in-law relationships. Drawing from the Afrocentric Intergenerational Solidarity (AIS) model, this qualitative study explored the situational factors and interpersonal exchanges that contribute to the fostering of positive relationships for Black sons-in-law and their fathers-in-law. Semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with Black/African American sons-in-law about their relationship with their father-in-law. Study findings suggest that sons-in-law believed having similar interests and putting forth an effort to engage in family activities and gatherings helped shape the relationship. Explicit communication, mutual support, and shared values were also perceived as critical components to building a healthy and positive relationship. These interactions provided opportunities for fathers-in-law to express their expectations of sons-in-laws in their roles as husbands and fathers, as well as offer support to sons-in-law. As a result, in-laws were able to discuss culturally masculine values and establish a mutual respect for one another. Study findings indicate that the Black male in-law relationship is a complex and unique process that may facilitate cohesion within the family. Additionally, understanding the role of Black fathers-in-law in strengthening sons-in-law’s spousal and parenting efficacy may lead to evidence-based interventions that include multigenerational approaches to healthy family functioning.
... The structure of five second-order themes (see Table 3) has been utilised below to formalise and discuss the results as key issues relevant to housing PPPs that require thorough attention. This shall enable the interpretation of these issues into policy and practice (Wu & Volker, 2009;Bradbury-Jones et al., 2014;Meyer & Ward, 2014), and hold power to control the use of the PPP approach in housing and allow for the focused development of PPP housing. ...
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Public-Private-Partnership is one of the holistic built-environment development and management approaches having all the processes under one roof, built-up with varied processes, and propagating improved performance. While PPPs are widely adopted in various building sectors such as institutional, healthcare, schools; this raises a question on its rare utilisation in the housing sector, confined to only limited countries. This paper, thereby, focuses on identifying key issues for implementation of PPP in the housing sector. It aims at exploring PPP for the linkages between the urban functioning, governance, and management for housing provision, addressing the pressing need of today's housing demand and delivery. The data was collected by a four-tier approach involving literature review, case studies, surveys, and focused interviews across Europe, which was analysed using the thematic analysis approach to arrive at the vital diagnosis in this paper. The results showcased a considerable potential for the housing PPP market and highlighted key structural, contextual, environmental, financial, and execution issues summarised in the form of barriers, gaps, and challenges, that are required to be dealt with at the policy, governance, and industry level.
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Introduction Sustaining evidence-based care is challenging in all clinical settings. Acute care settings have a unique set of contextual factors that may impact sustainability (eg, fast-paced, regular staff turnover). Much of the previous research explores sustainability across undifferentiated healthcare settings making it difficult to determine factors that influence sustainability in acute care settings. The aim of this review is to identify facilitators and barriers that influence the delivery of sustained healthcare interventions (eg, integration of clinical guidelines) within adult and paediatric hospital-based acute care settings. Methods and analysis A mixed methods systematic review updating Cowie et al’s (which included studies from 2008 to 2017) previously published systematic review will be conducted. The following databases will be searched: Medline, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CINAHL and Allied and Complementary Medicine (AMED), from November 2017 to the present for studies published in English. Relevant reference lists of included studies will be manually searched. Empirical quantitative and qualitative studies that report the sustainability of an intervention or programme in acute care settings using a theoretical framework(s), model(s) or theory(ies) to explore facilitators and barriers, will be included. Studies will be exported into Covidence (Melbourne) and pairs of reviewers will independently screen abstracts and full-text studies. The discussion will be used to resolve any disagreements and a third coauthor enlisted should a consensus not be reached. Two independent coauthors will extract key study characteristics and assess each study’s quality. Data will be extracted using Covidence (Melbourne). Evidence tables will be used to present descriptive data. Facilitators and barriers will be mapped to the Consolidated Framework for Sustainability Constructs in Healthcare and a narrative approach will be used to present key findings. Ethics and dissemination No primary data will be collected so formal ethical approval is not required. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, presented at international conferences and on social media. PROSPERO registration number PROSPERO CRD42024547535.
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The aim of the study was to explore and describe how public health nurses at child health clinics experience and perceive the follow-up of children and families when there is concern about the child’s care. The goal was to contribute to knowledge development to guide health-promoting nursing care for children and their families. Theoretical perspectives included health promotion, child-centered and family-centered care, in addition to nursing care. An exploratory qualitative design informed by a hermeneutic approach was used. Data were collected in 3 focus groups with 16 public health nurses and analyzed using latent content analysis. The findings detail public health nurses’ internal negotiation processes in the follow-up of children and the family, and the ways these negotiation processes were influenced by various prerequisites, the approaches for follow-up, dilemmas that affected public health nurses’ approaches, and prolonged dwellings on past responses to children and families of concern. The lack of routines and goals for follow-up, a dominant parental perspective, and ambiguity related to health promotion and disease prevention, all created challenges for the public health nurses. Based on these findings, a model of public health nurse’s follow-up when there is concern about the child’s care was developed for future research.
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Bivalent COVID-19 vaccine boosters have been recommended for all Americans 12 years of age and older. However, uptake remains suboptimal with only 17% of the United States (US) population boosted as of May 2023. This is a critical public health challenge for mitigating the ongoing effects of COVID-19 infection. COVID-19 booster uptake is not currently well understood, and few studies in the US have explored the vaccination process for booster uptake in a ‘post-pandemic’ context. This study fills gaps in the literature through qualitative analysis of interviews with a racially/ethnically diverse sample of Arkansans who received the COVID-19 vaccine main series and expressed intent to receive a booster (n = 14), but had not yet received the COVID-19 booster at the time we recruited them. All but one did not receive the booster by the time of the interview. Participants described influences on their vaccination behavior and uptake of boosters including reduced feelings of urgency; continued concerns about the side effects; social contagion as a driver of urgency; increasing practical barriers to access and missing provider recommendations. Our findings highlight the importance of considering vaccination as an ongoing, dynamic process drawing on past/current attitudes, prior experience, perceptions of risk and urgency and practical barriers. Based on these findings, healthcare providers should continue to provide strong, consistent recommendations for COVID-19 boosters to patients, even among those with histories of vaccine uptake.
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Service providers and researchers often describe people affected by homelessness as hidden. This study aims to study social relationships and implications for outreach services through a qualitative content analysis of reports written by field investigators for the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator that involve people affected by homelessness who died between 2014 and 2019 across the state ( N = 512). Findings describe variation in what is newly conceptualized as the aspects of the visibility framework, which organizes people as most engaged and surveilled, most visible and exposed, or most hidden. Recommendations include facilitating greater engagement with hotel/motel management and staff about harm reduction and engaging more with local business communities and first responders (including the criminal-legal system). This research also conceptualizes subsistence ties, acquaintances that both provide longer-term support and further hide people who are precariously housed. Future research and policy recommendations are described.
