Greater than the sum of its parts: the role of Qualitative Evidence Synthesis

Health care policy and practice decisions should be based on a synthesis of the global body of evidence rather than relying on individual studies. This event will provide knowledge and practical experience of methods of qualitative evidence synthesis (QES). By the end of this course, participants will be able to select an appropriate method for synthesis in a literature on their own topic and operationalize a strategy to take this through to synthesis and presentation.

Learning outcomes

In this course, participants will be enabled to:

• Gain knowledge and practical experience of methods of qualitative evidence synthesis (QES).
• Understand thematic synthesis
• Understand framework synthesis
• Understand meta-ethnography

Teaching strategies

After a brief overview of the QES process the main body of the course will focus on the three most common and most flexible methods of synthesis namely, thematic synthesis, framework synthesis and meta-ethnography. Participants will be given an opportunity to try these three different methods; extracting data from some sample qualitative research studies and looking how to bring them together within a synthesis. Some considerations when choosing appropriate methods of synthesis will be rehearsed together with some of the current debates and controversies associated with the process.

Facilitator

Dr Andrew Booth, School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield.

Dr Pauline Meskell, Senior lecturer in Nursing & Health Research, University of Limerick.

Registration and further details are available here.