Welcome

Cochrane Qualitative & Implementation Methods Group 

Our focus is on methods and processes involved in the synthesis of qualitative evidence and the integration of qualitative evidence with Cochrane intervention reviews of effects. Our purpose is to advise Cochrane and its network of people on policy and practice and qualitative evidence synthesis, develop and maintain methodological guidance, and provide training to those undertaking Cochrane reviews. From 2012 our mandate was extended to include methods for undertaking systematic reviews of implementation.

***GUIDANCE*** 

Cochrane EPOC review authors have led the way in preparing reviews of qualitative evidence (‘qualitative evidence synthesis’). This experience, together with existing Cochrane guidance, has been used to develop a template for future review authors of qualitative evidence syntheses. The EPOC template is now publically available:  https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5101812. You can also see a presentation of the template here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qltm0bFNFl4

In December 2017 supplemental guidance on reviewing qualitative and implementation evidence was  published in Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. This represents CQIMG current thinking on qualitative evidence synthesis: 

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. J Clin Epidemiol. 2018 May;97:35-38. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.09.025. Epub 2017 Dec 11. PubMed PMID: 29242094.

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 2: methods for question formulation, searching, and protocol development for qualitative evidence synthesis. J Clin Epidemiol. 2018 May;97:39-48. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.10.023. Epub 2017 Dec 15. PubMed PMID: 29248725.

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 series-paper 3: methods for assessing methodological limitations, data extraction and synthesis, and confidence in synthesized qualitative findings. J Clin Epidemiol. 2018 May;97:49-58. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.06.020. Epub 2017 Dec 13. PubMed PMID: 29247700.

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 series-paper 4: methods for assessing evidence on intervention implementation. J Clin Epidemiol. 2018 May;97:59-69. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.11.028. Epub 2017 Dec 7. PubMed PMID: 29223325.

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 series-paper 5: methods for integrating qualitative and implementation evidence within intervention effectiveness reviews. J Clin Epidemiol. 2018 May;97:70-78. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.11.029. Epub 2017 Dec 11. PubMed PMID: 29242095.

Flemming K, Booth A, Hannes K, Cargo M, Noyes J. Cochrane Qualitative and Implementation Methods Group guidance series-paper 6: reporting guidelines for qualitative, implementation, and process evaluation evidence syntheses. J Clin Epidemiol. 2018 May;97:79-85. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.10.022. Epub 2017 Dec 6. PubMed PMID: 29222060.

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. 

In January 2018 additional guidance was issued on the use of CERQual for assessing confidence in synthesised findings from qualitative evidence syntheses. The series of seven papers covers issues of wider concern to producers of qualitative syntheses such as methodological limitations, relevance and dissemination bias:

1. Lewin S, Booth A, Glenton C, Munthe-Kaas H, Rashidian A, Wainwright M, et al. Applying GRADE-CERQual to qualitative evidence synthesis findings: introduction to the series. Implementation Science; 2018 Jan;13(S1). Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13012-017-0688-3 

2. Lewin S, Bohren M, Rashidian A, Munthe-Kaas H, Glenton C, Colvin CJ, Garside R, Noyes J, Booth A, et al. Applying GRADE-CERQual to qualitative evidence synthesis findings—paper 2: how to make an overall CERQual assessment of confidence and create a Summary of Qualitative Findings table. Implementation Science; 2018 Jan;13(S1). Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13012-017-0689-2 

3. Munthe-Kaas H, Bohren MA, Glenton C, Lewin S, Noyes J, Tunçalp Ö, Booth A et al. Applying GRADE-CERQual to qualitative evidence synthesis findings—paper 3: how to assess methodological limitations. Implementation Science; 2018 Jan;13(S1). Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13012-017-0690-9 

4. Colvin CJ, Garside R, Wainwright M, Munthe-Kaas H, Glenton C, Bohren MA, Carlsen B, Tunçalp Ö, Noyes J, Booth A  et al. Applying GRADE-CERQual to qualitative evidence synthesis findings—paper 4: how to assess coherence. Implementation Science; 2018 Jan;13(S1). Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13012-017-0691-8 

5. Glenton C, Carlsen B, Lewin S, Munthe-Kaas H, Colvin CJ, Tunçalp Ö, Bohren MA, Noyes J, Booth A et al. Applying GRADE-CERQual to qualitative evidence synthesis findings—paper 5: how to assess adequacy of data. Implementation Science; 2018 Jan;13(S1). Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13012-017-0692-7 

6. Noyes J, Booth A, Lewin S, Carlsen B, Glenton C, Colvin CJ, et al. Applying GRADE-CERQual to qualitative evidence synthesis findings–paper 6: how to assess relevance of the data. Implementation Science; 2018 Jan;13(S1). Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13012-017-0693-6 

7. Booth A, Lewin S, Glenton C, Munthe-Kaas H, Toews I, Noyes J, Rashidian A, Berg RC, Nyakango B et al. Applying GRADE-CERQual to qualitative evidence synthesis findings–paper 7: understanding the potential impacts of dissemination bias. Implementation Science; 2018 Jan;13(S1). Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13012-017-0694-5 

Click here for Seminar on the GRADE-CERQual Approach - an approach to qualitative evidence syntheses analysis from our lead convenor Professor Jane Noyes.

The GRADE-CERQual Approach is explained in an overview article in PLOS Medicine: Lewin S, Glenton C, Munthe-Kaas H, Carlsen B, Colvin CJ, Gülmezoglu M, et al. Using Qualitative Evidence in Decision Making for Health and Social Interventions: An Approach to Assess Confidence in Findings from Qualitative Evidence Syntheses (GRADE-CERQual). PLoS Med. 2015 Oct;12(10):e1001895+. Available from:http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001895.

COURSE NEWS

 

 

 

VIDEOS

Click here for a Canadian Cochrane Center YouTube Tutorial on Qualitative Evidence Synthesis from our lead convenor Professor Jane Noyes.

Click on the following for a YouTube three-part Mini-series on Qualitative Evidence Synthesis from our co-convenor Dr Andrew Booth:

Part One                                                       Part Two                                                   Part Three

Click here for a KTDRR YouTube Webinar Introduction to Reviewing and Synthesing Qualitative Research from our co-convenor Dr Karin Hannes 

Click here for a KTDRR YouTube Webinar Methods for synthesizing qualitative evidence from our co-convenor Dr Ruth Garside

Click here for a YouTube Webinar on Quality Assessment for Qualitative Research from our co-convenor Dr Karin Hannes

Click here for a YouTube Mini-Tutorial on Critically Appraising a Qualitative Research Study from our co-convenor Dr Andrew Booth  

Click here for a KTDRR YouTube Webinar on Combining Quantitative and Qualitative Evidence from our co-convenor Professor James Thomas