Table 1 Outlining the seven phases of Meta-Ethnography [21]
Phase | Description |
|---|---|
1. Getting started | Identify an area of interest whilst considering if a synthesis of the topic is required |
2. Deciding what is relevant | Selecting studies for inclusion in the synthesis. Making decisions regarding inclusion, exclusion and assessing quality |
3. Reading the studies | Repeated reading of the studies whilst extracting key concepts |
4. Determining how the studies are related | Exploring the relationship between the extracted key concepts to enable an understanding of how the studies are interconnected |
5. Translating the studies into one another | Exploring the key concepts across all studies, looking for presence or absence of key concepts |
6. Synthesising translations | Creating concepts across studies. Exploring the relationship between studies and deciding if synthesis is refutational, reciprocal or line of argument |
7. Expressing the synthesis | Compiling the synthesis and delivering it to the intended audience. |