Development of a Reporting Guideline for Trochim's Concept Mapping.

Area of Science:

• Research Methodology
• Health Sciences Research
• Qualitative Research Methods

Background:

• Reporting guidelines improve research quality and transparency.
• Concept mapping (group concept mapping) is a participatory mixed-method approach for complex constructs.
• No established reporting guideline currently exists for concept mapping.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a reporting guideline for concept mapping studies.
• To address the lack of standardized reporting for this mixed-method approach.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review of health-related concept mapping studies was conducted (Step 1).
• Concept mapping, rather than a Delphi study, was used for guideline development (Steps 2 & 3).
• Thirty-two stakeholders generated 96 statements, and 24 stakeholders participated in clustering and prioritization.

Main Results:

• The concept mapping process resulted in 11 clusters representing key concepts for the guideline.
• A draft guideline was created based on the systematic review and concept mapping findings.
• The final ConMapT guideline comprises 27 items organized under 14 headings.

Conclusions:

• The ConMapT guideline provides a standardized framework for reporting concept mapping research.
• This guideline aims to enhance the quality and transparency of concept mapping studies.
• The ConMapT guideline will be publicly accessible through the EQUATOR network.