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Tips for Finding Qualitative Research

Qualitative research in nursing mainly deals with the lived experiences of patients and nurses, information which may not be obtainable through quantitative methods of research. 

• Tends to be more subjective.
• Observations tend to be described in words.
• Samples tend to be purposeful and small.
• Data collection can include:
  • interviews
  • focus groups
  • filed observations
  • participant observation
  • case study

See more from CREDO Encyclopedia of Nursing Research (Must be on campus or have a COM account to view). 

Finding qualitative articles can be difficult, but CINHAL has multiple ways that you can apply to get the articles you need. It's really all about your limit options. 

1. Type in your search term
2. Limit to Research Article and/or Peer Reviewed
3. You may also want to use the full text limit 
4. Try any of the options below to limit to qualitative articles. You may have to experiment to see which option gives you the best results. Some limits will be more effective than others depending on your main subject. 

Options for limiting to Qualitative Articles

• Try adding Qualitative Studies as a subject to your search.
• Try the Publication Type limit to limit to specific publication types that are qualitative: 
  • Anecdote
  • Interview
  • Questionnaire/Scale
• Try the Clinical Queries limit
  • Qualitative - High Sensitivity (broader)
  • Qualitative - High Specificity (narrower)
  • Qualitative - Best Balanced (balanced between sensitivity and specificity)

Try it in CINAHL (must be on campus or log into your COM account)