A qualitative research report is typically concerned with employing a broad-based, subjective, personal analytical framework to describe or explain a complex, multi-faceted issue or phenomenon. The researcher typically acts as the main instrument of data collection, using reviews of previous research, observation, and narrative as her primary tools. Qualitative research is typically carried out from an inductive, rather than deductive, analytical vantage point, so that a study conducted in this manner often concludes with the presentation of a hypothesized theory about the event or phenomenon being addressed. The purpose of analyzing a qualitative research report is to determine the value of the findings reported in the study.

Remember that a qualitative study values the subjects perspective; thus, its methods include shared interpreting and communicating, commonly conducting interviews, and observations. The qualitative approach is humanistic, holistic, and subjective; its reasoning dialectic and inductive. Qualitative research is a soft science that develops theory, which focuses on complex, broad, and poorly understood matters. The goals, analysis techniques, and language (metaphors) of qualitative and quantitative methods differ. There are also many types of qualitative studies.

Subjects are the participants in a research study. Evaluation of the way human subjects are treated involves critiquing the methodological dimension of a given research study. The setting encompasses the real world, in a variety of naturally occurring contexts. When choosing the setting to perform an interview, always remember that it must maintain privacy. Triangulation is the use of multiple methods or perspectives to collect and interpret data about some phenomenon in order to converge on an accurate representation of reality. As you critique your research article, ask yourself if triangulation procedures were used as a method of validation.

The researcher is an instrument in qualitative research. He or she must practice bracketing's strengths, limitations, and implications. When analyzing research, one must assess its strengths and limitations based on scientific merit. The study findings should increase the knowledge base of the topic.

Guidelines for Analyzing a Qualitative Research Report

1. Problem
   1. What is the problem the study was conducted to resolve?
   2. Why is the problem an important one for nursing to study?
2. Study Purpose
3. What is the purpose of the study?
4. Research Question
   1. What is the research question?
   2. If it is not stated, what would you say the research question is?
   3. Would you say that the question is stated broadly enough for a qualitative study?
5. Study Design
   1. What qualitative method is used?
   2. In what way is the method used an appropriate one for this study?
6. Subjects and Setting
   1. In what way is the method of obtaining subjects appropriate?
   2. In what way is the size of the sample used adequate?
   3. In what way was the setting in which data were collected an appropriate one for this study?
7. Data Collection Methods
   1. In what way were the data collection procedures used consistent with the purpose of the qualitative approach selected?
   2. In what way are the data collection procedures appropriate for this study?
   3. In what way were the steps taken to protect the rights of subjects adequate?
   4. What evidence is there that data saturation was achieved?
8. Data Analysis Procedures
   1. In what way(s) are the data analysis procedures appropriate for the data collected?
   2. In what way(s) are the data analysis procedures consistent with the qualitative method used?
9. StrengthsLimitations
   1. What are two major strengths of the scientific merit of this study?
   2. What are two major limitations of the scientific merit of this study?
   3. To what extent are the study findings valid?