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. 2017 Nov 24:4:2333393617742282.
doi: 10.1177/2333393617742282. eCollection 2017 Jan-Dec.

Employing a Qualitative Description Approach in Health Care Research

Carmel Bradshaw  1 , Sandra Atkinson  1 , Owen Doody  1
Affiliations

Employing a Qualitative Description Approach in Health Care Research

Carmel Bradshaw et al. Glob Qual Nurs Res. .

Abstract

A qualitative description design is particularly relevant where information is required directly from those experiencing the phenomenon under investigation and where time and resources are limited. Nurses and midwives often have clinical questions suitable to a qualitative approach but little time to develop an exhaustive comprehension of qualitative methodological approaches. Qualitative description research is sometimes considered a less sophisticated approach for epistemological reasons. Another challenge when considering qualitative description design is differentiating qualitative description from other qualitative approaches. This article provides a systematic and robust journey through the philosophical, ontological, and epistemological perspectives, which evidences the purpose of qualitative description research. Methods and rigor issues underpinning qualitative description research are also appraised to provide the researcher with a systematic approach to conduct research utilizing this approach. The key attributes and value of qualitative description research in the health care professions will be highlighted with the aim of extending its usage.

Keywords: epistemology; methodology and methods; ontology; philosophy; qualitative description.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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