Resources
Qualitative Research Resources
Developing resources to support qualitative and mixed methods researchers on the Melbourne Children’s Campus is ongoing. Please check here regularly for updates.
Currently we do not have one standard protocol template for qualitative research as there are several different methodologies each requiring different details. In place of this we have guidelines that cover key areas relevant to qualitative research that are updated regularly as changes in regulations and privacy legislation occur.
The Qualitative Research Guidelines can be found here: https://metis.melbournechildrens.com/MCTC193
· Allison Tong, Peter Sainsbury, Jonathan Craig, Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ): a 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups, International Journal for Quality in Health Care, Volume 19, Issue 6, December 2007, Pages 349–357, doi:10.1093/intqhc/mzm042
· O'Brien BC, Harris IB, Beckman TJ, Reed DA, Cook DA. Standards for reporting qualitative research: a synthesis of recommendations. Acad Med. 2014 Sep;89(9):1245-51. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000000388. PMID: 24979285.
· Huria, T., Palmer, S.C., Pitama, S. et al. Consolidated criteria for strengthening reporting of health research involving indigenous peoples: the CONSIDER statement. BMC Med Res Methodol 19, 173 (2019). doi:10.1186/s12874-019-0815-8
· Niederberger M, Schifano J, Deckert S, Hirt J, Homberg A, Köberich S, et al. (2024) Delphi studies in social and health sciences—Recommendations for an interdisciplinary standardized reporting (DELPHISTAR). Results of a Delphi study. PLoS ONE 19(8): e0304651. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0304651
· Gattrell, W.T., Hungin, A.P., Price, A. et al. ACCORD guideline for reporting consensus-based methods in biomedical research and clinical practice: a study protocol. Research Integrity Peer Review. , 3 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41073-022-00122-0
· Critical Appraisal Checklists
· Long HA, French DP, Brooks JM. Optimising the value of the critical appraisal skills programme (CASP) tool for quality appraisal in qualitative evidence synthesis. Research Methods in Medicine & Health Sciences. 2020;1(1):31-42. doi:10.1177/2632084320947559
Past QRCoP meetings are a valuable source of information from researchers who have experience in different methodologies, methods and analysis techniques.
These additional online video resources have been recommended from within the QRCoP.
YouTube videos – Coding
· Why Do We Code?: Qualitative Research Methods (ModU: Powerful Concepts in Social Science)
· What is a Code?: Qualitative Research Methods (ModU: Powerful Concepts in Social Science)
· What Does Coding Looks Like?: Qualitative Research Methods (ModU: Powerful Concepts in Social Science)
· The Cycles of Coding: Qualitative Research Methods (ModU: Powerful Concepts in Social Science)
· How to Know You Are Coding Correctly: Qualitative Research Methods (ModU: Powerful Concepts in Social Science)
International Institute for Qualitative Methodology webinars
· Ten Top Tips in Qualitative Data Analysis for New Researchers (Jude Spiers)
· Introduction to Interpretive Descriptive methodology (Sally Thorne)
· Archived webinars: https://www.ualberta.ca/international-institute-for-qualitative-methodology/webinars/master-class-webinar/archived-webinars.html
General texts about qualitative research
2020. Liamputtong. Qualitative Research Methods (5th ed.). Oxford University Press.
2017. Denzin & Lincoln. The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research (5th ed.). Sage
2016. Creswell & Poth. Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage publications.
2022. Madden, Raymond. Being ethnographic: a guide to the theory and practice of ethnography. (3rd ed.) Third. ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.
2014.Charmaz, Kathy. Constructing grounded theory. (2nd ed. ed) Introducing qualitative methods. London; Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage.
General texts about mixed methods research
2014. Creswell, J. Research design: qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches. USA: Sage Publications Inc.
2018. Creswell, J. & Plano Clark V. Designing and conducting mixed methods research. 3rd Ed. USA: Sage Publications.
Data Analysis
2013.Grbich, Carol. Qualitative data analysis: an introduction. 2nd ed. London; Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE Publications.
Coding
2021. Saldana. The coding manual for qualitative researchers. 4th Edition. Sage Publications
Content Analysis
2022. Vears, Gillam. Inductive content analysis. A guide for beginning qualitative researchers https://doi.org/10.11157/fohpe.v23i1.544 (Full text)
2008. Elo, Kyngas The qualitative content analysis process. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2007.04569.x
2005.Hsieh, Shannon. Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qualitative Health Research, 15(9), 1277–1288. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732305276687
Thematic Analysis
2021.Clarke, Braun. Thematic Analysis: a practical guide. Sage. Described by the authors as their most comprehensive guide to their thematic analysis approach yet!
2021. Braun, Clarke. One size fits all? What counts as quality practice in (reflexive) thematic analysis? https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2020.1769238
2019. Braun, Clarke. Reflecting on thematic analysis. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2019.1628806
Thematic analysis website resources (Clarke): https://www.thematicanalysis.net/resources-for-ta/
Clarke, Thematic analysis lectures-You tube
2011. Smith, Firth. Qualitative data analysis. The Framework approach. https://doi.org/10.7748/nr2011.01.18.2.52.c8284
Wilson, J. (2025). Interpretive description and reflexive thematic analysis: Exploring conceptual coherence and methodological integrity. Qualitative Health Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323251378303
Quality
2017. Kalu, Bwalya. What makes qualitative research good research. An exploratory analysis of critical elements. https://doi.org/10.5296/ijssr.v5i2.10711
2018. Sanders, Sim, Kingstone. Saturation in qualitative research. Exploring its conceptualisation and operationalisation. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-017-0574-8
2013. Walther, J., Sochacka, N.W. and Kellam, N.N. Quality in Interpretive Engineering Education Research: Reflections on an Example Study. J. Eng. Educ., 102: 626-659. https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20029
2019. Braun, Clarke. To saturate or not to saturate. Questioning data saturation as a useful concept for thematic analysis and sample-size rationales. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2019.1704846
2023. D’Aprano, A., Lloyd-Johnsen, C., Cameron, D., Wunungmurra, A., Hull, C., Boyle, C., ... & Matthews, V. Trusting relationships and learning together: a rapid review of Indigenous reference groups in Australian Indigenous health research. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health 47 (3), 100051. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anzjph.2023.100051
2020. Busetto, L., Wick, W., & Gumbinger, C. How to use and assess qualitative research methods. Neurological Research and Practice, 2(1), 14.
