Matching Qualitative Inquiry Design and Practice to Contemporary Burns Research Questions: Are We Getting It Right?

Qualitative methodology has continued to develop through scholarly inquiry, with its application to burn scar research progressed substantially since early use. Concerns were raised in 2015 that qualitative inquiry in burn care and rehabilitation used a limited range of qualitative research approaches. The aim of this commentary paper is to consider how broadly the suite of methodologies available within the qualitative research paradigm have been applied to burn scar research since that call. Observations from a scan of qualitative burn scar papers published since 2015 to March 2022 (n = 36) are presented. Less commonly used qualitative methodologies (such as interpretive design, interpretive phenomenological analysis, narrative inquiry, grounded theory, explanatory case study) and their contribution to burn scar research is discussed. Examples are presented to consider how the application of qualitative methodological approaches (including post-qualitative research methodologies) can be ultimately used to inform meaningful outcomes.