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How theory is used and articulated in qualitative research: Development of a new typology

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  • Bradbury-Jones, Caroline
  • Taylor, Julie
  • Herber, Oliver

Abstract

There is a long tradition within qualitative research of theory being central and of critical importance. Qualitative research theory often equates with the methodologies used but this is a complex relationship, plagued by lack of consensus among scholars regarding how theory and methodology are related. This article furthers the debates on how theories are used in qualitative research, how they might influence a study and how they are articulated in publications. The aim is to provide a framework through which the relationship between theory and qualitative research can be understood. We propose a five-point typology on the levels of theoretical visibility, testing this against a range of published research from five key international health, medicine and social science journals. The typology captures a range of visibility – from seemingly absent through to highly visible and applied throughout. There was a clear gradient in this assessment – only a minority appeared to use theory consistently throughout a study. We outline several challenges to consistently applying theory in qualitative research and suggest potential solutions. This article is based on the argument that lack of theory in qualitative research undermines its quality. The typology is offered to assist researchers in applying theory in their own research and critiquing its use in the work of others.

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  • Bradbury-Jones, Caroline & Taylor, Julie & Herber, Oliver, 2014. "How theory is used and articulated in qualitative research: Development of a new typology," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 135-141.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:120:y:2014:i:c:p:135-141
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.09.014
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    1. Völker, Sebastian & Kistemann, Thomas, 2013. "“I'm always entirely happy when I'm here!” Urban blue enhancing human health and well-being in Cologne and Düsseldorf, Germany," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 113-124.
    2. Orzech, Kathryn M., 2013. "A qualitative exploration of adolescent perceptions of healthy sleep in Tucson, Arizona, USA," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 109-116.
    3. Petit, Dörte & Sondorp, Egbert & Mayhew, Susannah & Roura, Maria & Roberts, Bayard, 2013. "Implementing a Basic Package of Health Services in post-conflict Liberia: Perceptions of key stakeholders," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 42-49.
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    1. Andrew Shepherd & Caroline Sanders & Michael Doyle & Jenny Shaw, 2016. "Personal recovery in personality disorder: Systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative methods studies," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 62(1), pages 41-50, February.
    2. Julie Taylor & Caroline Bradbury‐Jones & Jenna P Breckenridge & Christine Jones & Oliver Rudolf Herber, 2016. "Risk of vicarious trauma in nursing research: a focused mapping review and synthesis," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(19-20), pages 2768-2777, October.
    3. Gale, Nicola & Dowswell, George & Greenfield, Sheila & Marshall, Tom, 2017. "Street-level diplomacy? Communicative and adaptive work at the front line of implementing public health policies in primary care," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 9-18.
    4. Andrea Nóblega Carriquiry & David Sauri & Hug March, 2020. "Community Involvement in the Implementation of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDSs): The Case of Bon Pastor, Barcelona," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-19, January.
    5. Alessandro Stievano & Laura Sabatino & Dyanne Affonso & Douglas Olsen & Isabelle Skinner & Gennaro Rocco, 2019. "Nursing’s professional dignity in palliative care: Exploration of an Italian context," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(9-10), pages 1633-1642, May.
    6. Ilya Kuzminov & Dirk Meissner & Alina Lavrynenko & Elena Tochilina, 2018. "Technology Classification for the Purposes of Futures Studies," HSE Working papers WP BRP 78/STI/2018, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    7. Talukder, Md Shamim & Shen, Liang & Hossain Talukder, Md Farid & Bao, Yukun, 2019. "Determinants of user acceptance and use of open government data (OGD): An empirical investigation in Bangladesh," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 147-156.

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