Table 3 Included studies – quality assessment
Qualitative | Qualitative | Mixed method | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Type-of-study | Methodological-quality-criteria | Bowen [22] | Dobbins [15] | Farmer [16] | Higgins [17] | Mitton [18] | Belkhodja [27] | Dobbins [24] | Dobbins [26] | Jbilou [28] | Wilson [21] | Ham [25] | Niedzwiedzka [19] | Weatherly [20] | McDiarmid [23] |
Screening Questions | Are there clear qualitative and quantitative research questions (or objectives), or a clear mixed methods question (or objective)? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Do the collected data allow the research question (objective) to be appropriately addressed? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Yes | Unclear | Unclear | Yes | Yes | Unclear | Unclear | |
1. Qualitative | 1.1. Are the sources of qualitative data (archives, documents, informants, observations) relevant to address the research question (objective)? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unclear | Unclear | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Unclear | Yes | Unclear | Yes |
1.2. Is the process for analyzing qualitative data relevant to address the research question (objective)? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unclear | Unclear | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | |
1.3. Is appropriate consideration given to how findings relate to the context, e.g., the setting, in which the data were collected? | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | |
1.4. Is appropriate consideration given to how findings relate to researchers’ influence, e.g., through their interactions with participants? | No | No | No | No | No | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | |
4. Quantitative Descriptive | 4.1. Is the sampling strategy relevant to address the quantitative research question (quantitative aspect of the mixed methods question)? | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unclear | Yes | Yes | Yes |
4.2. Is the sample representative of the population understudy? | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Yes | Unclear | |
4.3. Are measurements appropriate (clear origin, or validity known, or standard instrument)? | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Unclear | Yes | Yes | Unclear | Yes | Unclear | Yes | Unclear | Yes | |
4.4. Is there an acceptable response rate (60% or above)? | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Unclear | Unclear | Yes | No | |
5. Mixed Methods | 5.1. Is the mixed methods research design relevant to address the qualitative and quantitative research questions (or objectives), or the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the mixed methods question (or objective)? | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Yes | Unclear | Yes | Unclear |
5.2. Is the integration of qualitative and quantitative data (or results) relevant to address the research question (objective)? | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Yes | Unclear | Yes | Unclear | |
5.3. Is appropriate consideration given to the limitations associated with this integration, e.g., the divergence of qualitative and quantitative data (or results) in a triangulation design? | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Unclear | Unclear | Yes | Unclear | |