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This paper reflects on the process of undertaking qualitative research with incarcerated individuals and prison staff in selected Ghana prisons. The challenges encountered during the planning, approval, and fieldwork stages, as well as measures adopted to address these challenges, have been discussed. The paper aims to serve as a guide to novel prison researchers in the sub-Saharan African context, given that the majority of studies on challenges and approaches to conducting prison research have come from jurisdictions outside the region. To this end, given the unique nature of the prison governance system in Ghana and other sub-Saharan African countries, this paper contributes to filling a knowledge gap in qualitative prison research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regarding debates over researcher insider/outsider positionalities in the field of migration studies, many scholars have proposed various explanations. Some scholars studying migrant populations note that migrant scholars who share identities such as nationality, language, religion, race, ethnicity etc. with their study participants are usually perceived as insiders. Other scholars, however, contend that dynamics of insider/outsider positionalities are situationally shaped during researcher-participant interactions in fieldwork. There is now wide consensus among many scholars that shared social identities between researchers and study participants do not automatically position researchers as insiders. Drawing on secondary literature and my fieldwork encounters, this paper contributes to these debates by proposing typologies for migration researchers to use as analytical tools. The three typologies that map out insider/outsider dynamics during researcher-participant encounters in fieldwork are presuming ethnic insiderness/outsiderness, presuming national insiderness/outsiderness and the indeterminate fieldwork context. This paper argues that researchers' insider/outsider positionalities should not be viewed as pre-determined or fixed formations but as uncertain and situationally constituted. I further argue that migration researchers should not enter the fieldwork with an assumption of automatic insiderness or outsiderness but that they need to view their insider or outsider positionalities as emerging during encounters with research participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This scoping review offers insight into researcher well-being when working with sensitive and traumatic topics in a qualitative research context. The study identified existing empirical research concerning researcher well-being and mental health. The databases included SSCI, ASSIA < IBISS, Scopus, Social Policy and Practice, PsycInfo, Social Science Database/Social Science Premium Collection (Proquest), and Open Grey. An international search was conducted, with no time constraints on publication dates to gather as wide a selection as possible. 55 papers met the criteria. We found that the terminology used within the papers was not consistent which necessitated grouping the (self-) reflection/reflexive practices researchers used and categorizing them under the umbrella term SRR practices. The research questions were: 1. Which disciplines or fields are conducting SRR practices on sensitive topics? 2. What SRR practices do researchers employ in the context of sensitive research? 3. What were the self-reported outcomes from using SRR practices as a tool of researchers working on sensitive research? A key finding of the scoping review is that many researchers who work on sensitive topics feel unprepared and receive little or no training or support for SRR practices. This poses particular challenges for early career researchers. We also identified that qualitative researchers have developed a range of SRR practices to manage the emotional impact of their sensitive research work. Many authors of the scoped papers stress the importance of peer-support as well as formal and informal debriefing meetings. Another key SRR practice discussed by many researchers is reflexive journaling. Our scoping review suggests that if it is combined with other activities, self-reflexive journaling can be an excellent way to acknowledge and assess the emotional impact of sensitive research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the COVID-19 pandemic halting all in-person research in March 2020, many researchers adopted virtual methods to continue their work amid this global crisis. As the pandemic persisted and the safety of participants and researchers remained a priority, virtual research grew in popularity for qualitative researchers. This in turn led to methodological insights on the application and advantages of conducting qualitative research using virtual methods. Virtual methods have been found to enhance participant comfort, facilitate open discussion of sensitive topics, alleviate fatigue in participants and researchers, and result in more engaging and focused interviews. While the body of evidence supporting virtual methods of data collection for nursing and other healthcare disciplines continues to grow, its application in the long-term care (LTC) setting remains underreported. In this paper, we discuss the virtual methods that we developed and implemented to successfully conduct a virtual qualitative single case study in a Canadian LTC home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Considerations from existing literature on virtual methods are discussed in parallel with strategies we implemented to successfully conduct a virtual study in LTC. This paper contributes to the growing body of literature on methodological insights into conducting virtual qualitative research in LTC. We provide evidence-based strategies for the virtual recruitment of study sites, study participants including residents, team members and families, and virtual data collection methods. These recommendations offer insights to overcome challenges and maximize the advantages of virtual methods, to enhance the quality and rigour of virtual qualitative research conducted within LTC settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite being subject to criticism, qualitative research methodology remains a unique and valuable approach in collecting rich and informative data. However, this may vary from one context to another and researchers understanding of the context. Grounded on the decolonization notion of qualitative research, this paper explains leeways and obstacles in conducting research, reflecting upon the procedural and practical aspects that represent the reality in Tanzania based on two cases. Our paper emphasizes that it is essential to understand and capture the real-world reflective of the voices of the population whom the study targets, which may be easier for local/native researchers. This is because the local/native researchers may be able to explain the research processes and findings in consideration of the socio-cultural settings and political environment. The paper acknowledges that qualitative research requires patience and time, which may have financial implications. It also acknowledges that some populations are facing research fatigue exacerbated by inadequate research dissemination plans. Understanding the context of the study area or topic and applying appropriate methodological approaches