The Value of Qualitative Research in the Health Sciences. Karin Saric, MLIS. University of Southern California.
Objective: To discuss the value of qualitative evidence to allied health professionals, and demonstrate a systematic approach to finding qualitative evidence.
Background / Methods: Evidence-based practice emphasizes the use of quantitative evidence to inform health care decision making. However, many allied health professionals also value and incorporate the use of qualitative evidence. Qualitative evidence represents only a small portion of the published literature, and can be difficult to find. In addition, as qualitative studies seek to understand and interpret personal experiences, article titles are not always meaningful and may be inconsistently indexed even within the same database.
This paper discusses the value of incorporating qualitative evidence into the decision making process of allied health professionals. It also demonstrates how health science librarians can employ a systematic approach to finding qualitative research evidence, including: identification of qualitative terms; database selection; selection and tailoring of search terms to the scope of the database; incorporation of expert search term combinations; and the use of qualitative filters. Examples focus on occupational therapy, however the logic and approach is scalable to other allied health disciplines.
