But is It Hermeneutic Enough?: Reading for Methodological Salience in a Scoping Review of Hermeneutics and Implementation Science

Hermeneutic methods have been widely used in health research. Through conducting a scoping review of hermeneutic studies related to implementation in healthcare, we identified various approaches and common strengths across studies. The review was part of a larger study exploring how hermeneutics could contribute fresh perspectives to implementation science. We looked at a large number of studies that reported some use of hermeneutics with a focus on what they had to say about processes of implementation in health care environments. While meeting our primary goal of identifying what was salient to implementation, we came up against the question of what made for a strong hermeneutic study. Through an extensive process of evaluation and discussion, several common elements emerged across studies that used hermeneutics: participatory conversations, reflective spaces, attention to alterity, and close-up granular detail. In this article, we outline the review process, then focus on six articles that met our criteria for relevance to implementation and hermeneutic strength. We discuss how some or all the common elements appeared in the articles, despite wide variations in topic and in how hermeneutics was applied. We argue that strength in hermeneutic research stems from a dialectic between applied principles and outcomes.

Family Socialization and Experiences of Early Childhood Programs in the Rohingya Camps: Study Protocol

Objective of Protocol: The primary objective of this protocol is to record the process of conceptualizing a semi-structured interview protocol, training enumerators on the protocol, collecting data, translating findings into English, and analyzing data in English and Bengali, in a study of family socialization among a stateless and conflict-affected population, Rohingya refugees, in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Research Questions of Study: (1) What are the socialization goals that mothers have for their children, and how do they perceive these goals in relation to their future or current roles as caregivers? (2) What are parents’ experiences with their children’s participation in Humanitarian Play Labs (education/child care provisions in the camps), and what are their perceptions of how their child’s participation in the programs has influenced their child/family? (3) What were the experiences of parents with their children as they migrated from Myanmar to Bangladesh? Design of Study: The design of the study involved a qualitative grounded theory approach based on an analysis of the participants’ responses to a semi-structured interview protocol. Study population: Participants included a purposive sample of 28 mother/father dyads in the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar.

Research in the Religious Realm: Intersectional Diversification and Dynamic Variances of Insider/Outsider Perspectives

This article discusses insider/outsider perspectives in qualitative research among religious people. Focus is on the insider researcher. Even if researcher and participants share the same overall religious adherence or are members of the same denomination, various factors can differentiate them substantially, affecting insider/outsider perspectives. The methodological implications of this phenomenon are drawn from research on the perception of gender roles among Mormon women in Belgium. The mutual perception of researcher and participant can influence the data collection phase as value-laden issues are being discussed. To ensure the validity and objectivity of research in this context, positionalities of researcher and participants need to be clearly defined and methodological safeguards put into place. The analysis of the interactions between researcher and participants led to the identification of seven intersecting insider/outsider perspectives: denominational, congregational, social, religious, topical, lingual, and academic. Moreover, as compound insider/outsider positions move on several continua, various factors can change the perspectives during interviews. This article adds to the methodology of qualitative research by uncovering perspectives which researchers can consider or adapt when interviewing religious participants.

Social Impact Indicators in the Context of the Roma Community: Contributions to the Debate on Methodological Implications

Researching with methodologies focused on social impact in line with the SDGs is one of the priority orientations of the Horizon Europe program, as shown in the official European Commission document on impacts for this program. In this sense, researchers must forecast how their project will improve citizens' lives. Until now, many investigations showed the evaluation of the social impact through knowledge transfer activities that, although undoubtedly important, are not enough since the social impact is defined as the improvements derived from using the knowledge transferred to society. The search for the social impact of new research requires the introduction of impact indicators from the design, throughout the project development, and when the project ends. The introduction of indicators, in particular if they are decided in dialogue with the participants, allows not only to foresee a greater social impact but also to improve and adjust the methodology to be used. We explore this aspect in the context of research with social impact that starts from how the COVID-19 pandemic is increasing the inequalities suffered by the Roma population, causing the aggravation and creation of new problems and needs. Thus, we explain in detail how the selection of indicators that monitor the social impact, in dialogue with the Roma population, allows the design of research projects that are more appropriate to the current context.

Whose Voice is It Really? Ethics of Photovoice With Children in Health Promotion

Photovoice, a way of conducting research through pictures, is considered a child-friendly method to engage children in participatory research and social change but this practice can raise ethical dilemmas. These dilemmas have rarely been discussed in the literature. The aim of this article is to provide insight into the ethical dilemmas we faced using photovoice with children. It is grounded in a 4-year participatory health research project in two primary schools where we used photovoice alongside other creative and arts-based methods. We reflect critically on pressing ethical tensions and how we dealt with these dilemmas. Our logbooks and reflexive conversations were used as data sources. The findings reveal that everyday ethical dilemmas occurred throughout the project. These were sometimes anticipated but were often unexpected. Questions that arose included: ‘Who controls the outcome?’; ‘Photos to assess needs or to give voice?’; ‘Giving voice or aesthetics?’; ‘Who decides who is visible?’ and ‘Disrespectful and stereotypical representations?’ We conclude that ethical dilemmas in using photovoice with children deserve more attention to sensitize researchers and help them live up to the ideals of voice and empowerment.

