Qualitative concept development: implications for nursing research and knowledge.

TOPIC

Qualitative concept development. The purpose of this article is to analyze existing and emerging qualitative concept development approaches and discuss implications for nursing research and knowledge.

SOURCE

Literature.

CONCLUSIONS

Concept development is necessary to insure the ongoing emergence of nursing theory and knowledge. Investigators are urged to use empirical data and advanced qualitative research methods to move concept development forward. Although an inductive process is inherent to qualitative investigations, it is apparent that iterative movement between inductive and deductive approaches is needed to carry out concept development studies. Concepts used in nursing are complex and challenging to define. For this reason, concept development is a rigorous and time-intensive process, which requires commensurate financial and time commitments.