to overcome obstacles and gather required adequate and relevant information is thus of importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how presuppositional interviews can develop reflexive transparency in grounded theory methodologies. Grounded Theory aims to generate understanding of a given socio-psychological process using a systematic methodology for gathering, analysing and interpreting data. As the researcher is intrinsic to this process, reflexivity is an essential tool to explore and challenge the researcher unknown presuppositions that influence the research process and findings. Reflexivity in practice is challenging as it aims at identifying unknown influences which are by nature, hidden. In this paper, we demonstrate how presuppositional interviews can be applied to Classic and Constructivist grounded theory, and to qualitative research in general. We illustrate this process with two practical case studies, demonstrating how the presuppositional interview can be utilised to enhance transparent reflexive practice. We suggest the presuppositional interview enables higher levels of reflexivity and subsequent positive impact on praxis and the research process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that qualitative researchers should focus more attention on producing locally causal explanations for social phenomena. To enable qualitative researchers to achieve this goal, this paper introduces a novel, step-by-step methodology for analysing qualitative data called the 'Realist Phenomenological Method'. The Realist Phenomenological Method does not represent a novel philosophical insight because several studies have already adopted a realistic phenomenological approach in a philosophical context. Rather, this article's novelty lies in its methodological contribution. The introduction of the Realist Phenomenological Method marks an advancement in qualitative research because it is the first formalized analytical methodology to merge methods inspired by critical realism and descriptive phenomenology. Furthermore, this method represents an advancement in qualitative research due to it enabling qualitative researchers to produce causal explanations for social phenomena. This advancement has important implications for qualitative researchers who aim to influence public policy, as any public policymaker who wants to suggest how a social problem can be addressed must first possess an awareness of what is causing the problem. This article begins by introducing the need for a new outlook on causality in qualitative research and outlining how inspiration has been taken from critical realism and descriptive phenomenology in designing the Realist Phenomenological Method. The step-by-step methodology of the Realist Phenomenological Method is then introduced, and an account is provided of how this novel methodology can advance understandings around causal explanations in qualitative research and social science. Interview extracts taken from the author's doctoral dissertation are then used to frame each stage of the Realist Phenomenological Method and demonstrate how the method can be implemented effectively. The paper concludes that the Realist Phenomenological Method can be useful to both qualitative researchers and policymakers who aim to address social issues through effectively identifying the causes of such problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Each year the editorial team of the American Journal of Health Promotion selects our "Best of the Year List" of health promotion studies from the prior year. This editorial features the Editor's Picks Awards, the Editor in Chief Awards, the Michael P. O'Donnell Award and the Dorothy Nyswander Award for the best research and writing published in 2023 in this journal. Our criteria for selection includes: whether the study addresses a topic of timely importance in health promotion, the research question is clearly stated and the study methods used are well executed; whether the paper is often cited and downloaded; if the study findings offer a unique contribution to the literature; and if the paper is well-written and enjoyable to read. Awardees in 2023 offered new insights into legal issues related to obesity and LGBTQ+ discrimination, the role of employers in the use of lifestyle medicine and the influence of Cannabis use on depression and suicide behaviors. This "best of 2023 list" featured studies based in communities, health systems, workplaces and schools and includes case studies and qualitative and quantitative research methods that enabled researchers to better explain what amplifies or hampers well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This conceptual paper proposes that all methodologies create a footprint like the carbon footprint. Design and implementation of new methodologies require limited resources and funding, and these resources are not equitably distributed on a global scale. Thus, we argue for more ecological uses of methodologies, especially in the context of data collection and interdependent relations of knowledge/information creation. Like the excessive use of energy sources, potentially unnecessary productions of new data, information, and evidence should not be regarded as unproblematic, let alone virtuous. Rather, qualitative researchers, funding agencies, and other bodies that evaluate research, should question whether new data, information, evidence are needed and at what cost. We also propose more data recycling, data sharing, open access data, and other ecological ways of supporting shared knowledge and monitoring excessive data production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asynchronous email interviewing has been increasingly utilized as an electronic method of data collection in qualitative research, because it eliminates the need for costly travel and transcription and allows more time for participants to react with thoughtful, reflective responses. While research indicates that data collected in written form is comparable in content and richness with that collected in-person, via telephone, or through virtual live interactions, there is the risk of participant attrition, loss of trust-building with subjects and missing non-verbal/visual cues for the researcher. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate use of asynchronous email interviewing as applied to a study on expectations and demands of chaplains in hospital settings. Unique in this approach is the inclusion of multiple participant groups over a large geographical area. Data were collected among chaplains, chaplain leaders, nurses, hospital executives, and patients and family members across a multi-state healthcare system. Although enrollment was adequate, 37% of those enrolled did not respond to initial interview emails, and of those who did respond, only 42% responded to follow-up questions. For several participants who did not respond to requests for email interviews, subsequent invitations to participate in live virtual interviews were preferred. Analysis reflected significant differences between groups in the quantity, quality, and richness of data, which may reflect communication patterns and preferences, time restrictions, and subject matter engagement. Based on study findings, it is suggested that similar studies offer options of interview modalities to participants to best meet their preferences and