Part 8 - So how do you know if a piece of qualitative health research is good? In the seven blogposts that have preceded this, I’ve set out a personal critique of some of the problems I see all too often in qualitative research. I read and review dozens of qualitative health research articles each year, and my broader interest in the sociology and philosophy of health means I also get to read a lot of really good stuff too. So I’m claiming that as my mandate to offer some critical comments. So what makes for a good qualitative health research study, and how can you tell if you’ve found a diamond or just a bit of cheap plastic costume jewellery? Well I would say that the first thing … [Read more...] about Qualitative Health Research – A guide for the perplexed
A recipe for bad qualitative research
I often think that I was very lucky to have been given a classical physiotherapy training – with its focus on anatomy and physiology, biomechanics and kinesiology, objective testing and quantitative research. But this was enriched no end by being introduced to qualitative research early in the 1990s when it was really taking off in healthcare. Since then I've probably reviewed more than a hundred qualitative research articles and read thousands more. And in all that time I still come back to one simple test of whether qualitative research is any good or not. Whenever I review qualitative research article I ask myself is the study is telling me anything I don't know already. … [Read more...] about A recipe for bad qualitative research
30 Days of September: Day 12
Today's image was suggested by Jenny Setchell. Click on the image to open it to full size. You can then save it and turn it into a desktop background by following these brief instructions. … [Read more...] about 30 Days of September: Day 12
Qualitative research for mere mortals #1
There's a lot more qualitative research being produced by physiotherapists today, which is gratifying because for a long time it looked like the profession might be stuck in an endless loop of clinical trials on hamstring stretching, and the last thing the profession needs right now is more trials on hamstring stretching. But there's still a dire need for more qualitative research in physiotherapy, and especially good quality research, which can sometimes be in short supply. How many times have you read a piece of qualitative research and thought that the authors were just telling you what you already knew? You know the kind of thing I mean: an interview-based study of people's experience … [Read more...] about Qualitative research for mere mortals #1