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Explorations of barriers and enablers (or barriers and facilitators) to a desired health practice, implementation process, or intervention outcome have become so prevalent that they seem to be a default in much health services and public health research. In this article, we argue that decisions to frame research questions or analyses using barriers and enablers (B&Es) should not be default. Contrary to the strengths of qualitative research, the B&Es approach often bypasses critical reflexivity and can lead to shallow research findings with poor understanding of the phenomena of interest. The B&Es approach is untheorised, relying on assumptions of linear, unidirectional processes, universally desirable outcomes, and binary thinking which are at odds with the rich understanding of context and complexity needed to respond to the challenges faced by health services and public health. We encourage researchers to develop research questions using informed deliberation that considers a range of approaches and their implications for producing meaningful knowledge. Alternatives and enhancements to the B&Es approach are explored, including using ‘whole package’ methodologies; theories, conceptual frameworks, and sensitising ideas; and participatory methods. We also consider ways of advancing existing research on B&Es rather than doing ‘more of the same’: researchers can usefully investigate how a barrier or enabler works in depth; develop and test implementation strategies for addressing B&Es; or synthesise the B&Es literature to develop a new model or theory. Illustrative examples from the literature are provided. We invite further discussion on this topic.
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Aim: To explore how the Cognitive Continuum Theory has been used in qualitative nursing research and to what extent it has been integrated in the research process using the Qualitative Network for Theory Use and Methodology (QUANTUM). Background: Theory, research and nursing are intrinsically linked, as are decision-making and nursing practice. With increasing pressure on nurses to improve patient outcomes, systematic knowledge regarding decision-making is critical and urgent. Design: A meta-aggregative systematic review. Methods: DATABASES: CINAHL, Medline, PsycINFO, Embase and PubMed were searched from inception until May 2022 for peer-reviewed research published in English. Seven studies were included and assessed for methodological quality using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist for qualitative research. A meta-aggregative synthesis was conducted using Joanna Briggs methodology. The QUANTUM typology was used to evaluate the visibility of the Cognitive Continuum Theory in the research process. Results: The review identified five synthesised findings, namely: 1. the decision-making capacity of the individual nurse, 2. nurses' level of experience, 3. availability of decision support tools, 4. the availability of resources and 5. access to senior staff and peers. Only two of seven studies rigorously applied the theory. The included studies were mainly descriptive-exploratory in nature. Conclusion: The transferability of the Cognitive Continuum Theory was demonstrated; however, evolution or critique was absent. A gap in the provision of a patient-centric approach to decision-making was identified. Education, support and research is needed to assist decision-making. A new Person-Centred Nursing Model of the Cognitive Continuum Theory has been proposed to guide future research in clinical decision-making. Relevance to clinical practice: Nurses make numerous decisions every day that directly impact patient care, therefore development and testing of new theories, modification and revision of older theories to reflect advances in knowledge and technology in contemporary health care are essential.
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The aim of this paper is to examine the primary school teachers' most preferred Classroom Management style. Teachers' style is a characteristic, which is determined by their values, beliefs and pedagogical philosophy and characterizes their behavior in the classroom. We identified four such types: authoritarian, democratic, laissez-faire and warm demander. The research we present here on this issue was based on two online methodological tools: First, a conventional text-based questionnaire of 36 questions, using the Likert scale, and second a comic-style vignette-based questionnaire consisted of 10 episodes. We used a non-probabilistic sample of fifty-two (52) easily accessible primary school teachers from various areas of Greece, who volunteered to participate in our research. It was found that the democratic and the warm demander styles was the preference of the most teachers while the other two styles occurred less often. The use of those methodological tools gave us the opportunity to compare them to identify the advantages and disadvantages of each one... The comparison considered factors such as interest, time, clarity, effort, innovation and pleasure. Participants' responses indicated that they found the comic-style vignette-based questionnaire more interesting, innovative, and pleasant compared to the conventional questionnaire. In addition, no significant differences were found concerning the clarity, time and effort required to complete the two questionnaires.
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Background: Home-based rehabilitation exercise following Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) shows similar outcomes compared to supervised outpatient rehabilitation exercise. Little is known about patients' experiences with home-based rehabilitation, and this study aimed to investigate how patients perceived home-based rehabilitation exercise and general physical activity after THA, focusing on facilitators and barriers. Methods: Semi-structured interviews of qualitative design were conducted with 22 patients who had undergone THA and who had performed home-based rehabilitation exercise. The study took place in a regional hospital in Denmark between January 2018 and May 2019. Data were analyzed using an interpretive thematic analysis approach, with theoretical underpinning from the concept ‘conduct of everyday life’. The study is embedded within the Pragmatic Home-Based Exercise Therapy after Total Hip Arthroplasty-Silkeborg trial (PHETHAS-1). Results: The main theme, ‘wishing to return to the well-known everyday life’, and four subthemes were identified. Generally, participants found the home-based rehabilitation exercise boring but were motivated by the goal of returning to their well-known everyday life and performing their usual general physical activities, though some lacked contact to physiotherapist. Participants enrolled in the PHETHAS-1 study used the enrollment as part of their motivation for doing the exercises. Both pain and the absence of pain were identified as barriers for doing home-based rehabilitation exercise. Pain could cause insecurity about possible medical complications, while the absence of pain could lead to the rehabilitation exercise being perceived as pointless. Conclusions: The overall goal of returning to the well-known everyday life served as a facilitator for undertaking home-based rehabilitation exercise after THA along with the flexibility regarding time and place for performing exercises. Boring exercises as well as both pain and no pain were identified as barriers to the performance of home-based rehabilitation exercise. Participants were motivated towards performing general physical activities which were part of their everyday life.
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Purpose Despite many years of academic research into organisational integration and effectiveness, organisations still struggle to successfully implement strategy and achieve competitive advantage. However, the rapid evolution of marketing technologies such as big data, marketing analytics, artificial intelligence and personalised consumer interactions offer potential for an integrated marketing communication technological capability that aligns and integrates an organisation. Programmatic advertising is one such integrated marketing communication (IMC) technology capability, applying and learning from customer information and behaviours to align and integrate organisational activity. The literature on programmatic is embryonic and a conceptual framework that links its potential to organisational effectiveness is timely. This paper aims to develop a framework showing the potential for programmatic advertising as an IMC technology capability to enhance organisational integration and performance. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory methodology gained insight from 15 depth interviews with senior marketing executives from both organisations and external advertising agencies. Findings Four elements of a programmatic integrated organisation were identified and aligned with seven marketing activity levers to deliver firm performance measures. Research limitations/implications This research contributes to theory, affirming IMC as a capability and positioning programmatic as a means of organisational integration. Practical implications The model also offers guidance for practitioners looking to integrate programmatic into their organisation. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to look at programmatic from an IMC perspective and as a means of organisational integration. It is also the first to apply Moorman and Day’s (2016) model to explore organisational integration and programmatic, developing a new model, specifically contextualised for programmatic advertising.
