Britten Nicky, Campbell Rona, Pope Catherine, Donovan Jenny, Morgan Myfanwy, Pill Roisin
Department of General Practice and Primary Care, King's College London, 5 Lambeth Walk, London SE11 6SP, UK.
J Health Serv Res Policy. 2002 Oct;7(4):209-15. doi: 10.1258/135581902320432732.
To demonstrate the benefits of applying meta ethnography to the synthesis of qualitative research, by means of a worked example.
Four papers about lay meanings of medicines were arbitrarily chosen. Noblit and Hare's seven-step process for conducting a meta ethnography was employed: getting started; deciding what is relevant to the initial interest; reading the studies; determining how the studies are related; translating the studies into one another; synthesising translations; and expressing the synthesis.
Six key concepts were identified: adherence/compliance; self-regulation; aversion; alternative coping strategies; sanctions; and selective disclosure. Four second-order interpretations (derived from the chosen papers) were identified, on the basis of which four third-order interpretations (based on the key concepts and second-order interpretations) were constructed. These were all linked together in a line of argument that accounts for patients' medicine-taking behaviour and communication with health professionals in different settings. Third-order interpretations were developed which were not only consistent with the original results but also extended beyond them.
It is possible to use meta ethnography to synthesise the results of qualitative research. The worked example has produced middle-range theories in the form of hypotheses that could be tested by other researchers.
通过一个实例，展示运用元民族志法整合定性研究的益处。
随机选取四篇关于药物的外行意义的论文。采用诺布利特和黑尔进行元民族志研究的七个步骤：着手进行；确定与最初兴趣相关的内容；阅读研究；确定各项研究之间的关联；将各项研究相互转化；整合译文；以及呈现整合结果。
确定了六个关键概念：依从性/顺应性；自我调节；厌恶；替代应对策略；制裁；以及选择性披露。基于所选论文确定了四种二阶解释，并在此基础上构建了四种三阶解释（基于关键概念和二阶解释）。这些解释在一条论证线索中相互关联，该论证线索解释了患者在不同情境下的用药行为以及与医护人员的沟通情况。所形成的三阶解释不仅与原始结果一致，而且有所拓展。
运用元民族志法整合定性研究结果是可行的。该实例产生了以假设形式呈现的中程理论，可供其他研究者进行检验。
