Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30709371›Full record

ArticleBMC medical research methodology2019

Improving reporting of meta-ethnography: the eMERGe reporting guidance.

Emma F France, Maggie Cunningham, Nicola Ring, Isabelle Uny, Edward A S Duncan, Ruth G Jepson, Margaret Maxwell, Rachel J Roberts, Ruth L Turley, Andrew Booth and 12 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical research methodology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 194 papers, 72 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
194citing papers in PubMed, 72 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

194 citing papers in PubMed, 72 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  6. 'Home Is Where You Are Together': Qualitative Systematic Review and Meta-Synthesis of Homeless People's Description of Home.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026
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  17. Older Patients' Verbal Communication in Interactions With Primary Care Staff: A Qualitative Systematic Review and Meta-Ethnography.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2025
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134 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

22 authors.

Emma F FranceUniversity of Stirling, Stirling, UK. emma.france@stir.ac.uk.
Maggie CunninghamUniversity of Stirling, Stirling, UK.
Nicola RingEdinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK.
Isabelle UnyUniversity of Stirling, Stirling, UK.
Edward A S DuncanUniversity of Stirling, Stirling, UK.
Ruth G JepsonUniversity of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Margaret MaxwellUniversity of Stirling, Stirling, UK.
Rachel J RobertsUniversity of Stirling, Stirling, UK.
Ruth L TurleyCardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
Andrew BoothUniversity of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
Nicky BrittenUniversity of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK.
Kate FlemmingDepartment of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK.
Ian GallaghereMERGe project, Stirling, UK.
Ruth GarsideUniversity of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK.
Karin HannesUniversity of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Simon LewinGlobal Health Unit Norwegian Institute of Public Health and Health Systems Research Unit, Oslo, Norway.
George W NoblitUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA.
Catherine PopeUniversity of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
James ThomasEPPI-Centre Institute of Education, London, UK.
Meredith VanstoneMcMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Gina M A HigginbottomSchool of Health Sciences & Centre for Evidence Based Health Care, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Jane NoyesBangor University, Bangor, UK.

Funding

British Heart FoundationCancer Research UKDepartment of Health HS&DR/13/114/60Medical Research CouncilWellcome TrustWellcome Trust WT087640MA
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsThe aim of this study was to provide guidance to improve the completeness and clarity of meta-ethnography reporting.

backgroundEvidence-based policy and practice require robust evidence syntheses which can further understanding of people's experiences and associated social processes. Meta-ethnography is a rigorous seven-phase qualitative evidence synthesis methodology, developed by Noblit and Hare. Meta-ethnography is used widely in health research, but reporting is often poor quality and this discourages trust in and use of its findings. Meta-ethnography reporting guidance is needed to improve reporting quality.

designThe eMERGe study used a rigorous mixed-methods design and evidence-based methods to develop the novel reporting guidance and explanatory notes.

methodsThe study, conducted from 2015 to 2017, comprised of: (1) a methodological systematic review of guidance for meta-ethnography conduct and reporting; (2) a review and audit of published meta-ethnographies to identify good practice principles; (3) international, multidisciplinary consensus-building processes to agree guidance content; (4) innovative development of the guidance and explanatory notes.

findingsRecommendations and good practice for all seven phases of meta-ethnography conduct and reporting were newly identified leading to 19 reporting criteria and accompanying detailed guidance.

conclusionThe bespoke eMERGe Reporting Guidance, which incorporates new methodological developments and advances the methodology, can help researchers to report the important aspects of meta-ethnography. Use of the guidance should raise reporting quality. Better reporting could make assessments of confidence in the findings more robust and increase use of meta-ethnography outputs to improve practice, policy, and service user outcomes in health and other fields. This is the first tailored reporting guideline for meta-ethnography. This article is being simultaneously published in the following journals: Journal of Advanced Nursing, Psycho-oncology, Review of Education, and BMC Medical Research Methodology.

Indexed as

Guidelines as TopicQualitative ResearchAnthropology, CulturalBiomedical ResearchEvidence-Based MedicineHumansResearch DesignResearch ReportGuidelineMeta-ethnographyNursingPublication standardsQualitative evidence synthesisQualitative researchReportingResearch designSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID30709371
PMCPMC6359764

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.