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Child rights research has increased since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child ( crc ) in 1989. Reviews of the research has indicated a lack of criticality and a reluctance to interrogate or challenge dominant views. Some scholars argue that this results from under theorisation, whereas other maintain that theorisation is abundant. The paradox suggesting that children’s rights research can be both abundant and deficient in theory calls for a thorough discussion about theorisation. This systematic review engages in this debate by exploring what is positioned as “theory” in educational children’s rights research, and what function theory has. Analysis determined that alignment with established theoretical approaches is uncommon. Previous research literature is instead often positioned as theory, mostly in combination with policy, law or an established theory. Main functions of theory are to construct the object of study and to provide analysis support. Some uses of theory appear to be more powerful than others.
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Background: Home-based rehabilitation exercise following Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) shows similar outcomes compared to supervised outpatient rehabilitation exercise. Little is known about patients' experiences with home-based rehabilitation, and this study aimed to investigate how patients perceived home-based rehabilitation exercise and general physical activity after THA, focusing on facilitators and barriers. Methods: Semi-structured interviews of qualitative design were conducted with 22 patients who had undergone THA and who had performed home-based rehabilitation exercise. The study took place in a regional hospital in Denmark between January 2018 and May 2019. Data were analyzed using an interpretive thematic analysis approach, with theoretical underpinning from the concept ‘conduct of everyday life’. The study is embedded within the Pragmatic Home-Based Exercise Therapy after Total Hip Arthroplasty-Silkeborg trial (PHETHAS-1). Results: The main theme, ‘wishing to return to the well-known everyday life’, and four subthemes were identified. Generally, participants found the home-based rehabilitation exercise boring but were motivated by the goal of returning to their well-known everyday life and performing their usual general physical activities, though some lacked contact to physiotherapist. Participants enrolled in the PHETHAS-1 study used the enrollment as part of their motivation for doing the exercises. Both pain and the absence of pain were identified as barriers for doing home-based rehabilitation exercise. Pain could cause insecurity about possible medical complications, while the absence of pain could lead to the rehabilitation exercise being perceived as pointless. Conclusions: The overall goal of returning to the well-known everyday life served as a facilitator for undertaking home-based rehabilitation exercise after THA along with the flexibility regarding time and place for performing exercises. Boring exercises as well as both pain and no pain were identified as barriers to the performance of home-based rehabilitation exercise. Participants were motivated towards performing general physical activities which were part of their everyday life.
Article
Background: Home-based rehabilitation exercise following Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) shows similar outcomes compared to supervised outpatient rehabilitation exercise. Little is known about patients' experiences with home-based rehabilitation, and this study aimed to investigate how patients perceived home-based rehabilitation exercise and general physical activity after THA, focusing on facilitators and barriers. Methods: Semi-structured interviews of qualitative design were conducted with 22 patients who had undergone THA and who had performed home-based rehabilitation exercise. The study took place in a regional hospital in Denmark between January 2018 and May 2019. Data were analyzed using an interpretive thematic analysis approach, with theoretical underpinning from the concept ‘conduct of everyday life’. The study is embedded within the Pragmatic Home-Based Exercise Therapy after Total Hip Arthroplasty-Silkeborg trial (PHETHAS-1). Results: The main theme, ‘wishing to return to the well-known everyday life’, and the subtheme ‘general physical activity versus rehabilitation exercise’ were identified. Generally, participants found the home-based rehabilitation exercise boring but were motivated by the goal of returning to their well-known everyday life and performing their usual general physical activities. Participants enrolled in the PHETHAS-1 study used the enrollment as part of their motivation for doing the exercises. Both pain and the absence of pain were identified as barriers for doing home-based rehabilitation exercise. Pain could cause insecurity about possible medical complications, while the absence of pain could lead to the rehabilitation exercise being perceived as pointless. Conclusions: The overall goal of returning to the well-known everyday life served as a facilitator for undertaking home-based rehabilitation exercise after THA along with the flexibility regarding time and place for performing exercises. Boring exercises as well as both pain and no pain were identified as barriers to the performance of home-based rehabilitation exercise. Participants were motivated towards performing general physical activities which were part of their everyday life.
Article
Purpose: To understand the role of a workplace-based assessment (WBA) tool in facilitating feedback for medical students, this study explored changes and tensions in a clerkship feedback activity system through the lens of cultural historical activity theory (CHAT) over 2 years of tool implementation. Method: This qualitative study uses CHAT to explore WBA use in core clerkships by identifying feedback activity system elements (e.g., community, tools, rules, objects) and tensions among these elements. University of California, San Francisco core clerkship students were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews eliciting experience with a WBA tool intended to enhance direct observation and feedback in year 1 (2019) and year 2 (2020) of implementation. In year 1, the WBA tool required supervisor completion in the school's evaluation system on a computer. In year 2, both students and supervisors had WBA completion abilities and could access the form via a smartphone separate from the school's evaluation system. Results: Thirty-five students participated in interviews. The authors identified tensions that shifted with time and tool iterations. Year 1 students described tensions related to cumbersome tool design, fear of burdening supervisors, confusion over WBA purpose, WBA as checking boxes, and WBA usefulness depending on clerkship context and culture. Students perceived dissatisfaction with the year 1 tool version among peers and supervisors. The year 2 mobile-based tool and student completion capabilities helped to reduce many of the tensions noted in year 1. Students expressed wider WBA acceptance among peers and supervisors in year 2 and reported understanding WBA to be for low-stakes feedback, thereby supporting formative assessment for learning. Conclusion: Using CHAT to explore changes in a feedback activity system with WBA tool iterations revealed elements important to WBA implementation, including designing technology for tool efficiency and affording students autonomy to document feedback with WBAs.
Chapter
The simulated patient method is becoming an increasingly popular observational method to measure practice behavior in pharmacy practice and health services research. The simulated patient method involves sending a trained individual (simulated patient among other names), who is indistinguishable from a regular consumer, into a healthcare setting with a standardized scripted request. This method has come to be accepted as being well-suited for observing practice in the naturalistic setting and has also been used as an intervention when combined with feedback and coaching. This chapter presents an overview of the method, a brief history of its use, considerations for designing, implementing, and evaluating simulated patient studies, including ethical considerations, as well as methods of analysis and mixed-methods designs.