schedules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines my experience as an early career researcher engaging with my power and privilege embedded in my white, English-speaking identity while working with Mexican American male-identifying research participants. Utilizing critical race theory as a framework, this paper chronicles my reflections on un/hooking from whiteness within the context of scholarly inquiry. Specifically, I draw inspiration from a qualitative research project to anchor the discussion of privileged epistemologies and power structures embedded in the inquiry process and academia more broadly, and how race can intersect with how we negotiate our roles, methods, and subjectivities as qualitative scholars. More broadly, this paper explores notions of knowledge and agency in educational inquiry against the question of whose stories are told, how, for whom, and by whom. This paper contributes to the conversation and efforts toward disentangling from whiteness and the epistemologies around which research, higher education, and society are structured to instead magnify the voices and experiences of participants through more egalitarian inquiry practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thematic analysis is a highly popular technique among qualitative researchers for analyzing qualitative data, which usually comprises thick descriptive data. However, the application and use of thematic analysis has also involved complications due to confusion regarding the final outcome's presentation as a conceptual model. This paper develops a systematic thematic analysis process for creating a conceptual model from qualitative research findings. It explores the adaptability of the proposed process across various research methodologies, including constructivist methodologies, positivist methodologies, grounded theory, and interpretive phenomenology, and justifies their application. The paper distinguishes between inductive and deductive coding approaches and emphasizes the merits of each. It suggests that the derived systematic thematic analysis model is valuable across multiple disciplines, particularly in grounded theory, ethnographic approaches, and narrative approaches, while also being adaptable to more descriptive, positivist-based methodologies. By providing a methodological roadmap, this study enhances the rigor and replicability of thematic analysis and offers a comprehensive strategy for theoretical conceptualization in qualitative research. The contribution of this paper is a systematic six-step thematic analysis process that leads to the development of a conceptual model; each step is described in detail and examples are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although qualitative research is often equated with inductive analysis, researchers may also use deductive qualitative approaches for certain types of research questions and purposes. Deductive qualitative research allows researchers to use existing theory to examine meanings, processes, and narratives of interpersonal and intrapersonal phenomena. Deductive qualitative analysis (DQA; Gilgun, 2005, 2019) is one form of deductive qualitative research that is suited to theory application, testing, and refinement. Within DQA, researchers combine deductive and inductive analysis to examine supporting, contradicting, refining, and expanding evidence for the theory or conceptual model being examined, resulting in a theory that better fits the present sample and accounts for increased diversity in the phenomenon being studied. This paper acts as a primer on DQA and presents two worked examples of DQA studies. Our discussion focuses on the five primary components of DQA: selecting a research question and guiding theory, operationalizing theory, collecting a purposive sample, coding and analyzing data, and theorizing. We highlight different ways of operationalizing theory as sensitizing constructs or as working hypotheses and discuss common pitfalls in theory operationalization. We divide the coding and analyzing process into two sections for parsimony: early analysis, focused on familiarity with the data, code generation, and identification of negative cases, and middle analysis, focused on developing a thorough understanding of evidence related to the guiding theory and negative cases that depart from the guiding theory. Theorizing occurs throughout as researchers consider ways in which the theory being examined is supported, refuted, refined, or expanded. We also discuss strengths and limitations of DQA and potential difficulties researchers may experience when utilizing this methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premature closure of analysis refers to finishing data analysis too early, leading to underdeveloped qualitative findings. It is a critical issue in qualitative research affecting the rigor and trustworthiness of qualitative findings. While much has been written about how to conduct rigorous data analysis across a range of qualitative approaches, there has been no discussion of the features of premature closure of analysis and strategies for addressing it. The purpose of this paper is to outline how to spot premature closure of analysis and to describe strategies to mitigate this issue. Three identifying features of premature analysis are: providing thin descriptions with loaded participant quotes, presenting conventional concepts as themes, and using topic summaries as themes. Using a First Approach to qualitative analysis, working in segments to generate a wholistic thematic output, and critical reflection and examination before finalizing the thematic output can be useful strategies to mitigate premature closure of analysis. Themes and patterns that are too vague and meaningless to provide a comprehensive account of the studied phenomenon are a threat to the validity of the study and a waste of researchers' effort and time. Premature closure of analysis is one of the most common problems affecting the quality of thematic outputs in quality studies. Therefore, researchers should be mindful and critical in their analytical decision-making to prevent this problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As researchers in communication sciences and related disciplines continue to embrace qualitative research methodologies, there will be a corresponding need for innovative methods and strategies for data collection and generation, reflexivity and knowledge translation to make qualitative research methods more inclusive. Historically, those who communicate differently from the status quo have been excluded from or spoken for in qualitative research. The resulting omission of these perspectives in the literature constitutes a critical research-to-practice gap as clinicians seek to deliver client-focused communication care. Arts-Based Research (ABR) offers researchers a means of augmenting potentially linguistically and cognitively demanding verbal interviews while inviting participants to share a window into their daily lives with researchers and knowledge users. Additionally, ABR offers participants alternative forms of expression and creates avenues for researcher reflexivity and participant-researcher reflexive dialogue. To illustrate how ABR can enhance communication research, we present reflections on a study that incorporated multi-media artistic materials in a reflexive arts-based collective