A framework for selecting data generation strategies in qualitative health research studies

Abstract

Background Qualitative health research has the potential to answer important applied health research questions to inform nutrition and dietetics practice, education and policy. Qualitative health research is a distinct subdiscipline of qualitative inquiry that purposefully draws upon the context of healthcare and emphasises health and wellness. Methods Qualitative health research is defined by two parameters: (1) the focus of the study and (2) the methods used. When considering the methods to be used, decisions are required about the type of data to be generated (e.g., transcripts, images and notes) and the process involved in data generation (e.g., interviews, elicitation strategies and observations) to answer the research question(s). Drawing upon examples from nutrition and dietetics literature, this paper provides a framework to support decision‐making for nutrition and dietetics researchers and clinician researchers designing conducting qualitative health research. Results The guiding questions of the framework include: What types of data will be generated? Who is involved in data generation? Where will data generation occur? When will data generation occur? How will data be recorded and managed? and How will participants' and researchers' emotional safety be promoted? Conclusion Questions about the types of data, those involved, where and when, as well as how safety can be maintained in data generation, not only support a more robust design and description of data generation methods but also keep the person at the centre of the research.

Nutrition intervention goals from the perspectives of patients at risk of malnutrition: A qualitative study

“…A semi-structured interview guide was developed by the investigators based on their knowledge of malnutrition, nutrition interventions and dietetic professional practice, and previous scientific literature concerning patients at risk of malnutrition, goal-setting in nutrition interventions, person-centredness in healthcare, and proposed strategies to ensure quality in qualitative research [28][29][30][31] (see Supporting information, Appendix S1). The interview guide consisted of open-ended questions categorised in line with the four-circle tool developed by Lenzen et al 15 This is based on a simplified version of the four domains from the International Classification of Functioning and Disability 32 : my health, my activities, my own way and my environment.…”