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'Just one interview': making visible the hidden workload associated with qualitative research

Julie Menzies1, Carly Tooke1, Timothy Jones2

  • 1Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, England.

Nurse Researcher
|April 27, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Qualitative research workload is often underestimated, impacting study timelines and resources. This study highlights the need for better planning to accurately budget for research staff and project success.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric clinical trials
  • Qualitative research methodology
  • Health services research

Background:

  • Accurate resource allocation is crucial for clinical trial recruitment success.
  • Limited guidance exists on quantifying the workload for qualitative research components.
  • Underestimating resource needs can jeopardize study timelines and targets.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess and compare planned versus actual workloads in a qualitative sub-study.
  • To identify discrepancies in resource estimation for qualitative research within a pediatric cardiac surgery trial.
  • To inform future resource planning for similar research endeavors.

Main Methods:

  • A qualitative sub-study involving semi-structured interviews with parents of children undergoing elective cardiac surgery.
  • Workload audit comparing protocol-identified activities and anticipated participant contact points with documented research team time.
  • Analysis of planned versus actual time spent on research activities.

Main Results:

  • The existing systems failed to adequately anticipate or capture the workload for a seemingly simple qualitative sub-study.
  • Discrepancies were observed between planned and actual time commitments for research staff.
  • Even with a research-engaged patient group, the workload was underestimated.

Conclusions:

  • There is a significant hidden workload associated with qualitative research that is not typically accounted for in current planning systems.
  • Realistic project timelines, recruitment goals, and research staff funding require a better understanding of qualitative research demands.
  • Implementing robust workload assessment is vital for the successful execution of qualitative research components in clinical trials.
Abstract

Keywords:
auditinterviewsqualitative researchresearchresearch methodsstudy participationstudy recruitment

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