Chapter
This chapter seeks to illuminate pathways for “thinking differently” about research approaches for pharmacy practice, social pharmacy, and health services research by leaning on theoretical advances made in organization and management science (OMS). In particular, the perspective of “practical rationality,” derived from a process philosophical worldview, is highlighted as a truly alternative framework for designing and enacting productive social research. To deliver practically rational findings, researchers need to think differently and more deeply about practice reality and how it is understood. Process philosophy provides a comprehensive and unified perspective of reality, its character, and how we might understand ourselves in that reality. Congruent methodologies can enable development of research processes and outcomes that capture a logic of pharmacy practice that more closely reflects practitioners’ experience of that practice, thus narrowing the gap between theory and practice. Outcomes can provide a different and more complex “system of picturing” phenomena and objects of study than more normative rationalistic, reductionist, and quantitative approaches. Findings can reveal how patterned unfolding processes and practices interrelate and come together to produce some aspect of human life or work, providing new opportunities for intervention. It provides the opportunity for pharmacy practice research that may catch a reality of pharmacy practice in flight.
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The Care Act 2014 gave English local authorities a duty to ‘shape’ social care markets and encouraged them to work co-productively with stakeholders. Grid-group cultural theory is used here to explain how local authorities have undertaken market shaping, based on a four-part typology of rules and relationships. The four types are: procurement (strong rules, weak relationships); managed market (strong rules, strong relationships); open market (weak rules, weak relationships); and partnership (weak rules, strong relationships). Qualitative data from English local authorities show that they are using different types of market shaping in different parts of the care market (e.g. residential vs home care), and shifting types over time. Challenges to the sustainability of the care system (rising demand, funding cuts, workforce shortages) are pulling local authorities towards the two ‘strong rules’ approaches which run against the co-productive thrust of the Care Act. Some local authorities are experimenting with hybrids of the two ‘weak rules’ approaches but the rival cultural biases of different types mean that hybrid approaches risk antagonising providers and further unsettling an unstable market.
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Background: Home-based rehabilitation exercise following Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) shows similar outcomes compared to supervised outpatient rehabilitation exercise. Little is known about patients' experiences with home-based rehabilitation, and this study aimed to investigate how patients perceived home-based rehabilitation exercise and general physical activity after THA, focusing on facilitators and barriers. Methods: Semi-structured interviews of qualitative design were conducted with 22 patients who had undergone THA and who had performed home-based rehabilitation exercise. The study took place in a regional hospital in Denmark between January 2018 and May 2019. Data were analyzed using an interpretive thematic analysis approach, with theoretical underpinning from the concept ‘conduct of everyday life’. The study is embedded within the Pragmatic Home-Based Exercise Therapy after Total Hip Arthroplasty-Silkeborg trial (PHETHAS-1). Results: The main theme, ‘wishing to return to the well-known everyday life’, and the subtheme ‘general physical activity versus rehabilitation exercise’ were identified. Generally, participants found the home-based rehabilitation exercise boring but were motivated by the goal of returning to their well-known everyday life and performing their usual general physical activities. Participants enrolled in the PHETHAS-1 study used the enrollment as part of their motivation for doing the exercises. Both pain and the absence of pain were identified as barriers for doing home-based rehabilitation exercise. Pain could cause insecurity about possible medical complications, while the absence of pain could lead to the rehabilitation exercise being perceived as pointless. Conclusions: The overall goal of returning to the well-known everyday life served as a facilitator for undertaking home-based rehabilitation exercise after THA along with the flexibility regarding time and place for performing exercises. Boring exercises as well as both pain and no pain were identified as barriers to the performance of home-based rehabilitation exercise. Participants were motivated towards performing general physical activities which were part of their everyday life.
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This study aims to explore the dynamics of parenting stress experienced by parents with cleft children. Previous studies were conducted with quantitative methods. therefor a qualitative approach is used to better understand the dynamics of parenting stress through parents' perspective. Purposive sampling is used with the help of NGO who facilitate families with cleft children. The data is analyzed with thematic analysis and cross-case comparison. Result shows that parenting stress began with a stressor, which is the fact that parents had clef children. Parents then showed emotional and behavioral responses which potentially trigger parenting stress influenced by risk and protective factors. Existing risk factors could predict a higher level of parenting stress, meanwhile protective factors are able to reduce the level of parenting stress. This study further finds that mixed emotion could appear as an emotional response, also that religious value played an important role as a protective factor.
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IMPACT As public services are redesigned to lever more activities into each contact with the public, this has extended the roles of public service workers beyond core competencies. The fire service case indicates that role extension should not be seen as a cost-free add-on, as it reduces the mitigating factors which help workers to manage emotional labour. Where public services are encouraging staff to role extend, organizations need to be much more aware of and supportive of the emotional strain and provide appropriate training.
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Background: Safewards is a complex psychosocial intervention designed to reduce conflict and containment on inpatient mental health units. There is mounting international evidence of the effectiveness and acceptability of Safewards. However, a significant challenge exists in promising interventions, such as Safewards, being translated into routine practice. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) provides a framework through which to understand implementation in complex health service environments. The aim was to inform more effective implementation of Safewards using the CFIR domains and constructs, capitalizing on developing an understanding of variations across wards. Method: Seven Safewards Leads completed the Training and Implementation Diary for 18 wards that opted in to a trial of Safewards. Fidelity Checklist scores were used to categorize low, medium and high implementers of Safewards at the end of the 12-week implementation period. Results: Qualitative data from the diaries were analyzed thematically and coded according to the five CFIR domains which included 39 constructs. Twenty-six constructs across the five domains were highlighted within the data to have acted as a barrier or enabler. Further analysis revealed that six constructs distinguished between low, medium, and high implementing wards. Discussion: Our findings suggest that for implementation of Safewards to succeed, particular attention needs to be paid to engagement of key staff including managers, making training a priority for all ward staff, adequate planning of the process of implementation and creating an environment on each inpatient unit that prioritize and enables Safewards interventions to be undertaken by staff regularly.
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It is important to understand how youth workers perceive their work with clients to support them in facilitating positive outcomes (e.g., gainful employment, academic achievement) for those they serve. There is a paucity of peer-reviewed research that explores youth workers’ perspectives on their social service practices in the United States despite their integral role in supporting positive adolescent and emerging adult development. This article discusses a theoretical framework founded on anthropology and social work paradigms. Researchers can use this theoretical framework to examine youth worker perspectives on building relationships with adolescents and emerging adults in the United States.
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Reporting on a mixed methods study carried out in China, this article explores the impact of an educational initiative some years after delivery. Taking data from a three staged longitudinal study, this paper facilitates debate about the nature of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) delivered in a transnational context. To promote such debate a typology of impact is proposed. Using initial evaluation data the researchers designed a comprehensive and detailed evaluation tool to measure the long- term impact of the training. The researchers were interested in identifying whether participation in the learning programmes, designed to encourage social constructivist approach to teaching, had a sustained impact on teachers’ and whether these changes transferred into classroom practice. In an attempt to enrich research into transnational interventions such as this, an index of impact was produced and developed to create a typology for the evaluation of educational CPD when offered in an international arena.