case study design. Working with young people experiencing post-concussion communication changes, we used arts-based materials collected and created by participants to support and enhance data collection. These materials were analyzed as part of each case, across cases, and played a central role in sharing our findings. Additionally, arts-based materials facilitated participant-researcher reflexive dialogue and researcher reflexivity. The goals of this paper are to: 1) provide a brief overview of ABR as a method for researchers interested in communication; 2) discuss four ways to incorporate ABR in the research process; 3) provide a case example illustrating different types of creative works to illustrate the four ways ABR can enhance communication research; and 4) discuss benefits, considerations and implications of using ABR to support inclusive research design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public health qualitative research has largely failed to achieve full inclusion of people with disabilities and Black people and Latinx/as. Although there is a small, but growing, community of academic researchers from each of these communities, there has been limited involvement of non-academic community members in research. While Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) has informed the inclusion of marginalized groups in research for decades, instances of full inclusion of disabled Black people and Latinx/as in public health research have been minimal. One way to ensure the inclusion of Black/Latinx community members with disabilities is to involve them as peer researchers. As part of a qualitative study examining pregnancy experiences of individuals with physical disabilities from Black/Latinx communities, academic researchers trained four peer researchers to conduct interviews and analyze the data. This paper describes our approach, which may serve as a model for training peer researchers in qualitative research methodology for future studies. All peer researchers were women who identified as Black or Latina parents with physical disabilities. This approach was chosen due to the study's focus on the intersections of disability, race, ethnicity, and pregnancy, and applied a disability justice lens. Although CBPR offers important principles for research existing literature suggests CBPR is not always inclusive and power sharing. Therefore, we developed a research training model which places a unique and timely focus on the intersections of CBPR, racial and disability justice, the importance of building the capacity of Black and Latina disabled peer researchers, and its importance to building community relationships and trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of saturation in qualitative research is a widely debated topic. Saturation refers to the point at which no new data or themes are emerging from the data set, which indicates that the data have been fully explored. It is considered an important concept as it helps to ensure that the findings are robust and that the data are being used to their full potential to achieve the research aim. Saturation, or the point at which further observation of data will not lead to the discovery of more information related to the research questions, is an important aspect of qualitative research. However, there is some mystification and semantic debate surrounding the term saturation, and it is not always clear how many rounds of research are needed to reach saturation or what criteria are used to make that determination during the thematic analysis process. This paper focuses on the actualisation of saturation in the context of thematic analysis and develops a systematic approach to using data to justify the contribution of research. Consequently, we introduce a distinct model to help researchers reach saturation through refining or expanding existing quotations, codes, themes and concepts as necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Semi-structured interviews allow progressive interview refinements to gain an in-depth understanding of a research question, but interview refinements affect the stopping point. This paper aims to describe a method that provides transparency in interview refinements and helps researchers decide on a stopping point. Methods: We established systematic and practical methods to document interview refinements and visualize novel and duplicate interview codes. We illustrated the methods using a case study called the Mass Atrial Fibrillation Screening Study, a real-world clinical trial. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed progressively. Two researchers established the initial coding into a predefined framework with reference to the Medical Research Council Guidance of Process Evaluation. Final codes were reached by discussion and consensus. NVivo v12 software was utilized to manage the qualitative data. Results: We developed an open-access software package for the 'R' statistical programming language called 'novelqualcodes' and a video demonstrating the application. Our package converts NVivo coding matrices into graphs of the trends of novel and duplicate codes. Our package also enables users to document interview refinements as fieldnotes, providing a visual guide to help researchers decide on a stopping point. In the case study, one researcher (KCW) conducted 48 one-to-one in-depth semi-structured interviews with participants from September 2021 to July 2022. Interview refinements were identified and reported to provide transparency to the readers. The novel code graphs and examination of the code sufficiency in the predefined framework demonstrated the stopping point at which we were satisfied with the richness and insights of the interviews in answering our research question. Conclusions: We illustrated a new paradigm of systematic and practical methods and shared an open-access software package and a video to describe, document and visualize the path to the stopping point. This approach can be applied in other qualitative research using different predefined frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoice is a qualitative, participatory research method with great potential for increased use across settings and disciplines in sub-Saharan Africa. The method originated over 30 years ago with two women researchers in reproductive health and has since been used across disciplines in diverse settings globally. Despite its origin within the social and cultural contexts of China in 1992, the method has been used predominantly in settings in the global North and West. There is ample opportunity to employ the method in sub-Saharan African contexts as a powerful, versatile research method. This paper highlights the current use of the photovoice research method in sub-Saharan Africa, with a specific focus on Uganda. We aim to demystify photovoice and advocate for more use of the method as a participatory approach in tackling major current transdisciplinary challenges across the globe. We introduce the method, describe the historical and philosophical underpinnings, illustrate use of the method through two examples of our photovoice research in Uganda, and discuss its challenges and benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To critically explore the value and challenges of combining a traditional methodology (constructivist grounded theory) with a newer approach (Patient-Oriented Research) in nursing research. Overview of the Issue: Researchers need to examine novel approaches to research which incorporate the thoughts and ideas of patients and stakeholders in order to ensure that the research is important to end users. However, it is essential to maintain the rigour of traditional methodologies. Therefore, there is a need to explore combining traditional methodologies with new approaches. Results: We combined a rigorous methodology with a modern approach to health promotion research that has not been described in the literature. There are numerous synergies between constructivist grounded theory and Patient-Oriented Research. However, tensions exist including pre-conceived knowledge, patients as researchers, and flexibility in research direction. Discussion: Constructivist grounded theory with a Patient-Oriented Research approach for use in health promotion research requires thought and intentionality. Consideration of the time and money needed to build relationships and include patient partners as full team members is critical to successful research. Additionally, points of synergy and tension between constructivist grounded theory and Patient-Oriented Research must be navigated with each study. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that constructivist grounded theory can be enhanced with a Patient-Oriented Research approach and may lead to increased depth in the development of the substantive grounded theory while also giving voice to the patient-partners. Implications for Profession: There is a need for researchers to actively engage patients and stakeholders in a Patient-Oriented Research process while retaining the core of traditional methodologies. Impact: This paper will provide researchers with an exemplar to incorporate patients as team members while conducting constructivist grounded theory research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vulnerability has typically been addressed in the context of research ethics from the point of view of participants, with a focus on how to prevent the potential or exacerbation of existing harm caused by the power and role asymmetries between researchers and participants. However, more recent approaches to research ethics question whether researchers are, by definition, located in a privileged position during the research process and safe from any kind of vulnerability. In line with this, we reflect on the dimensions of researcher vulnerability specific to studies using a qualitative methodology in health research. Our argument is that participants and researchers should be on the receiving end of efforts to implement ethical procedures and protection from harm. Based on the autoethnographic analysis of our experiences as qualitative health researchers, this paper aims to identify dimensions of researcher vulnerability, and draw out relevant recommendations for practice. The reflections upon which this paper is based emerged during a spring school focusing on research ethics in qualitative health research, during which we discussed situations from our own research experience which left us feeling vulnerable. We identify four dimensions related to the experience of vulnerability (reciprocity; emotional labor; application of ethical standards; reversed power asymmetries) and five crosscutting aspects relating to these dimensions (researching sensitive topics; researching in contexts of vulnerability, poverty and structural violence; being a novice; lacking adequate support; insufficient time and space for ethical reflexivity). Our recommendations address particular challenges for these dimensions, and center on the role of reflexivity, as one of the cornerstones for enabling ethical qualitative research practice, requiring us to acknowledge and address our own vulnerability and positionality. Autoethnographic exercises are particularly useful for zooming in on ethically important moments in research related to researcher vulnerability and fruitful for identifying resources to respond to such challenges in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The website Reddit has been noted as a fertile space for researchers due to its large user base and collection of distinctive communities. Reddit communities may be encouraging areas for specialized participant recruitment, though there is currently a lack of literature integrating Reddit into qualitative research participant identification and recruitment. This paper examines unique challenges and opportunities associated with using Reddit for sampling in-depth, qualitative research designs. Using a case example of a qualitative study which recruited from Reddit, the paper offers insight into what social scientists may expect to experience if attempting this form of recruitment. Reddit can potentially offer contact with hard-to-reach populations, and using it for recruitment may broaden the quality of qualitative data if sourced in ways which are ethical and conform to the tolerated standards of the specific communities being sampled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thematic analysis is a highly popular technique among qualitative researchers for analyzing qualitative data, which usually comprises thick descriptive data. However, the application and use of thematic analysis has also involved complications due to confusion regarding the final outcome's presentation as a conceptual model. This paper develops a systematic thematic analysis process for creating a conceptual model from qualitative research findings. It explores the adaptability of the proposed process across various research methodologies, including constructivist methodologies, positivist methodologies, grounded theory, and interpretive phenomenology, and justifies their application. The paper distinguishes between inductive and deductive coding approaches and emphasizes the merits of each. It suggests that the derived systematic thematic analysis model is valuable across multiple disciplines, particularly in grounded theory, ethnographic approaches, and narrative approaches, while also being adaptable to more descriptive, positivist-based methodologies. By providing a methodological roadmap, this study enhances the rigor and replicability of thematic analysis and offers a comprehensive strategy for theoretical conceptualization in qualitative research. The contribution of this paper is a systematic six-step thematic analysis process that leads to the development of a conceptual model; each step is described in detail and examples are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Doctors with a history of mental health or substance use challenges face barriers accessing treatment and are difficult to recruit for research. This makes understanding their experiences challenging, yet essential. Overcoming barriers to research participation among unwell doctors is critical to advancing their overall health and wellbeing. Methods: A qualitative interview study of 21 allegedly impaired doctors in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand who were subject to regulatory processes relating to their health. Based in an interpretative phenomenological paradigm, this paper examines participants' motivations for participation in this study and their reactions to participating. It highlights wider implications for sensitive research involving doctors and marginalised groups. Results: