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Table 2 Steps in the framework approach [12]

From: What do patients and the public know about clinical practice guidelines and what do they want from them? A qualitative study

• Familiarisation – All data sources are read and sorted with reference to the study objective.

• Identify a thematic framework – Key issues concepts and themes are identified with reference to the objectives of the study and the work of the DECIDE project to date.

• Indexing – The thematic framework is applied to all the data sources.

• Charting A matrix of findings for each theme is developed, allowing the comparison of different groups. Each cell of the matrix contains a summary of each group or individuals contributions to the theme, with a reference that can be directly linked to the original text.

• Mapping and interpretation All charts and notes were compared to search for patterns and connections in the data. The process allows for the exploration of consensus and disagreement both within and across cases.