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The role of theory in qualitative health research is paramount for translation into practice and policy, since it moves beyond pure description of data, allowing interpretation of the social processes underpinning and potentially ‘explaining’ findings. However, the use of theory in empirical research proves challenging to undertake and subsequently articulate in theses and publications. This paper offers insight into how theory may be used in empirical research, drawing on both theory-driven and grounded theory approaches. The approach described assists researchers in bridging the central criticisms of these two methodological approaches. Furthermore, if offers researchers and students a step-by-step guide for integrating theory within and throughout the research process. Within our step-by-step guide, we provide examples from our own research that we hope will help readers to map the difficult terrain of using theory within and throughout their own research. Think of this paper as a guide to working with theory and research in an interconnected and interdependent way – a pluralistic approach for theory verification and generation.
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Bracketing is a method used in qualitative research to mitigate the potentially deleterious effects of preconceptions that may taint the research process. However, the processes through which bracketing takes place are poorly understood, in part as a result of a shift away from its phenomenological origins. The current article examines the historical and philosophical roots of bracketing, and analyzes the tensions that have arisen since the inception of bracketing in terms of its definition, who brackets, methods of bracketing, and its timing in the research process. We propose a conceptual framework to advance dialogue around bracketing and to enhance its implementation.
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Grounded theory is a qualitative research approach that uses inductive analysis as a principal technique. Yet, researchers who embrace this approach often use sensitizing concepts to guide their analysis. In this article, the author examines the relationship between sensitizing concepts and grounded theory. Furthermore, he illustrates the application of sensitizing concepts in a study of community-based antipoverty projects in Jamaica. The article contains commentary about trustworthiness techniques, the coding process, and the constant comparative method of analysis, as well as a synopsis of study findings.
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Modernization policies in primary care, such as the introduction of out-of-hours general practice cooperatives, signify a marked departure from many service users’ traditional experiences of continuity of care. We report on a case study of accounts of service users with chronic conditions and their caregivers of continuity of care in an out-of-hours general practice cooperative in Ireland. Using Strauss and colleagues’ Chronic Illness Trajectory Framework, we explored users’ and caregivers’ experiences of continuity in this context. Whereas those dealing with “routine trajectories” were largely satisfied with their experiences, those dealing with “problematic trajectories” (characterized by the presence of, for example, multimorbidity and complex care regimes) had considerable concerns about continuity of experiences in this service. Results highlight that modernization policies that have given rise to out-of-hours cooperatives have had a differential impact on service users with chronic conditions and their caregivers, with serious consequences for those who have “problematic” trajectories.
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Drawing from a wider study exploring the role of registered nurses (RNs) in managing hospital care of older people, I present an analysis of some discursive mechanisms through which an enterprising nursing subjectivity was cultivated in RNs working in an Australian hospital. Data comprised information from the hospital Web site, policy documents, job descriptions, and interviews with 26 RNs. The analysis highlighted how texts such as nursing vision statements and job descriptions were not neutral or innocuous, but mechanisms that individually and collectively specified norms of enterprising conduct for RNs working in that hospital. Although the findings detailed how entrepreneurial rationalities and discourses governing health care actively transformed the meaning and practice of nursing, they also illustrated how factors such as role location and ward culture diluted the take up of enterprise discourses, suggesting that it was not possible to guarantee RNs as particular kinds of enterprising subjects.
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This paper explores the views of healthcare staff regarding the provision of culturally appropriate palliative care for Māori, Pacific Island and Chinese elders living in Auckland, New Zealand. The ageing population is culturally and ethnically diverse and, along with other developed countries experiencing high levels of migration, the challenge is balancing the rise in numbers of older people from different ethnic and cultural groups with end-of-life care, which reflects personal values and beliefs. Two joint interviews and ten focus groups were conducted with eighty staff across a range of primary, secondary and speciality care settings in 2010. The findings demonstrated that participants viewed the involvement of family as fundamental to the provision of palliative care for Māori, Pacific Island and Chinese elders. For Māori and Pacific Islanders, healthcare staff indicated the importance of enabling family members to provide 'hands-on' care. The role of family in decision-making was fundamental to the delivery of and satisfaction with care for older Chinese family members. Care staff highlighted the need to be cognisant of individual preferences both within and across cultures as a fundamental aspect of palliative care provision. The role of family in 'hands-on' palliative care and decision-making requires care staff to relinquish their role as 'expert provider'. Counter to the prioritisation of autonomy in Western health-care, collective decision-making was favoured by Chinese elders. Providing families with the requisite knowledge and skills to give care to older family members was important. Whilst assumptions are sometimes made about preferences for end-of-life care based on cultural values alone, these data suggest that care preferences need to be ascertained by working with family members on an individual basis and in a manner that respects their involvement in palliative care provision.
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The term bracketing has increasingly been employed in qualitative research. Although this term proliferates in scientific studies and professional journals, its application and operationalization remains vague and, often, superficial. The growing disconnection of the practice of bracketing in research from its origins in phenomenology has resulted in its frequent reduction to a formless technique, value stance, or black-box term. Mapping the subtle theoretical and philosophical underpinnings of bracketing will facilitate identification and delineation of core elements that compose bracketing, and distinguish howdifferent research approaches prioritize different bracketing elements. The author outlines a typology of six distinct forms of bracketing that encompasses the methodological rigor and evolution of bracketing within the richness of qualitative research.
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Water is one of the most important physical, aesthetic landscape elements and possesses importance e.g. in environmental psychology, landscape design, and tourism research, but the relationship between water and health in current literature is only investigated in the field of environmental toxicology and microbiology, not explicitly in the research field of blue space and human well-being. Due to the lack of a systematic review of blue space and well-being in the various fields of research, the aim of this review is to provide a systematic, qualitative meta-analysis of existing studies that are relevant to this issue. Benefits for health and well-being clearly related to blue space can be identified with regard to perception and preference, landscape design, emotions, and restoration and recreation. Additionally, direct health benefits have already been stated. The studies included in the review are mostly experimental studies or cross-sectional surveys, focusing on students as the subject group. There is a need for more qualitative and multi-faceted, interdisciplinary studies, using triangulation as a method to achieve a resilient image of reality. A broader study design considering all age groups would contribute to identifying benefits for the whole of society. The inattentiveness to blue space makes it difficult to measure long-term effects of blue space on well-being. There is still little respect for water and health in planning issues, although salutogenetic health benefits can be identified. To close the gap regarding missing systematic concepts, a concept for assessing salutogenetic health effects in blue space is provided. Blue space is considered therein as a multi-dimensional term including four dimensions of appropriation, as well as at least five ontological dimensions of substantiality. The aim of the concept is to support researchers and practitioners analysing health effects in blue space.
