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. 2011 May 30;15(3):295–326. doi: 10.1111/j.1369-7625.2011.00683.x

Table 2.

Overview of outcomes of the quality assessment

Paper Generic aspects Design‐specific aspects
Burton 18 Aim of the research: A 
Design: P 
Informed consent: yes 
Ethics approval: yes 
Role of the researcher: no 
Limitations: A 
Findings discussed in relation to the literature: P 
Rigour: A Grounded Theory (used to analyse the data) 
Concurrent data collection and analysis: A 
Theoretical sampling: P 
Core theory grounded in the data: P 
First‐ and second‐level coding: A 
Theoretical saturation: No
Clark & Rugg 48 Aim of the research: A 
Design: A 
Informed consent: yes 
Ethics approval: yes 
Role of the researcher: yes 
Limitations: A 
Findings discussed in relation to the literature: A 
Rigour: A Qualitative interviews 
No design‐specific criteria were described for studies described only in broad terms as ‘qualitative’ and which employed interviews as the data collection method
Cup et al. 56 Aim of the research: A 
Design: P 
Informed consent: yes 
Ethics approval: yes 
Role of the researcher: no 
Limitations: A 
Findings discussed in relation to the literature: P Psychometric testing 
Inclusion criteria: yes 
Exclusion criteria: yes 
Sample size calculation: no 
Bias: A 
Analyses: A
Duncan et al. 20 Aim of the research: A 
Design: A 
Informed consent: NC 
Ethics approval: NC 
Role of the researcher: no 
Limitations: no 
Findings discussed in relation to the literature: P 
Note: brief paper; insufficient detail provided regarding most aspects of study design and conduct. Qualitative interviews 
No design‐specific criteria were described for studies described only in broad terms as ‘qualitative’ and which employed interviews as the data collection method
Ekstam et al. 50 Aim of the research: A 
Design: A 
Informed consent: NC 
Ethics approval: yes 
Role of the researcher: no 
Limitations: A 
Findings discussed in relation to the literature: A Prospective longitudinal 
Inclusion criteria: yes 
Exclusion criteria: yes
Ellis‐Hill et al. 13 Aim of the research: P 
Design: A 
Informed consent: yes 
Ethics approval: yes 
Role of the researcher: yes 
Limitations: A 
Findings discussed in relation to the literature: A Qualitative interviews 
No design‐specific criteria were described for studies described only in broad terms as ‘qualitative’ and which employed interviews as the data collection method
Fox et al. 45 Aim of the research: A 
Design: P 
Informed consent: NC 
Ethics approval: NC 
Role of the researcher: yes 
Limitations: P 
Findings discussed in relation to the literature: P Ethnography 
Describes social group: yes 
Interviews and observations: A 
Carried out over an extended period: yes 
Individual/group behaviour: yes 
Note: authors did not use the term ethnography; study fits the criteria
Glass et al. 41 , 42 Aim of the research: A 
Design: A 
Informed consent: yes 
Ethics approval: yes 
Role of the researcher: no 
Limitations: A 
Findings discussed in relation to the literature: P RCT 
Inclusion criteria: yes 
Exclusion criteria: yes 
Sample size calculation: yes 
Randomization sequence: A 
Concealment of allocation: A 
Comparability of groups: yes 
Blinding of outcome assessors: A 
Attrition: discussed in detail
Grant & Davis 44 Aim of the research: A 
Design: A 
Informed consent: NC 
Ethics approval: NC 
Role of the researcher: yes 
Limitations: no 
Findings discussed in relation to the literature: A Grounded Theory 
Concurrent data collection and analysis: P 
Theoretical sampling: P 
Core theory grounded in data: A 
First‐ and second‐level coding: P 
Theoretical saturation: yes
Harris & Eng 47 Aim of the research: A 
Design: P 
Informed consent: NC 
Ethics approval: yes 
Role of the researcher: no Limitations: A 
Findings discussed in relation to the literature: A Descriptive case study 