Participants were strongly motivated to participate in our research for their own benefit (desire to be heard, catharsis, and empowerment) and to benefit others (to change the system, and to avoid other doctors experiencing what they experienced). Careful planning and communication of unique legal risks fostered a trusting researcher-participant relationship. To assist other researchers undertaking sensitive qualitative research with vulnerable participants, we describe our research protocol, challenges, and successes in detail. Conclusions: Despite ethical concerns about research risk, researchers can and should pursue qualitative research into the experiences of underrepresented groups, including allegedly impaired doctors. Without involving them in research that examines issues directly impacting on them, we may be inadvertently perpetuating the barriers and stigma that also hinder them from accessing treatment and support. This also deprives us of knowledge that can be used to improve doctors' health. This paper has broader relevance for anyone doing research with doctors, people in vulnerable positions, people disempowered by institutional or social systems, people who are stigmatised or shamed, and people who have experienced trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational research has sometimes been criticized for its seeming lack of relevance to classroom reality and its subsequent inability to inform pedagogical practices. Such criticism has prompted researchers to consider research methods that may better approximate reality. Among these methods, photo-elicitation interviews (PEI) offer a visual dimension to elicit lived experiences, feelings, and thoughts in real educational contexts, and to enhance researchers' understanding of educational practitioners' and students' experiences in real classrooms and school communities. This review examines the application of PEI to explore educational practitioners' and students' lived experiences and perceptions in educational contexts. Specifically, this paper examines the existing educational studies adopting PEI in order to identify the affordances of the method, the challenges it has presented for researchers in the education field, and critical considerations for researchers who may be planning to use the method. Specifically, this review addresses the following three questions: 1. What has PEI contributed to previous investigations of participants' lived experiences and perceptions in educational contexts? 2. What methodological challenges have previous researchers encountered when utilizing PEI? and 3. How can methodological concerns be addressed when designing and implementing PEI to understand participants' lived experiences and perceptions? We provide an up-to-date critical examination and discussion of PEI to better inform researchers seeking to develop the use of the method in future investigations in the education field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thick description of qualitative findings is critical to improving the transferability of qualitative research findings as it allows researchers to assess their applicability to other contexts and settings. However, what thick description entails and how it should be carried out is often missing or insufficiently described. While expert qualitative researchers may be familiar with the concept, the wide variety of meanings and interpretations of thick description in the literature may make it difficult for novice qualitative researchers to understand this concept when reporting qualitative findings. The purpose of this paper is to propose the "MIRACLE" narrative framework for providing thick description in qualitative research. We developed this framework based on a critical review of theoretical literature about thick description and writing in qualitative research, as well as our personal experiences conducting, writing, and publishing qualitative studies. The proposed framework can be valuable for improving the reporting quality and transferability of qualitative research findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Semi-structured interviews allow progressive interview refinements to gain an in-depth understanding of a research question, but interview refinements affect the stopping point. This paper aims to describe a method that provides transparency in interview refinements and helps researchers decide on a stopping point. Methods:We established systematic and practical methods to document interview refinements and visualize novel and duplicate interview codes. We illustrated the methods using a case study called the Mass Atrial Fibrillation Screening Study, a real-world clinical trial. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed progressively. Two researchers established the initial coding into a predefined framework with reference to the Medical Research Council Guidance of Process Evaluation. Final codes were reached by discussion and consensus. NVivo v12 software was utilized to manage the qualitative data. Results:We developed an open-access software package for the 'R' statistical programming language called 'novelqualcodes' and a video demonstrating the application. Our package converts NVivo coding matrices into graphs of the trends of novel and duplicate codes. Our package also enables users to document interview refinements as fieldnotes, providing a visual guide to help researchers decide on a stopping point. In the case study, one researcher (KCW) conducted 48 one-to-one in-depth semi-structured interviews with participants from September 2021 to July 2022. Interview refinements were identified and reported to provide transparency to the readers. The novel code graphs and examination of the code sufficiency in the predefined framework demonstrated the stopping point at which we were satisfied with the richness and insights of the interviews in answering our research question. Conclusions: We illustrated a new paradigm of systematic and practical methods and shared an open-access software package and a video to describe, document and visualize the path to the stopping point. This approach can be applied in other qualitative research using different predefined frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of online focus groups is becoming popular as a qualitative research method and the literature available for evaluating this data collection method is useful. However, to the best of our knowledge almost no methodological information is available on synchronous, online video-based focus groups with children of 10-12 years of age. In this article we describe our experiences with a study in which we conducted a total of 13 online synchronous video-based focus groups with children of this age. Our study generated rich and useful data, however, during our research we also encountered several challenges. In this paper we discuss these challenges concerning a) the technical tools used, b) the interaction between children, and c) ethical issues. We evaluate possible solutions and in doing so, also discuss standard procedures that are used in real-life focus groups, such as the optimum number of children, the duration of the focus groups, and the relation between the moderator and the children. We conclude that, when conducting online focus groups with children, researchers need to consider several aspects beforehand such as using