Sampling
2010. Mason, M. Sample Size and Saturation in PhD Studies Using Qualitative Interviews. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 11(3). http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/1428
2013. O’Reilly, M., & Parker, N. ‘Unsatisfactory Saturation’: A critical exploration of the notion of saturated sample sizes in qualitative research. Qualitative Research, 13(2), 190–197. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794112446106
2014. Robinson, OC. Sampling in Interview-Based Qualitative Research: A Theoretical and Practical Guide. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 11(1), 25–41. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2013.801543
2018. Vasileiou, K., Barnett, J., Thorpe, S., & Young, T. Characterising and justifying sample size sufficiency in interview-based studies: Systematic analysis of qualitative health research over a 15-year period. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 18(1), 148. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-018-0594-7
2022. Hennink, M, & Kaiser, BN. Sample sizes for saturation in qualitative research: A systematic review of empirical tests. Social Science & Medicine, 292, 114523. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114523
Mixed Methods
2007. Tashakkori & Cresswell, editorial in Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1: 3-7, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2345678906293042
2013. Fetters, M. D., Curry, L. A., & Creswell, JW. Achieving integration in mixed methods designs-principles and practices. Health Services Research, 48(6 Pt 2), 2134–2156. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.12117
2015a. Fetters, M. D., & Freshwater, D. The 1 + 1 = 3 Integration Challenge. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 9(2), 115–117. https://doi.org/10.1177/1558689815581222
2015b. Fetters, M., & Freshwater, D. Publishing a Methodological Mixed Methods Research Article. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 9(3), 203–213. https://doi.org/10.1177/1558689815594687
2018. Hong et al. Mixed methods Appraisal Tool. Education for Information, 34 (4) pp285-291
Interviews and Focus groups
2018. McGrath, C., Palmgren, P. J., & Liljedahl, M. Twelve tips for conducting qualitative research interviews. Medical Teacher 41(9), 1002–1006. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2018.1497149
Twelve tips for conducting qualitative research interviews.pdf
Involvement of children in research
2024. Wyatt, K. A., Bell, J., Cooper, J., Constable, L., Siero, W., Pozo Jeria, C., ... & Hughes, E. K. Involvement of children and young people in the conduct of health research: A rapid umbrella review. Health Expectations, 27(3), e14081. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.14081
Delphi Studies/Consensus methods
2020. McClaren, B., King, E., Crellin, E., Gaff, C., Metcalfe, S., Nisselle, A., Development of an Evidence-Based, Theory-Informed National Survey of Physician Preparedness for Genomic Medicine and Preferences for Genomics Continuing Education
2022. King E, Halliday J, Archibald AD, Delatycki M, Barlow-Stewart K, Newson AJ, McClaren BJ. Development and use of the Australian reproductive genetic carrier screening decision aid. European Journal of Human Genetics. 2022 Feb;30(2):194-202. doi: 10.1038/s41431-021-00991-x. PMID: 34725472; PMCID: PMC8821595.
2021. Nasa P, Jain R, Juneja D. Delphi methodology in healthcare research: How to decide its appropriateness. World Journal of Methodology.11(4):116-129. doi: 10.5662/wjm.v11.i4.116. PMID: 34322364; PMCID: PMC8299905.
2025. O'Cathain A. Workshops as a qualitative research method in health research. BMJ Open 2025;15:e106459. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2025-106459
Peer review feedback
2024. Clarke, V., Braun, V., Adams, J., Callaghan, J. E. M., LaMarre, A., & Semlyen, J. “Being really confidently wrong”: Qualitative researchers’ experiences of methodologically incongruent peer review feedback. Qualitative Psychology. 12(1), 7–24. https://doi.org/10.1037/qup0000322
Qualitative research compared with patient engagement
2018.Doria, N., Condran, B., Boulos, L., Curtis Maillet, D. G., Dowling, L., & Levy, A. (2018). Sharpening the focus: differentiating between focus groups for patient engagement vs. qualitative research. Research involvement and engagement, 4, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40900-018-0102-6
Reflexivity and Positionality
2014. Bourke, B. Positionality: Reflecting on the research process. The Qualitative Report. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2014.1026
2016. Hiller, A.J. and Vears, D.F. Reflexivity and the clinicians-research: managing participant misconceptions. Qualitative Research Journal, 16(1), pp.13-25. https://doi.org/10.1108/QRJ-11-2014-0065
2020. Lazard, L., & McAvoy, J. Doing reflexivity in psychological research: What's the point? What's the practice? Qualitative Research in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2017.1400144
2025. Sibbald, K.R., Phelan, S.K., Beagan, B.L., & Pride, T.M. (2025). Positioning positionality and reflecting on reflexivity: Moving from performance to practice. Qualitative Health Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323241309230