Reporting of qualitative health research

Abstract

Transparent and comprehensive reporting can improve the reliability and value of research. Reporting guidelines have been developed for different quantitative research designs including CONSORT for randomized controlled trials, STROBE for observational studies, and PRISMA for systematic reviews. Only a few reporting guidelines are available for qualitative studies-such as the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Health Research (COREQ), which includes reporting items that address the research team and reflexivity, methodological framework, data collection, data analysis, and presentation of the findings. This chapter will address the current problems in reporting qualitative research, discuss the challenges of a standardized approach to reporting qualitative research, provide an overview of current reporting guidelines, propose principles for reporting the methods and findings of qualitative studies, and discuss strategies to improve the quality of reporting of qualitative health research.