Prof. Karin Hannes: COREQ (Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Studies)

Abstract

The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Studies (COREQ) covers the reporting of studies using interviews and focus groups [1]. It is the only reporting guidance for qualitative research to have received other than isolated endorsement although it applies to only a few of the many qualitative methods in use. It comprises a 32-item checklist that was developed by reviewing and identifying items from other tools and checklists for qualitative studies. Despite its narrow focus, COREQ can be used by peer reviewers and editors reviewing many qualitative research submissions. COREQ can also be used by readers wishing to gauge the validity of the results of a published report of qualitative research and by researchers preparing systematic reviews of qualitative research. The qualitative research community has been slow in developing and adopting reporting standards for both ideological and practical reasons. First, the plethora of research methodologies, each with considerable variation in data collection methods, makes development of a single reporting standard problematic. Second, researchers may perceive a pre-scriptive, overarching framework as limiting their ability to capture rich and important contextual data [2]. Third, descriptions of methods and pre-sentation of narrative and graphical data (which may include field notes, documents, transcriptions of interviews and interactions, and artifacts) vary considerably between articles with different underlying purposes. Recent years have, however, seen wider recognition that the systematic and careful documentation of all procedures – an " account of practice " – is located securely within the tradition of qualitative inquiry [4]. Description and the corresponding documentation of the procedure are acknowledged as critical in driving forward methodological innovation and in advocating the value of a published research study. When to use this guideline (what types of studies it covers)