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Series editor: Priscilla AldersonThis is the first in a series of six articles on the importance of theories and valuesin health research“Medical journals and research funders are mainly concerned with practical factual research, not with research that develops theories.” This widespread view includes several assumptions: that research and facts can be separated from theory; that considering theories is not necessarily practical or useful; and that thinking about theories means developing them.But theories are at the heart of practice, planning, and research. All thinking involvges theories, and it is not necessary to read academic texts about theories before using them—any more than it is essential to read texts on reproductive medicine before having a baby. Because theories powerfully influence how evidence is collected, analysed, understood, and used, it is practical and scientific to examine them. Hypotheses are explicit, but when theories are implicit their power to clarify or to confuse, and to reveal or obscure new insights, can work unnoticed. Summary points Theories are integral to healthcare practice, promotion, and research The choice of theory, although often unacknowledged, shapes the way practitioners and researchers collect and interpret evidence Theories range from explicit hypotheses to working models and frameworks of thinking about reality It is important, scientifically and practically, to recognise implicit theories: they powerfully influence understandings of health care
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The aim of this article is to illustrate in detail important issues that research beginners may have to deal with during the design of a qualitative research proposal in nursing and health care. Cristina Vivar has developed a 17-step process to describe the development of a qualitative research project. This process can serve as an easy way to start research and to ensure a comprehensive and thorough proposal.
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GPS-Squitter is a technology for surveillance of aircraft via broadcast of their GPS-determined positions to all listeners, using the Mode S data link. It can be used to provide traffic displays, on the ground for controllers and in the cockpit for pilots, and will enhance TCAS performance. It is compatible with the existing ground-based beacon interrogator radar system and is an evolutionary way to more from ground-based-radar surveillance to satellite-based surveillance. GPS-Squitter takes advantage of the substantial investment made by the U.S. in the powerful GPS position-determining system and has the potential to free the Federal Aviation Administration from having to continue maintaining a precise position-determining capability in ground-based radar. This would permit phasing out the ground-based secondary surveillance radar system over a period of 10 to 20 years and replacing it with much simpler ground stations, resulting in cost savings of hundreds of millions of dollars.
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The abstract for this document is available on CSA Illumina.To view the Abstract, click the Abstract button above the document title.
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Domestic abuse is increasingly recognised as a serious, worldwide public health concern. There is a significant body of literature regarding domestic abuse, but little is known about health professionals' beliefs about domestic abuse disclosure. In addition, the intersection between health professionals' beliefs and abused women's views remains uninvestigated. We report on a two-phase, qualitative study using Critical Incident Technique (CIT) that aimed to explore community health professionals' beliefs about domestic abuse and the issue of disclosure. We investigated this from the perspectives of both health professionals and abused women. The study took place in Scotland during 2011. The study was informed theoretically by the Common Sense Model of Self-Regulation of Health and Illness (CSM). This model is typically used in disease-orientated research. In our innovative use, however, CSM was used to study the social phenomenon, domestic abuse. The study involved semi-structured, individual CIT interviews with health professionals and focus groups with women who had experienced domestic abuse. Twenty-nine health professionals (Midwives, Health Visitors and General Practitioners) participated in the first phase of the study. In the second phase, three focus groups were conducted with a total of 14 women. Data were analysed using a combination of an inductive classification and framework analysis. Findings highlight the points of convergence and divergence between abused women's and health professionals' beliefs about abuse. Although there was some agreement, they do not always share the same views. For example, women want to be asked about abuse, but many health professionals do not feel confident or comfortable discussing the issue. Overall, the study shows the dynamic interaction between women's and health professionals' beliefs about domestic abuse and readiness to discuss and respond to it. Understanding these complex dynamics assists in the employment of appropriate strategies to support women post-disclosure.
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Long term care needs improvement, but still little is known how quality improvement works in practice. A better, in-depth, understanding of the content and complexities of quality improvement is necessary because of the still limited theoretical and empirical grounds underlying its approach. This article draws on empirical material from Care for Better, a national quality improvement collaborative (QIC) for the long-term care sector in the Netherlands that took place from 2005 until 2012. Following a project on prevention of malnutrition, we analyzed the complex and ongoing processes of embedding improvements. The guiding question for our research was: what must be accomplished to enable and sustain improvements to occur in the everyday life of care organizations? In our analysis, we linked ethnographic findings to Actor Network Theory. We found that different kinds of work had to be done by both human and non-human actors to displace improvements into specific organizational situations. We conceptualized this work as the activity of translation. Moreover, the concept of inscription offers a perspective to reveal how improvements are made durable. Inscriptions are translations of values into texts, behavior or materialities that steer action in a specific way. We analyzed three different modes of inscription: gathering, materializing and training. We analyzed how one specific value, patient choice, became inscribed in different ways, configuring the actors in specific ways, with diverging consequences for how patient choice comes about.
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Recovery of the health sector in post-conflict countries is increasingly initiated through a Basic Package of Health Services (BPHS) approach. The country government and partners, including international donors, typically contract international and local NGOs to deliver the BPHS. Evidence from routine data suggests that a BPHS approach results in rapid increases in service coverage, coordination, equity, and efficiency. However, studies also show progress may then slow down, the cause of which is not immediately obvious from routine data. Qualitative research can provide insight into possible barriers in the implementation process, particularly the role of health workers delivering the BPHS services. The aim of this study was to explore perceptions of health service providers and policy makers on the implementation of the BPHS in post-conflict Liberia, using SRH services as a tracer and Lipsky's work on "street-level bureaucrats" as a theoretical framework. In July-October 2010, 63 interviews were conducted with midwives, officers-in-charge, and supervisors in two counties of Liberia, and with policy makers in Monrovia. The findings suggest health workers had a limited understanding of the BPHS and associated it with low salaries, difficult working conditions, and limited support from policy makers. Health workers responded by sub-optimal delivery of certain services (such as facility-based deliveries), parallel private services, and leaving their posts. These responses risk distorting and undermining the BPHS implementation. There were also clear differences in the perspectives of health workers and policy makers on the BPHS implementation. The findings suggest the need for greater dialogue between policy makers and health workers to improve understanding of the BPHS and recognition of the working conditions in order to help achieve the potential benefits of the BPHS in Liberia.
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This article points out the criteria necessary in order for a qualitative scientific method to qualify itself as phenomenological in a descriptive Husserlian sense. One would have to employ (1) description (2) within the attitude of the phenomenological reduction, and (3) seek the most invariant meanings for a context. The results of this analysis are used to critique an article by Klein and Westcott (1994), that presents a typology of the development of the phenomenological psychological method.