a platform that is well-known to the children, developing a technical step-by-step guide, and recruiting a flexible moderator that is familiar with child development. We propose a flexible framework that includes questions and offers suggestions for conducting online focus groups with children aged 10-12 years. This framework can inform researchers wanting to conduct online focus groups with children in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To critically explore the value and challenges of combining a traditional methodology (constructivist grounded theory) with a newer approach (Patient-Oriented Research) in nursing research. Overview of the Issue: Researchers need to examine novel approaches to research which incorporate the thoughts and ideas of patients and stakeholders in order to ensure that the research is important to end users. However, it is essential to maintain the rigour of traditional methodologies. Therefore, there is a need to explore combining traditional methodologies with new approaches. Results: We combined a rigorous methodology with a modern approach to health promotion research that has not been described in the literature. There are numerous synergies between constructivist grounded theory and Patient-Oriented Research. However, tensions exist including pre-conceived knowledge, patients as researchers, and flexibility in research direction. Discussion: Constructivist grounded theory with a Patient-Oriented Research approach for use in health promotion research requires thought and intentionality. Consideration of the time and money needed to build relationships and include patient partners as full team members is critical to successful research. Additionally, points of synergy and tension between constructivist grounded theory and Patient-Oriented Research must be navigated with each study. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that constructivist grounded theory can be enhanced with a Patient-Oriented Research approach and may lead to increased depth in the development of the substantive grounded theory while also giving voice to the patient-partners. Implications for Profession: There is a need for researchers to actively engage patients and stakeholders in a Patient-Oriented Research process while retaining the core of traditional methodologies. Impact: This paper will provide researchers with an exemplar to incorporate patients as team members while conducting constructivist grounded theory research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoice is a qualitative, participatory research method with great potential for increased use across settings and disciplines in sub-Saharan Africa. The method originated over 30 years ago with two women researchers in reproductive health and has since been used across disciplines in diverse settings globally. Despite its origin within the social and cultural contexts of China in 1992, the method has been used predominantly in settings in the global North and West. There is ample opportunity to employ the method in sub-Saharan African contexts as a powerful, versatile research method. This paper highlights the current use of the photovoice research method in sub-Saharan Africa, with a specific focus on Uganda. We aim to demystify photovoice and advocate for more use of the method as a participatory approach in tackling major current transdisciplinary challenges across the globe. We introduce the method, describe the historical and philosophical underpinnings, illustrate use of the method through two examples of our photovoice research in Uganda, and discuss its challenges and benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In late 2020 and the first semester of 2021, in Santiago de Chile, five women researchers who work with qualitative methodologies, based on their reflections on how the context of the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted on their doctoral research or their role as thesis advisors, conducted a reflective exploration of the conditions and challenges for qualitative research amid a global crisis. In this context, they convene once per week to explore how other researchers conduct and document their research processes, based on a purposive and thorough bibliographic exploration of qualitative studies on the pandemic and remote methods published in qualitative research journals. During these meetings, they reflect on and analyze the impacts and challenges of research in today's world, identifying possibilities and challenges in the methodological and ethical domains. Thus, they organize the present paper around two axes: one on the effects of the pandemic on academic and research practices, in general terms, and another on the specific methodological challenges facing qualitative research during the pandemic. These challenges are largely caused by difficulties in accessing and recruiting participants; the conditions of participation, influenced by vulnerabilities or barriers that constitute factors of inequality; the data production strategies and methodologies used in virtual contexts; ethical considerations; and the effects of the pandemic context on quality and rigor criteria. The article concludes with reflections and questions on the meanings, underlying logic, and practices of qualitative research, which are interrogated and re-signified in light of the COVID-19 pandemic while also illuminating research in postpandemic settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When using video and visual methods in qualitative and post-qualitative research, the size and scale of the data set can be overwhelming, particularly for new researchers. Collaborative research teams often work with a code book to systematize and unify their analyses. Interpretive researchers pursuing multi-layered and multi-voiced visual analysis often find it difficult to move away from desires for a single 'best' interpretation of what happened. This paper illustrates and interrogates an open and flexible method for 'thinning' (screenshotting) video data that we call the 'Five Images Method'. We offer one unfolding of interpretive processes and tensions and examine how four researchers worked across positionalities to analyse video data. We start with our positionalities in relation to a research study of children creating photographic and written stories of cultural artifacts, carried out over one year. The primary data from the study was generated through online video-conference sessions connecting a university researcher with an elementary class. A second level of data was created through a process of screenshotting, followed by recursive cycles of conversation about the choices of each researcher, and how they were guided by background, geography, roles in relation to child participants, technologies, personal experiences, and so on. Two key incidents that illustrate the potential of the method and the interpretations produced are described. We argue that reducing video data in this way can be both generative and limiting, while also serving as a catalyst for enhanced analysis. The collaborations and relationships built in research teams through slow processes of analysis (and writing!) working across difference also promote evocative and layered learning. Looking at interpretations as multiple can be hampered by longstanding histories of research as intended to produce authentic and singular