The Use of Meta-Ethnography in Synthesising Qualitative Research Findings
Jane Noyes, RN, BNurs, PhD, School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Wales, Bangor, Bangor, United Kingdom
Meta ethnography is a method used to synthesise qualitative research findings. It involves induction and interpretation, and thus follows a similar approach to the methods of qualitative data analysis used in the studies being synthesised.Through extracting concepts, metaphors and themes arising from different studies (first order analysis); subjecting these first-order concepts to interpretive analysis to generate second order concepts; and synthesising these second order concepts through developing a “line or argument”, meta-ethnography enables the reviewer to understand and synthesise the findings of two or more qualitative studies concerning a similar research question or topic.In this presentation, the process of meta-ethnography will be described and illustrated by presenting practical examples of the process-in-use.