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Background: In Sweden, 20% of female patients have reported lifetime experiences of abuse in any health care setting. Corresponding prevalence among male patients is estimated to be 8%. Many patients report that they currently suffer from these experiences. Few empirical studies have been conducted to understand what contributes to the occurrence of abuse in health care. Objectives: To understand what factors contribute to female patients' experiences of abuse in health care. Design: Constructivist grounded theory approach. Settings: Women's clinic at a county hospital in the south of Sweden. Participants: Twelve female patients who all had reported experiences of abuse in health care in an earlier questionnaire study. Methods: In-depth interviews. Results: The analysis resulted in the core category, the patient loses power struggles, building on four categories: the patient's vulnerability, the patient's competence, staff's use of domination techniques, and structural limitations. Participants described how their sensitivity and dependency could make them vulnerable to staff's domination techniques. The participants' claim for power and the protection of their autonomy, through their competence as patients, could catalyze power struggles. Conclusions: Central to the participants' stories was that their experiences of abuse in health care were preceded by lost power struggles, mainly through staff's use of domination techniques. For staff it could be important to become aware of the existence and consequences of such domination techniques. The results indicate a need for a clinical climate in which patients are allowed to use their competence.
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This volume explores the philosophical underpinnings, history, and key elements of five qualitative inquiry approaches: narrative research, phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, and case study. Using an accessible and engaging writing style, author John W. Creswell compares theoretical frameworks, methodologies in employing standards of quality, strategies for writing introductions to studies, the collection and analysis of data, narrative writing, and result verification. New to the Second Edition: (a) Brings the philosophical and theoretical orientations to the beginning of the book: This change helps ground students in the foundational thinking behind these methods much earlier. (b) Gives broader coverage of narrative research: Creswell expands one of the original five approaches from "Biography" to "Narrative," thus exploring a wider range of narrative opportunities--biography still being one of them. (c) Offers a much deeper discussion of interpretive approaches: This edition places much more emphasis on interpretive and postmodern perspectives such as feminism, ethnicity, and critical theory. (d) Provides more specific steps for doing research within each approach: Creswell discusses the actual procedure for each approach and includes the types of qualitative research within each of the five approaches. (e) Illustrates phenomenology and ethnography: The Second Edition contains two new, recent sample journal articles: one covering a phenomenological study, the other covering ethnographic study. (f) Includes additional examples: The author provides examples from the field of human services to enhance the already robust examples from education, sociology, and psychology. Intended Audience: This is a useful text for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in introductory qualitative research methods across the social, behavioral, and health sciences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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Authors Amanda Coffey and Paul Atkinson underscore the diversity of approaches at the disposal of the qualitative researcher by using a single data set—doctoral students and faculty members in social anthropology—that they analyze using a number of techniques. [This book] is not intended as a comprehensive cookbook of methods: It describes and illustrates a number of key, complementary approaches to qualitative data and offers practical advice on the many ways to analyze data, which the reader is encouraged to explore and enjoy. [It is a] resource [for] students and professionals in qualitative and research methods, sociology, anthropology, communication, management, and education. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Article
South Asians comprise one of the fastest growing immigrant groups in North America. Evidence indicates that South Asian (SA) immigrant women are vulnerable to low rates of breast cancer screening. Yet, there is a dearth of knowledge pertaining to socioculturally tailored strategies to guide the uptake of screening mammography in the SA community. In 2010, the authors conducted semi-structured focus groups (FG) to elicit perspectives of health and social service professionals on possible solutions to barriers identified by SA immigrant women in a recent study conducted in the Greater Toronto Area. Thirty-five health and social services staff members participated in five FG. The discussions were audio taped and detailed field notes were taken. All collected data were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis was conducted using techniques of constant comparison within and across the group discussions. Three dominant themes were identified: (i) 'Target and Tailor' focused on awareness raising through multiple direct and indirect modes or approaches with underlying shared processes of involving men and the whole family, use of first language and learning from peers; (ii) 'Enhancing Access to Services' included a focus on 'adding ancillary services' and 'reinforcement of existing services' including expansion to a one-stop model; and (iii) 'Meta-Characteristics' centred on providing 'multi-pronged' approaches to reach the community, and 'sustainability' of initiatives by addressing structural barriers of adequate funding, healthcare provider mix, inter-sectoral collaboration and community voice. The findings simultaneously shed light on the grassroot practical strategies and the system level changes to develop efficient programmes for the uptake of mammography among SA immigrant women. The parallel focus on the 'Target and Tailor' and 'Enhancing Access to Services' calls for co-ordination at the policy level so that multiple sectors work jointly to streamline resources, or meta-characteristics.
Article
Qualitative research in general and the grounded theory approach in particular, have become increasingly prominent in medical education research in recent years. In this Guide, we first provide a historical perspective on the origin and evolution of grounded theory. We then outline the principles underlying the grounded theory approach and the procedures for doing a grounded theory study, illustrating these elements with real examples. Next, we address key critiques of grounded theory, which continue to shape how the method is perceived and used. Finally, pitfalls and controversies in grounded theory research are examined to provide a balanced view of both the potential and the challenges of this approach. This Guide aims to assist researchers new to grounded theory to approach their studies in a disciplined and rigorous fashion, to challenge experienced researchers to reflect on their assumptions, and to arm readers of medical education research with an approach to critically appraising the quality of grounded theory studies.
Article
Summary Qualitative research is becoming more prominent in medicine. It is still not clear how it can address either clinical or biopsychosocial research questions. Methodologic standards and guidelines for qualitative research in medicine and health care remain too sketchy to help one evaluate a qualitative study critically. Alternatives for addressing complex real-life questions quantitatively exist. Until better guidelines for qualitative research become available, we urge caution about using evidence from qualitative studies. Developments of such standards and guidelines are perhaps being hindered by continuing controversies among advocates of qualitative research about whether truth exists independent of its observer, and whether bias should be eliminated, disclosed, or actively encouraged. These controversies undermine the credibility of qualitative research for clinical and health services research audiences.
Article
There is a growing interest on qualitative methodology as evidence by an increasing number of qualitative research design employed in social science researches. In qualitative inquiry process, the role of theory in the field of social science and where it situates in the research framework has always created a challenge for the researchers. However, inconclusive and differing opinions have so far been documented about the role and position of theory in qualitative research. The purpose of this paper is to build a general perspective in terms of the position of theory in qualitative research methodology applicable to social science research. Review of literatures on these issues were presented and discussed. As a result, a deep comprehension of a phenomenon, event or experience in real-life cannot always or necessarily be based on theory, yet the significant role of theory in literature review is an undeniable fact.
