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Interpretive description: a noncategorical qualitative alternative for developing nursing knowledge
S Thorne1, S R Kirkham, J MacDonald-Emes
1University of British Columbia School of Nursing, Vancouver, Canada. thome@nursing.ubc.ca
Research in Nursing & Health
|April 1, 1997
Summary
Nurse researchers can advance nursing science by adopting interpretive description, a flexible qualitative method. This approach allows for credible research into health and illness experiences without strict adherence to traditional qualitative methods.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Science
- Qualitative Research Methodology
Background:
- Nursing widely accepts qualitative research for clinical questions.
- Traditional qualitative methods (e.g., phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography) may not fully align with nursing's unique knowledge needs.
- Nurse researchers often hesitate to move beyond established qualitative approaches.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose interpretive description as a suitable methodological alternative for nursing research.
- To provide strategies for implementing interpretive description in nursing studies.
- To support the development of nursing science through credible qualitative inquiry.
Main Methods:
- Presents interpretive description as a non-categorical qualitative approach.
- Outlines strategies for conceptual orientation, sampling, data construction, analysis, and reporting.
- Emphasizes grounding the method in nursing's epistemological mandate.
Main Results:
- Interpretive description offers a credible alternative to traditional qualitative methods in nursing.
- This approach allows for the development of nursing knowledge without compromising theoretical or methodological integrity.
- Nurses can effectively study human health and illness experiences using this flexible framework.
Conclusions:
- Interpretive description is a valuable methodological approach for advancing nursing science.
- Flexibility in qualitative methods is crucial for addressing nursing's unique research questions.
- This approach ensures the integrity of nursing research while exploring complex health phenomena.