Table 3 Adapted tool by Rocca-Ihenacho used for the quality appraisal
Stages | Specific elements | Essential criteria | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
Rational | Scope and purpose | 1. Contextualization with literature | |
2. Aims | |||
3. Research question or objectives stated | |||
Design | Methodology | 4. Rational for using qualitative design | |
5. Description of theoretical background | |||
6. Description of methodology | |||
7. Methodology appropriate for research question or objectives | |||
Methods | 8. Description of methods | ||
9. Methods appropriate for research question or objectives | |||
Sampling strategy | 10. Rational for sampling strategy explained | ||
11. Selection criteria described | |||
12. Thickness of description likely to be achieved from sampling | |||
Data collection | 13. Description of data collection | ||
14. Data collection strategy appropriate to capture complexity of events and highlight context | |||
Analysis | 15. Analytical approach explicit | ||
16. Analytical approach appropriate for methodology | |||
17. Analysis grounded in the data | |||
18. Evidence of participants’ involvement in analysis | |||
19. Saturation addressed | |||
Interpretation | Clear audit trail given | 20. Demonstration of thorough interpretive pathway and ‘decision trail’ | |
Description of context | 21. Description of social, physical and interpersonal contexts of data collection | ||
Interpretation grounded in the data | 22. Extensive use of field notes entries/verbatim interview quotes in discussion of findings | ||
23. Provides new insights and increases understanding | |||
Discussion | Contextualization with literature | 24. Findings compared and contrasted with other literature | |
Relevance and transferability | 25. Interpretation interwoven with existing theories and other relevant literature drawn from similar settings | ||
26. Discussion of how explanatory proposition/emergent theory may fit other contexts | |||
27. Limitations and weaknesses of study clearly outlined | |||
28. Significance for current policy and practice outlined | |||
29. Outlines further directions for investigation | |||
Reflexivity | Researcher reflexivity demonstrated | 30. Discussion of relationship between research and participants during fieldwork | |
31. Discussion about how issues/complications met were dealt with | |||
Ethical dimensions | Ethical committee approval | 32. Evidence of ethical approval and following ethical procedures | |
Sensitivity to ethical concerns | 33. Documentation of how autonomy, consent, confidentiality, anonymity were managed | ||
Total |