If we can imagine it, we can build it: Developing Complexity Theory-Informed Methodologies

Seemingly intractable or ‘wicked’ problems are often characterised by the complexity and uncertainty involved. However, these characteristics are not always accounted for within research design. How health care systems may effectively respond to intimate partner violence presents a complex research problem. Researchers have been challenged to account for contextual influences when responding to intimate partner violence. However, theoretical perspectives and methodologies have not sufficiently evolved to account for the multi-layered complexity and uncertainty involved. Recognising and responding to this challenge offers opportunities to innovate methodologies and methods capable of evolving alongside learning. We present a complexity-led research design to study improving primary care service delivery to those impacted by intimate partner violence in Aotearoa New Zealand.

‘We Do Not Talk About It’ – Exploring Visual Approaches to Initiate Deeper Conversations About Perinatal Mental Health With Indian Immigrants

Exploring constructions of mental health in the perinatal period among Indian immigrants can be challenging. This article describes the use of visual methods, photo elicitation, free listing and pile sorting, as an adjunct to face-to-face interviews to understand the constructions of perinatal mental health among Indian immigrants in Australia. The benefits and challenges of using these methods and modifications made during the research are explained. The modifications resulted in a broader understanding of terminology used by the Indian community. Incorporating visual methods as an adjunct to interviews when discussing perinatal mental health with Indian immigrants is effective and using multiple methods enhances the richness of data.

Qualitative Evidence Syntheses Within Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care: Developing a Template and Guidance

A growing number of researchers are preparing systematic reviews of qualitative evidence, often referred to as ‘qualitative evidence syntheses’. Cochrane published its first qualitative evidence synthesis in 2013 and published 27 such syntheses and protocols by August 2020. Most of these syntheses have explored how people experience or value different health conditions, treatments and outcomes. Several have been used by guideline producers and others to identify the topics that matter to people, consider the acceptability and feasibility of different healthcare options and identify implementation considerations, thereby complementing systematic reviews of intervention effectiveness.Guidance on how to conduct and report qualitative evidence syntheses exists. However, methods are evolving, and we still have more to learn about how to translate and integrate existing methodological guidance into practice. Cochrane’s Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) ( www.epoc.org ) has been involved in many of Cochrane’s qualitative evidence syntheses through the provision of editorial guidance and support and through co-authorship. In this article, we describe the development of a template and guidance for EPOC’s qualitative evidence syntheses and reflect on this process.

Integrating Community Participation With Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis: Reflections on Engaging the Autism Community

Members of the autistic community have long advocated for more input into and participation with autism-related research. Currently, the power to determine the direction of autism-related research and knowledge production related to autism lies with non-autistic researchers, while the wishes and perspectives of the autistic community are largely ignored. There is a growing trend toward ethical autism-related research, however, in which the perspectives of all stakeholders, particularly those of autistic individuals, are sought and their expertise on autism is foregrounded. In a study exploring the experiences of childhood adversity and resilience among autistic adults, we strove to conduct our research in an inclusive and ethical way, by integrating participatory methods, such as community engagement to inform research design, and credibility checking with participants to confirm that the analysis resonated with their experiences. Five stakeholders, representing parents of children on the autism spectrum, professionals, and autistic community members were recruited to provide input into the research design and provide insight into autistic ways of communicating, interacting, and being. The recommendations generated through this community engagement were then integrated into an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) framework and implemented with four adult autistic participants. Through reflection on the process of community engagement, development of research design, implementation of the study, and credibility checking, it is clear that incorporating participatory methods into IPA increases rigor and ensures that autistic perspectives are represented through research.

Co-Interviewing in Qualitative Social Research: Prospects, Merits and Considerations

In this paper, we seek to open a dialogue about the approach of co-interviewing, which, to our surprise, has not received much attention in the realm of qualitative social research. The co-interviewing approach stands apart from ‘multiple’ interviewing, in which two or more researchers are tasked with conducting interviews in a single research study. Instead, this approach involves two researchers actively taking part in the same interview. In a qualitative grounded theory study that sought to explore doctoral students’ emotional well-being, we adopted the approach of co-interviewing each of our participants. This process involved us sharing the responsibilities of asking questions, probing, note taking and making observations. Our experience has led us to critically examine this unique approach to interviewing, and here, in this paper, we offer insights about its potential to enhance the generation of data and the research process. In doing so, we draw on literature, whilst reflecting on key concepts including power, reflexivity and well-being, by considering the positions of participants and researchers alike.