TY - JOUR

T1 - Improving reporting of meta-ethnography

T2 - the eMERGe reporting guidance

AU - France, Emma F

AU - Cunningham, Maggie

AU - Ring, Nicola

AU - Uny, Isabelle

AU - Duncan, Edward A S

AU - Jepson, Ruth G

AU - Maxwell, Margaret

AU - Roberts, Rachel J

AU - Turley, Ruth L

AU - Booth, Andrew

AU - Britten, Nicky

AU - Flemming, Kate

AU - Gallagher, Ian

AU - Garside, Ruth

AU - Hannes, Karin

AU - Lewin, Simon

AU - Noblit, George W

AU - Pope, Catherine

AU - Thomas, James

AU - Vanstone, Meredith

AU - Higginbottom, Gina M A

AU - Noyes, Jane

N1 - This study was funded by an NIHR Health Service and Delivery Research HS&DR grant (13/114/60). The views and opinions expressed therein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the HS&DR Programme, NIHR, NHS, or the Department of Health. The systematic reviews were undertaken with the support of NIHR Health Service and Delivery Research HS&DR grant, Grant/Award Number: 13/114/60; DECIPHer, a UKCRC Public Health Research Centre of Excellence: British Heart Foundation; Cancer Research UK; Economic and Social Research Council, Grant/ Award Number: RES-590-28-0005; Medical Research Council; Welsh Government; Wellcome Trust, Grant/Award Number: WT087640MA, under the auspices of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration, is gratefully acknowledged. This article is being simultaneously published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing, Psycho-oncology, Review of Education, and BMC Medical Research Methodology. The article followed a double-blind peer-review model managed by the Journal of Advanced Nursing, and the editors from each of the journals in question consolidated on the decision process.

PY - 2019/1/31

Y1 - 2019/1/31

N2 - AIMS: The aim of this study was to provide guidance to improve the completeness and clarity of meta-ethnography reporting.BACKGROUND: Evidence-based policy and practice require robust evidence syntheses which can further understanding of people's experiences and associated social processes. Meta-ethnography is a rigorous seven-phase qualitative evidence synthesis methodology, developed by Noblit and Hare. Meta-ethnography is used widely in health research, but reporting is often poor quality and this discourages trust in and use of its findings. Meta-ethnography reporting guidance is needed to improve reporting quality.DESIGN: The eMERGe study used a rigorous mixed-methods design and evidence-based methods to develop the novel reporting guidance and explanatory notes.METHODS: The study, conducted from 2015 to 2017, comprised of: (1) a methodological systematic review of guidance for meta-ethnography conduct and reporting; (2) a review and audit of published meta-ethnographies to identify good practice principles; (3) international, multidisciplinary consensus-building processes to agree guidance content; (4) innovative development of the guidance and explanatory notes.FINDINGS: Recommendations and good practice for all seven phases of meta-ethnography conduct and reporting were newly identified leading to 19 reporting criteria and accompanying detailed guidance.CONCLUSION: The bespoke eMERGe Reporting Guidance, which incorporates new methodological developments and advances the methodology, can help researchers to report the important aspects of meta-ethnography. Use of the guidance should raise reporting quality. Better reporting could make assessments of confidence in the findings more robust and increase use of meta-ethnography outputs to improve practice, policy, and service user outcomes in health and other fields. This is the first tailored reporting guideline for meta-ethnography. This article is being simultaneously published in the following journals: Journal of Advanced Nursing, Psycho-oncology, Review of Education, and BMC Medical Research Methodology.

AB - AIMS: The aim of this study was to provide guidance to improve the completeness and clarity of meta-ethnography reporting.BACKGROUND: Evidence-based policy and practice require robust evidence syntheses which can further understanding of people's experiences and associated social processes. Meta-ethnography is a rigorous seven-phase qualitative evidence synthesis methodology, developed by Noblit and Hare. Meta-ethnography is used widely in health research, but reporting is often poor quality and this discourages trust in and use of its findings. Meta-ethnography reporting guidance is needed to improve reporting quality.DESIGN: The eMERGe study used a rigorous mixed-methods design and evidence-based methods to develop the novel reporting guidance and explanatory notes.METHODS: The study, conducted from 2015 to 2017, comprised of: (1) a methodological systematic review of guidance for meta-ethnography conduct and reporting; (2) a review and audit of published meta-ethnographies to identify good practice principles; (3) international, multidisciplinary consensus-building processes to agree guidance content; (4) innovative development of the guidance and explanatory notes.FINDINGS: Recommendations and good practice for all seven phases of meta-ethnography conduct and reporting were newly identified leading to 19 reporting criteria and accompanying detailed guidance.CONCLUSION: The bespoke eMERGe Reporting Guidance, which incorporates new methodological developments and advances the methodology, can help researchers to report the important aspects of meta-ethnography. Use of the guidance should raise reporting quality. Better reporting could make assessments of confidence in the findings more robust and increase use of meta-ethnography outputs to improve practice, policy, and service user outcomes in health and other fields. This is the first tailored reporting guideline for meta-ethnography. This article is being simultaneously published in the following journals: Journal of Advanced Nursing, Psycho-oncology, Review of Education, and BMC Medical Research Methodology.

U2 - 10.1186/s12874-018-0600-0

DO - 10.1186/s12874-018-0600-0

M3 - Article

C2 - 30709371

VL - 19

SP - 25

JO - BMC Medical Research Methodology

JF - BMC Medical Research Methodology

SN - 1471-2288

IS - 1

ER -