CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY ON COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN PERFUSIONISTS AND ANESTHESIOLOGISTS

Abstract

Introduction: Peer review is an integral part of the scientific process and is a vital step for the publication of any research. In qualitative research, there are multiple methodologies that vary in theoretical frameworks, data collection techniques, and analytical processes. These methodological variations also lead to inconsistent reporting standards. As a result, concerns regarding the quality of qualitative research have been raised. In an attempt to address them, the standards of reporting were divided into two main categories. More than 100 journals publish qualitative research on a wide range of topics. This study aims to conduct a systematic review of the peer-reviewed journals that published qualitative research in their current issues. The study further seeks to identify the issues for improvement in qualitative research and reporting standards, the level of adherence among the journals, domains of qualitative research frequently covered, and to quantify which standard is present in maximum journals.

Methods: The qualitative research articles published in the current issue of 66 journals across disciplines were assessed for qualitative research design and criteria for reporting qualitative research. The results were analyzed comparatively, and the results were further analyzed using statistical software for descriptive statistics.

Results: A total of 514 qualitative research articles were sampled across disciplines. Just a little more than half of them (56.0%) confirmed their qualitative research design by including qualitative common indicators necessary for analysis. Showing the overall level of adherence, only 11.1% of the articles adhered to all the criteria. Almost an equal number of qualitative research topics were reported by both checklists. The multidimensional nature of qualitative research was emphasized by the coverage of 26 topics by either checklist.

Discussion: The findings suggest that qualitative researchers should be informed about qualitative research methodologies, methods, and writing procedures and be familiarized with the rigors of qualitative research and reporting sequence.

Conclusion: In general, the directions of improving qualitative research design validity and applicability and reporting standards would also determine the quality of published research results.