The interactive Summary of Qualitative Findings (iSoQ) tool

The interactive Summary of Qualitative Findings (iSoQ) tool is a bespoke, online tool for applying the GRADE-CERQual approach for assessing confidence in the findings of a qualitative evidence synthesis (QES). The iSoQ tool assists review authors in gathering and structuring all data required to make GRADE-CERQual assessments in one place; displays the information review authors need to make each GRADE-CERQual assessment; and provides practical tips and guidance that compliments the GRADE-CERQual methods. It is free to use with the following features:

  • Import references for included studies
  • Add review inclusion and exclusion criteria
  • Create or import a characteristics of studies table
  • Create or import a methodological assessments table
  • Add review findings summaries to the interactive Summary of Qualitative Findings table
  • Assign each review finding their supporting references
  • Assess each of the four GRADE-CERQual components and make an overall assessment of confidence in findings by using the GRADE-CERQual assessment worksheet produced for each individual review finding in iSoQ. This worksheet extracts all the relevant information from prior steps in iSoQ and displays it for the user to consider while completing the evidence profile. Completed assessments are added automatically to the interactive Summary of Qualitative Findings table.
  • Export Summary of Qualitative Findings tables and Evidence Profile tables to be included in reports and publications.

The development and maintenance of iSoQ is a collaboration between the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Megan Wainwright Consulting, and the Epistemonikos Foundation. Tool development was funded by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and was undertaken in close collaboration with the GRADE-CERQual Project Group, a subgroup of the GRADE Working group. 

Currently, integration between iSoQ and RevMan is not yet supported. Review authors who opt to use the iSoQ tool can manually transfer the iSoQ assessment/tables into RevMan and vice versa. Additionally, although the tool enables review authors to publish Summary of Qualitative Findings tables to the iSoQ database, review authors should ensure they adhere to Cochrane’s copyright policies. 

February 2025: Cochrane endorsed the iSoQ tool as optional for prospective authors following a recommendation from the Methods Executive, which was informed by the relevant Methods Group, Cochrane's Methods Support Unit, the Head of Methods and Evidence Synthesis/Deputy Editor-in-Chief, a Cochrane Review Group representative and the Methods Executive representative on Cochrane's Editorial Board.

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