truths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the criticisms leveled against research and knowledge, especially "knowledge for knowledge's sake" is that it seldom goes so far as to make a significant difference in practice. Thousands of doctoral graduates worldwide produce new knowledge every year, only to run out of steam at the end of their doctoral journey. For many, earning their doctorates is sufficient to justify the painstaking academic journey, so they give up the ghost and strive no more to make a difference. As 12th century French abbot St Bernard of Clairvaux writes, "Some seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge--and that is curiosity. Some seek knowledge that they may be known to have knowledge--and that is vanity. Some seek knowledge that they may give to others their knowledge--and that is charity." But how does one apply the knowledge to solve real-world problems? How does what you have learned and discovered, find its way into praxis? How does it find favor with organizational and community leaders who are not academically inclined and could not care less for academic theories and jargon? This paper is inspired by the work of a team of French researchers who have conceptualized and developed an innovative approach entitled "Inductive Process to Analyze the Structure of Lived Experience" (IPSE), which is being successfully integrated into evidence-based medicine (EBM). Taking a cue from EBM, an attempt is made to unpack and elucidate the IPSE framework for doctoral researchers that are unfamiliar with it and offer a compelling case for its application in the practice of social science research, outside the field of medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solicited diaries/journals are increasingly popular as an innovative qualitative method in the social sciences for better understanding people’s everyday lived experiences. In this article we create a framework for maintaining rigour while using such diaries. First, we systematically evaluate 43 research papers focusing on the method, drawing on Baxter and Eyles’ (1997) seminal evaluation of rigour in qualitative human geography research. We ascertain that significant improvements could be made to procedures for obtaining and analysing diary content. Second, we develop a framework to encourage rigour in diary research. We test our framework by evaluating research conducted by two of our authors who employed solicited diaries with street vendors in Vietnam. We propose that our analysis and framework can help social scientists improve the rigour of solicited diaries as a research method, and provide a model for enhancing rigour in other emerging qualitative approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dialogue between those interested or engaged in qualitative research and practitioners is essential if practice is to respond effectively to the increasing needs of service users. However, this statement is underpinned by two linked assumptions – that the world of the practitioner and that of the researcher are separate, and that there is a policy audience receptive to qualitatively informed professional practice. This paper begins by questioning these assumptions, recognising that neoliberal managerialism remains dominant and is resistant to qualitatively inspired practice, determined that practitioners are ‘siloed’ into skills or competence-based approaches in the name of accountability, value for money and ‘outcomes’ consistent with neoliberal ideology. We emphasise the shared values and commitments between social work practice and social work research which include the recognition that people may be encouraged to understand and transform their world through the constant interaction of theory and practice, a view we promote through our teaching. For example, social justice and other social work values are highlighted through participatory, anti-oppressive and feminist research and emphasised though critical, emancipatory approaches to research questions. We include recent vignettes, demonstrating this approach, in which students have used innovative research approaches, which have provided the possibility of fully integrating research into on-going practice. Feedback from students and practitioners concludes that this becomes possible if research teaching encourages partnership between students, practitioners, service users and organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a collaborative student-for-student research project conducted in 2012, which aimed to improve the first year experience for students at one Australian University. A cooperative inquiry group was established to focus on the issues experienced by first year students from low socio-economic backgrounds, raise critical consciousness, question existing ideological constructs and develop a response to the identified issues in the form of a V-pod. Thematic analysis of recorded data from meetings and written data from group wiki pages revealed three key themes related to: sharing experience, sharing power and sharing time. Findings suggest a clear place for cooperative inquiry in the higher educational sector, but this must be supported by the time and space to establish collaborative relationships. When academics and students recast their roles as ‘the researcher’ and ‘the researched’ in the pursuit of co-created knowledge they are more able to rally against structural barriers and produce more meaningful outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research often excludes youth participants, omitting their social and psychological realities, undermining their rights to participate and benefit from research, and weakening the validity of research. Researchers may be discouraged from including youth due to logistical (e.g. gaining access) or ethical (e.g. coercion risks based on developmental level) concerns. Increased discussion is needed around appropriate methods to use with child and youth participants that manage challenges related to developmental capacities, legal status, power differentials, and unpredictable aspects of qualitative research. This paper pools experiences of six researchers, describing solutions we have developed in studies employing varied qualitative methodologies with varied vulnerable youth subpopulations. We detail successful approaches to access, compensation, consent, assent, and confidentiality. Social work researchers are wellsuited to navigate the challenges, and we share our examples with the aim of facilitating increased youth participation in research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper incorporates peer researchers from refugee backgrounds to deconstruct their experiences of conducting interviews and focus groups with refugee communities in a post-disaster environment in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. The associated dynamics illustrate the contextual intricacies of recruitment, building relationships, the politics of interpreting and engaging with people’s lived experiences in respectful and safe ways. The peer researchers’ experiences highlight several methodological and ethical complexities to critically examine the role of ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’ as a continuum when working in post-disaster contexts with culturally and linguistically diverse populations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]