Qualitative Synthesis: Ontological Care Please.

Area of Science:

• Evidence-based practice
• Health sciences research methodology

Background:

• Evidence synthesis is crucial for informing healthcare decisions and research.
• Various protocols exist for synthesizing evidence, each with specific applications.
• Qualitative evidence synthesis presents unique methodological considerations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of evidence synthesis methodologies.
• To explain quantitative and qualitative evidence synthesis using prominent protocols.
• To discuss specific issues pertinent to qualitative evidence synthesis.

Main Methods:

• Utilizes established protocols from the Cochrane Collaboration and the Joanna Briggs Institute for illustrative purposes.
• Considers both quantitative and qualitative approaches to evidence synthesis.
• Focuses on the principles and practices of evidence synthesis.

Main Results:

• Outlines the fundamental concepts of evidence synthesis.
• Differentiates between quantitative and qualitative synthesis methods.
• Highlights key considerations for conducting qualitative evidence synthesis.

Conclusions:

• Evidence synthesis, encompassing both quantitative and qualitative forms, is a vital component of research.
• The Cochrane and Joanna Briggs Institute protocols offer frameworks for rigorous synthesis.
• Further attention to the nuances of qualitative evidence synthesis is warranted.