Category: Qualitative data analysis. These pages discuss some of the conceptual and logistical issues associated with the analysis of interviews, focus group data, and other sources of non-quantitative data. Articles are arranged by date with the most recent entries at the top. You can find the theme and closely related categories and other resources at the bottom of this page.

Stats: Reviewing a paper on qualitative data analysis (March 11, 2007). I was asked by BMJ to review a paper that involved a qualitative data analysis. These reviews are confidential, so I don't want to describe the paper in any detail. It is worthwhile, however, to note some of the standards that others have suggested for assessing the quality of a qualitative data analysis. This is important for a peer-reviewer like myself. I need to be able to assess whether the authors have produced a result that is sufficiently rigorous to merit publication.

Stats: Using focus groups to bridge the gap between research and practice (December 14, 2006). The Injury Prevention journal published a nice article on how to use focus groups to bridge the research-practice gap, ip.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/12/6/373, along with an associated commentary, ip.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/12/6/357. This is a very nice article with the full free text available on the web. It has an excellent bibliography and many of the references also have full free text on the web. The authors followed a series of steps that they argue can be readily generalized to other safety issues.

Stats: Planning a qualitative research study (July 6, 2004). Someone asked me for some specific advice on how to design a qualitative study. I love qualitative research. I think people should be using this mode of research more often. But I have to admit that I have little first hand experience in this area. I can make some general comments but no specific recommendations.

Stats: Focus groups and qualitative research (April 13, 2004). A student is giving a talk on focus groups and asked me a few questions about my attitude towards them. I think focus groups are great. They give you a richer picture of the data and can often supplement quantitative studies.

Theme and closely related categories:

Other resources:

Overviews

Illustrative examples.

Design

Critical review

Miscellaneous

Research Perspective on Focus Groups. Texas Registry of Parent Educator Resources. Accessed on 2002-10-23. No description available. www.unt.edu/cpe/module4/blk2focus1.htm

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This webpage was written by Steve Simon on 2007-06-20, edited by Steve Simon, and was last modified on 2008-07-08. Send feedback to ssimon at cmh dot edu or click on the email link at the top of the page.