Inclusion criteria: yes 
Exclusion criteria: yes
Jansa et al. 52 Aim of the research: A 
Design: A 
Informed consent: NC 
Ethics approval: NC 
Role of the researcher: no Limitations: A 
Findings discussed in relation to the literature: A Case–control study 
Inclusion criteria: no 
Exclusion criteria: no 
Recruitment and selection of cases: A 
Bias: P 
Confounding factors: P
Kersten et al. 55 Aim of the research: A 
Design: A 
Informed consent: yes 
Ethics approval: yes 
Role of the researcher: no 
Limitations: A 
Findings discussed in relation to the literature: A Cross‐sectional survey 
Inclusion criteria: yes 
Exclusion criteria: yes 
Sample size calculation: yes 
Response rate: A 
Bias: I 
Analyses: P
Ljungberg et al. 53 Aim of the research: A 
Design: A 
Informed consent: yes 
Ethics approval: yes 
Role of the researcher: no 
Limitations: A 
Findings discussed in relation to the literature: A Case–control study 
Inclusion criteria: yes 
Exclusion criteria: no 
Recruitment and selection of cases: A 
Bias: P 
Confounding factors: A
Long et al. 28 Aim of the research: A 
Design: A 
Informed consent: yes 
Ethics approval: yes 
Role of the researcher: no 
Limitations: A 
Findings discussed in relation to the literature: no Cross‐sectional interview‐based psychometric testing 
Inclusion criteria: yes 
Exclusion criteria: yes 
Sample size calculation: no 
Bias: A 
Analyses: A
Nordehn et al. 46 Aim of the research: A 
Design: A 
Informed consent: yes 
Ethics approval: NC 
Role of the researcher: yes 
Limitations: A 
Findings discussed in relation to the literature: A Focus groups 
Interaction between participants: P
Pound et al. 49 Aim of the research: P 
Design: P 
Informed consent: NC 
Ethics approval: NC 
Role of the researcher: no 
Limitations: no 
Findings discussed in relation to the literature: A Qualitative interviews 
No design‐specific criteria were described for studies described only in broad terms as ‘qualitative’ and which employed interviews as the data collection method
Secrest 43 Aim of the research: A 
Design: A 
Informed consent: yes 
Ethics approval: yes 
Role of the researcher: yes 
Limitations: A 
Findings discussed in relation to the literature: A Phenomenology 
Underpinning philosophy: A 
Bracketing (if Husserlian): A 
Meaning o the experience: A 
Interpretation of meaning: A 
Unstructured data collection: A 
Systematic data analysis: A 
Transparency: no; Representation: no 
Essence of the phenomenon: A
Studenski et al. 51 Aim of the research: A 
Design: A 
Informed consent: yes 
Ethics approval: NC 
Role of the researcher: no Limitations: A 
Findings discussed in relation to the literature: P Prospective cohort study 
Inclusion criteria: yes 
Exclusion criteria: yes
Trigg et al. 30 Aim of the research: A 
Design: A 
Informed consent: NC 
Ethics approval: NC 
Role of the researcher: no Limitations: A 
Findings discussed in relation to the literature: A Qualitative interviews 
No design‐specific criteria were described for studies described only in broad terms as ‘qualitative’ and which employed interviews as the data collection method
van Bennekom et al. 54 Aim of the research: A 
Design: P 
Informed consent: NC 
Ethics approval: NC 
Role of the researcher: no 
Limitations: A 
Findings discussed in relation to the literature: I Case–control study 
Inclusion criteria: yes 
Exclusion criteria: yes 
Recruitment/selection of cases: 
Bias: A 
Confounding factors: A
Wressle et al. 11 Aim of the research: A 
Design: A 
Informed consent: NC 
Ethics approval: NC 
Role of the researcher: yes 
Limitations: no 
Findings discussed in relation to the literature: A Grounded Theory 
Concurrent data collection and analysis: A 
Theoretical sampling: P 
Core theory grounded in the data: I 
First‐ and second‐level coding: P 
Theoretical saturation: yes

Key to quality assessment codes: A, Adequate; P, Partial; I, Inadequate; NC, not clear/not reported.