Qualitative Health Research

Morse, Janice M.

doi: 10.1177/104973239600600401pmid: N/A

Schreiber, Rita

doi: 10.1177/104973239600600402pmid: N/A

This grounded theory study examined the process of recovery for women who have been depressed. Twenty-one women who identified themselves as having recovered from depression were recruited through a snowball sampling approach. Women described a basic social psychological process involved in recovery from depression as (Re)Defining My Self, a process that consists of six phases. The women were interviewed and the interviews were audiotaped and transcribed for analysis. The data were analyzed through the constant comparison grounded theory method as developed by Glaser and Strauss and refined by Glaser and Stern. This research builds on existing research by expanding our understanding of the concept of recovery from depression. The study augments our understanding of women's experience with depression by enabling us to better understand the context and the meanings that link the variables that have been studied but remain elusive.

Cheek, Julianne

doi: 10.1177/104973239600600403pmid: N/A

Qualitative approaches to research have gained increased prominence in many contemporary health-related disciplinary fields. In such an era of increasing interest and recognition of the opportunities afforded by these approaches, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that any research approach encodes assumptions and values about the social world. Research perspectives have organizing effects on both the material gathered in research studies and on the way this material is represented as "data" or findings. Our understanding of qualitative research can be enhanced by exploring the frameworks, representations, and discourses that have positioned, and are positioning, us as readers of qualitative research texts. This article explores such positioning.

Scavenius, Michael; Onland, Jan

doi: 10.1177/104973239600600404pmid: N/A

This article illuminates the difficulties involved in conducting a multisite case study of different health services. It confines itself to describing the initial phase of such an inquiry. It argues that both the methodological and the content-related complexity of such research places great theoretical constraints on the researcher. Such constraints should not be resolved by simply applying some pregiven theory. It is shown how theoretical constraints arise in the need to formulate some notion of comparability for the different sites under investigation. Because such comparability is conceptualized mainly in a confrontation with the empirical data, the description of the process contains several reformulations of the research problem, taking note of various pitfalls and stumbling blocks. Finally, the general results of the pilot study are reported.

Engebretson, Joan

doi: 10.1177/104973239600600405pmid: N/A

There is an increasing interest in alternative healing in the United States. Healing touch has gained in popularity both within organized religious groups and in more secularized groups. Despite this interest, there are very few reports of the experiences of the healers and the recipients of these healings. This ethnographic report describes the healing sessions as well as the physical, emotional, visual, and interpretive experiences of both healers and recipients. The healings are contrasted with biomedicine according to setting, interaction, and the cognitive process involved in the treatment. Reflected values of each respective group are discussed.

Russell, Cynthia K.; Gregory, David M.; Gates, Marie F.

doi: 10.1177/104973239600600406pmid: N/A

Poster presentations of qualitative research are increasing in number. Currently, no guidelines exist for preparing qualitative research posters to assist researchers in designing posters that will be maximally effective. In this article, we present guidelines for qualitative posters, developed from our evaluation of qualitative posters at research conferences and a review of the literature. Areas discussed include content, text, materials, component arrangement, and visuals. Although qualitative research celebrates creativity, consideration of these areas will help researchers ensure that their messages are clearly received by the largest possible audience.

Jensen, Louise A.; Allen, Marion N.

doi: 10.1177/104973239600600407pmid: N/A

A framework for synthesizing qualitative findings is described, and issues surrounding employment of this technique are discussed. Further debate on these issues is encouraged to develop and refine this framework. The practical importance of interpretive meta-synthesis is highlighted in relation to theory development.

Brown, Steven R.

doi: 10.1177/104973239600600408pmid: N/A

Q methodology combines the strengths of both qualitative and quantitative methods, and its use in research has been facilitated by recent developments in computer software. Q methodology is briefly illustrated in a single-case study of the subjective experience of health care, and the data generated are used to illustrate the QMethod package, a menu-driven freeware program for mainframes and PCs that facilitates Q-sort data entry, correlation and factor analysis, theoretical rotation of factors, and calculation of factor scores. Instructions are provided for obtaining QMethod, for subscribing to a journal devoted to Q methodology, and for joining the Q methodology electronic discussion group.