Applying GRADE-CERQual to qualitative evidence synthesis findings-paper 4: How to assess coherence
dc.contributor.author | Colvin, CJ | |
dc.contributor.author | Garside, R | |
dc.contributor.author | Wainwright, M | |
dc.contributor.author | Munthe-Kaas, H | |
dc.contributor.author | Glenton, C | |
dc.contributor.author | Bohren, MA | |
dc.contributor.author | Carlsen, B | |
dc.contributor.author | Tunçalp, Ö | |
dc.contributor.author | Noyes, J | |
dc.contributor.author | Booth, A | |
dc.contributor.author | Rashidian, A | |
dc.contributor.author | Flottorp, S | |
dc.contributor.author | Lewin, S | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2020-06-22T15:37:32Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2018-01-25 | |
dc.description.abstract | Background: The GRADE-CERQual (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation-Confidence in Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research) approach has been developed by the GRADE working group. The approach has been developed to support the use of findings from qualitative evidence syntheses in decision-making, including guideline development and policy formulation. CERQual includes four components for assessing how much confidence to place in findings from reviews of qualitative research (also referred to as qualitative evidence syntheses): (1) methodological limitations, (2) relevance, (3) coherence and (4) adequacy of data. This paper is part of a series providing guidance on how to apply CERQual and focuses on CERQual's coherence component. Methods: We developed the coherence component by searching the literature for definitions, gathering feedback from relevant research communities and developing consensus through project group meetings. We tested the CERQual coherence component within several qualitative evidence syntheses before agreeing on the current definition and principles for application. Results: When applying CERQual, we define coherence as how clear and cogent the fit is between the data from the primary studies and a review finding that synthesises that data. In this paper, we describe the coherence component and its rationale and offer guidance on how to assess coherence in the context of a review finding as part of the CERQual approach. This guidance outlines the information required to assess coherence, the steps that need to be taken to assess coherence and examples of coherence assessments. Conclusions: This paper provides guidance for review authors and others on undertaking an assessment of coherence in the context of the CERQual approach. We suggest that threats to coherence may arise when the data supporting a review finding are contradictory, ambiguous or incomplete or where competing theories exist that could be used to synthesise the data. We expect the CERQual approach, and its individual components, to develop further as our experiences with the practical implementation of the approach increase. | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | WHO | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Norad (Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation) | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Research Council of Norway | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Cochrane methods Innovation Fund | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | South African Medical Research Council | en_GB |
dc.identifier.citation | Vol. 13, 13 | en_GB |
dc.identifier.doi | 10.1186/s13012-017-0691-8 | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10871/121597 | |
dc.language.iso | en | en_GB |
dc.publisher | BMC | en_GB |
dc.rights | © The Author(s). 2018 Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated. | en_GB |
dc.subject | Qualitative evidence synthesis | en_GB |
dc.subject | Qualitative research | en_GB |
dc.subject | Methodology | en_GB |
dc.subject | Research design | en_GB |
dc.subject | Systematic review methodology | en_GB |
dc.subject | Coherence | en_GB |
dc.subject | Evidence-based practice | en_GB |
dc.subject | Guidance | en_GB |
dc.subject | Confidence | en_GB |
dc.subject | GRADE | en_GB |
dc.title | Applying GRADE-CERQual to qualitative evidence synthesis findings-paper 4: How to assess coherence | en_GB |
dc.type | Article | en_GB |
dc.date.available | 2020-06-22T15:37:32Z | |
dc.description | This is the final version. Available from BMC via the DOI in this record. | en_GB |
dc.description | Additional materials are available on the GRADE-CERQual website (www.cerqual.org) | en_GB |
dc.identifier.journal | Implementation Science | en_GB |
dc.rights.uri | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | en_GB |
dcterms.dateAccepted | 2018-01-25 | |
rioxxterms.version | VoR | en_GB |
rioxxterms.licenseref.startdate | 2018-01-25 | |
rioxxterms.type | Journal Article/Review | en_GB |
refterms.dateFCD | 2020-06-22T15:34:52Z | |
refterms.versionFCD | VoR | |
refterms.dateFOA | 2020-06-22T15:37:36Z | |
refterms.panel | A | en_GB |
Files in this item
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
Except where otherwise noted, this item's licence is described as © The Author(s). 2018 Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to
the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver
(http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.