Article
This paper is a report of an analysis of the use of theory in qualitative approaches to research as exemplified in qualitative end-of-life studies. Nurses researchers turn to theory to conceptualize research problems and guide investigations. However, researchers using qualitative approaches do not consistently articulate how theory has been applied, and no clear consensus exists regarding the appropriate application of theory in qualitative studies. A review of qualitative, end-of-life studies is used to illustrate application of theory to study design and findings. A review of theoretical literature was carried out, focusing on definitions and use of theory in qualitative end-of-life studies published in English between 1990 and 2008. The term 'theory' continues to be used in a variety of ways by theorists and researchers. Within the reviewed end-of-life studies, the use of theory included theory creation or provision of a comparative framework for data analysis and interpretation. Implications for nursing. Nurses who conduct qualitative studies should examine the philosophical and theoretical bases of their selected methodological approach, articulate a theoretical framework that fits the phenomenon being studied, and adopt a critical, flexible and creative attitude when applying theory to a study. Theory can be put to several uses in qualitative inquiry and should guide nurse researchers as they develop and implement their studies. Nurse educators who teach qualitative approaches to research should emphasize a variety of ways to incorporate theory in qualitative designs.
Article
It should begin to close the gap between the sciences of discovery and implementation When Eliot asked “Where is the understanding we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?”1 he anticipated by half a century the important role of qualitative methodologies in health services research. In this week's journal Catherine Pope and Nick Mays introduce a series of articles on qualitative research that will describe the characteristics, scope, and applications of qualitative methodologies and, while distinguishing between qualitative and quantitative techniques, will emphasise that the two approaches should be regarded as complementary rather than competitive (p 42).2 Qualitative research takes an interpretive, naturalistic approach to its subject …
Article
Increasingly philosophers and scientists have affirmed that all knowledge is theory-laden and that methods are theory-driven. These assertions raise important questions related to the role of theory in qualitative research. There are scholars who propose that qualitative research can enhance understanding and expand theoretical knowledge from a disciplinary perspective. And there are others who contend that qualitative inquiry is purely inductive and that its validity can therefore be judged by the extent to which preconceived theory is absent from it. The purpose of this article is to examine three qualitative methods, grounded theory, ethnography, and phenomenology, and their use in nursing in order to explicate the role of theory in knowledge development. The authors propose that, by nature, inquiry, discovery, and theoretical interpretation coexist simultaneously and must be recognized as such if the theory-research linkage is to advance nursing science through qualitative research.
Article
The role of theory in qualitative research is variable and not always well understood. In this article, the uses and varied manifestations of theory at the substantive and paradigmatic levels of research, and as they pertain to different qualitative approaches, are described. Specific consideration is given to the varied sources, centrality, temporal placement, and functions of theory in qualitative research.
Qualitative research and theoretical frameworks: uncomfortable bed-fellows?
  • J Taylor
  • C Bradbury-Jones
Taylor, J., Bradbury-Jones, C., 2012. Qualitative research and theoretical frameworks: uncomfortable bed-fellows?. In: Symposium Presentation, Royal College of Nursing Annual International Nursing Research Conference, London. Available: http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/446307/2012_RCN_ research_S1.pdf.
The relationship between theory and research: a double helix Service user's and caregivers' perspectives on continuity of care in out-of-hours primary care
  • J N Fawcett
  • A Macfarlane
  • A W Murphy
  • G K Freeman
  • L G Glynn
  • C P Bradley
Fawcett, J., 1978. The relationship between theory and research: a double helix. Adv. Nurs. Sci. 1 (1), 49e62. Gallagher, N., MacFarlane, A., Murphy, A.W., Freeman, G.K., Glynn, L.G., Bradley, C.P., 2012. Service user's and caregivers' perspectives on continuity of care in out-of-hours primary care. Qual. Health Res. 23 (3), 407e421.
Theoretical Frameworks in Qualitative Research Thousand Oaks What are the priorities for developing culturally appropriate palliative and end-of life care for older people? The views of healthcare staff working in New Zealand What is wrong with social theory? Grounded theory and sensitizing concepts
  • P Alderson
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  • G A Bowen
Alderson, P., 1998. Theories in health care and research e the importance of the-ories in health care. Br. Med. J. 317, 1007e1010. Anfara, V., Mertz, N.T., 2006. Theoretical Frameworks in Qualitative Research. Sage Publications Inc., Thousand Oaks. Bellamy, G., Gott, M., 2013. What are the priorities for developing culturally appropriate palliative and end-of life care for older people? The views of healthcare staff working in New Zealand. Health Soc. Care Community 21 (1), 26e34. Blumer, H., 1954. What is wrong with social theory? Am. Sociol. Rev. 18, 3e10. Bowen, G.A., 2006. Grounded theory and sensitizing concepts. Int. J. Qual. Methods 5 (3). http://wigan-ojs.library.ualberta.ca/index.php/IJQM/article/view/4367/ 3497.
The role of theory in qualitative research README FIRST for a User's Guide to Qualitative Methods Nursing: Concepts of Practice A qualitative exploration of adolescent perceptions of healthy sleep in Tucson
  • G J Mitchell
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  • J M Morse
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Mitchell, G.J., Cody, W.K., 1993. The role of theory in qualitative research. Nurs. Sci. Q. 6 (4), 170e178. Morse, J.M., Richards, L., 2002. README FIRST for a User's Guide to Qualitative Methods. Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA. Orem, D.E., 2001. Nursing: Concepts of Practice, sixth ed. Mosby, St. Louis, MO. Orzech, K., 2013. A qualitative exploration of adolescent perceptions of healthy sleep in Tucson, Arizona, USA. Soc. Sci. Med. 79, 109e116.
Qualitative research in medicine and health care: questions and controversy Readme First for a User's Guide to Qualitative Methods
  • R M Poses
  • A M Isen
Poses, R.M., Isen, A.M., 1998. Qualitative research in medicine and health care: questions and controversy. J. Gen. Intern. Med. 13 (1), 32e38. Richards, L., Morse, J.M., 2007. Readme First for a User's Guide to Qualitative Methods, second ed. Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.
README FIRST for a User's Guide to Qualitative Methods
  • J M Morse
  • L Richards
Morse, J.M., Richards, L., 2002. README FIRST for a User's Guide to Qualitative Methods. Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.
Nursing: Concepts of Practice A qualitative exploration of adolescent perceptions of healthy sleep in Tucson
  • D E Orem
  • Mosby
  • St
  • Mo Louis
  • K Orzech
Orem, D.E., 2001. Nursing: Concepts of Practice, sixth ed. Mosby, St. Louis, MO. Orzech, K., 2013. A qualitative exploration of adolescent perceptions of healthy sleep in Tucson, Arizona, USA. Soc. Sci. Med. 79, 109e116.
What contributes to abuse in health care? A grounded theory of female patients' stories
  • A J Brüggermann
  • K Swahnberg
Brüggermann, A.J., Swahnberg, K., 2013. What contributes to abuse in health care? A grounded theory of female patients' stories. Int. J. Nurs. Stud. 50, 404e412.
Why do qualitative research? It should begin to close the gap between the sciences of discovery and implementation
  • R Jones
Jones, R., 1995. Why do qualitative research? It should begin to close the gap between the sciences of discovery and implementation. Br. Med. J. 311, 2.