Improving reporting of meta-ethnography: the eMERGe reporting guidance

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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Improving reporting of meta-ethnography: the eMERGe reporting guidance. / France, Emma F; Cunningham, Maggie; Ring, Nicola et al.
In: BMC Medical Research Methodology, Vol. 19, No. 1, 31.01.2019, p. 25.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

HarvardHarvard

France, EF, Cunningham, M, Ring, N, Uny, I, Duncan, EAS, Jepson, RG, Maxwell, M, Roberts, RJ, Turley, RL, Booth, A, Britten, N, Flemming, K, Gallagher, I, Garside, R, Hannes, K, Lewin, S, Noblit, GW, Pope, C, Thomas, J, Vanstone, M, Higginbottom, GMA & Noyes, J 2019, 'Improving reporting of meta-ethnography: the eMERGe reporting guidance', BMC Medical Research Methodology, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 25. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-018-0600-0

APA

France, E. F., Cunningham, M., Ring, N., Uny, I., Duncan, E. A. S., Jepson, R. G., Maxwell, M., Roberts, R. J., Turley, R. L., Booth, A., Britten, N., Flemming, K., Gallagher, I., Garside, R., Hannes, K., Lewin, S., Noblit, G. W., Pope, C., Thomas, J., ... Noyes, J. (2019). Improving reporting of meta-ethnography: the eMERGe reporting guidance. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 19(1), 25. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-018-0600-0

CBE

France EF, Cunningham M, Ring N, Uny I, Duncan EAS, Jepson RG, Maxwell M, Roberts RJ, Turley RL, Booth A, et al. 2019. Improving reporting of meta-ethnography: the eMERGe reporting guidance. BMC Medical Research Methodology. 19(1):25. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-018-0600-0

MLA

VancouverVancouver

France EF, Cunningham M, Ring N, Uny I, Duncan EAS, Jepson RG et al. Improving reporting of meta-ethnography: the eMERGe reporting guidance. BMC Medical Research Methodology. 2019 Jan 31;19(1):25. doi: 10.1186/s12874-018-0600-0

Author

France, Emma F ; Cunningham, Maggie ; Ring, Nicola et al. / Improving reporting of meta-ethnography : the eMERGe reporting guidance. In: BMC Medical Research Methodology. 2019 ; Vol. 19, No. 1. pp. 25.

RIS

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 -