Qualitative Reviews

Qualitative reviews are more varied in nature than their quantitative counterparts, with some arguing that the idea of combining qualitative studies is contrary to the underlying principles of qualitative research. There are two broad approaches to qualitative reviews, those that are aggregative which are sometimes referred to as metasummaries, and those that are interpretive which are metasyntheses. A key organisation in this area is JBI which has developed a meta-aggregative approach which is described in detail. More interpretive methods include meta-ethnography. Another popular approach is that of thematic synthesis. Finally, this chapter considers a hybrid method, combining aspects of metasummary and meta-synthesis. It is important that reviewers choose the qualitative method best able to answer their questions.