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.