***GUIDANCE***
In December 2017 supplemental guidance on reviewing qualitative and implementation evidence was published in Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. This represents the CQIMG's current thinking on qualitative evidence synthesis:
1. Noyes J, Booth A, Cargo M, Flemming K, Garside R, Hannes K, Harden A, Harris J, Lewin S, Pantoja T, Thomas J, Cochrane Qualitative and Implementation Methods Group Guidance Series - Paper 1: Introduction, Journal of Clinical Epidemiology (2018), doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.09.025.
2. Noyes J, Booth A, Flemming K, Garside R, Harden A, Lewin S, Pantoja T, Hannes K, Cargo M, Thomas J, Cochrane Qualitative and Implementation Methods Group Guidance Paper 2: Methods for assessing methodological limitations, data extraction and synthesis, and confidence in synthesized qualitative findings, Journal of Clinical Epidemiology (2018), doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.06.020.
3. Cargo M, Harris J, Pantoja T, Booth A, Harden A, Hannes K, Thomas J, Flemming K, Garside R, Noyes J. Cochrane Qualitative and Implementation Methods Group Guidance Paper 3: Methods for Assessing Evidence on Intervention Implementation. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. 2017 Dec 6. pii: S0895-4356(17)31334-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.11.028.
4. Harden A, Thomas J, Cargo M, Harris J, Pantoja T, Flemming K, Booth A, Garside R, Hannes K, Noyes J, Cochrane Qualitative and Implementation Methods Group Guidance Paper 4: Methods for integrating qualitative and implementation evidence within intervention effectiveness reviews, Journal of Clinical Epidemiology (2018), doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.11.029.
5. Flemming K, Booth A, Hannes K, Cargo M, Noyes J. Cochrane Qualitative and Implementation Methods Group Guidance Paper 5: Reporting guidelines for qualitative, implementation and process evaluation evidence syntheses. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. 2017 Dec 5. pii: S0895-4356(17)31327-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.10.022.
6. Harris JL, Booth A, Cargo M, Hannes K, Harden A, Flemming K, Garside R, Pantoja T, Thomas J, Noyes J, Cochrane Qualitative and Implementation Methods Group Guidance series - paper 6: Methods for question formulation, searching and protocol development for qualitative evidence synthesis, Journal of Clinical Epidemiology (2018), doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.10.023.
This supplemental guidance is intended for use in conjunction with the current edition of the Cochrane Handbook: Noyes J, Booth A, Cargo M, Flemming K, Harden A, Harris J, Garside R, Hannes K, Pantoja T, Thomas J. Qualitative evidence. Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. 2019 Sep 23:525-45.
The resources listed below were produced for a Cochrane-funded Methodological Summit in Adelaide in August 2011. Although no longer current they do provide fuller guidance on issues considered briefly in the published guidance. If you have questions about current recommendations from Cochrane guidance please contact A.Booth@sheffield.ac.uk .
Chapter 1: Developing a protocol in REVMAN
Chapter 2: Question Formulation
In addition, the following guidance on choosing methods for synthesis was produced following substantive input from several Cochrane co-convenors:
Booth, A., Noyes J, Flemming K, Gerhardus, A., Wahlster, P., Van Der Wilt, G.J., et al. (2016) Guidance on choosing qualitative evidence synthesis methods for use in health technology assessments of complex interventions [Online]. Available from: http://www.integrate-hta.eu/downloads/
A methodological review that summarises the evidence base for literature searching of qualitative research studies has been separately published in:
Booth A. Searching for qualitative research for inclusion in systematic reviews: a structured methodological review. Syst Rev. 2016 May 4;5:74. doi: 10.1186/s13643-016-0249-x.