ArticleJournal of advanced nursing2025
A Worked Example of Qualitative Descriptive Design: A Step-by-Step Guide for Novice and Early Career Researchers.
Article in Journal of advanced nursing, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 55 papers.
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Who cites it
55 citing papers in PubMed.
- Online health information-seeking behavior during the preoperative period among patients with pancreatic tumors and caregivers in China: A qualitative study.Asia-Pacific journal of oncology nursing · 2026Article
- Self-management of reflux symptoms after esophagectomy in China: A qualitative study.Asia-Pacific journal of oncology nursing · 2026Article
- 'Knocking on the Door, Saying, "Can We Come in?"': Carers' Experiences of Engagement With Healthcare Workers in Inpatient Mental Health Services.Journal of clinical nursing · 2026Article
- Critical Care Nurses' Encounters With Multicultural Patients and Families in Saudi Arabia: A Qualitative Study.Nursing open · 2026Article
- Crisis epilépticas en niños con síndrome de Dravet en condiciones de calor extremo: estudio cualitativo de la perspectiva de los progenitores.Developmental medicine and child neurology · 2026Article
- Seizures in children with Dravet syndrome in extreme heat: A qualitative study of parental perspectives.Developmental medicine and child neurology · 2026Article
- From Law to Practice, Emergency Department Leaders' Experiences With Universal HIV Testing in New York City: A Qualitative Research Brief.The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care : JANAC · 2026Article
- Why Women Don't Return: Nurse Perspectives on Follow-Up Care After Abnormal Cervical Cancer Screening Results in Mississippi's Public Health System.Public health nursing (Boston, Mass.) · 2026Article
- Long-Acting Injectable Buprenorphine in Prison: Insights From a Short-Answer Survey of People in the Criminal Justice System Commencing Long-Acting Injectable Buprenorphine During a Non-Randomised Clinical Trial.Drug and alcohol review · 2026Article
- Understanding influences on health-seeking behaviours among persons cured of leprosy in the Godokpe community, Volta Region of Ghana: A qualitative descriptive study.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026Article
- Train-the-Trainer Evaluation of Technology-Enhanced Learning in Preservice Midwifery Education in Nigeria: Qualitative Descriptive Study.JMIR nursing · 2026Article
- Women's Experiences of Contraceptive Counseling for Informed Choice in Moshi Municipality, Tanzania: A Qualitative Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Challenges of scaling up cervical cancer screening in Ethiopia: a qualitative socio-ecological study.EClinicalMedicine · 2026Article
- Infant Formula Affordability Negatively Impacts Parental Wellbeing, Financial Security and Safe Feeding Practices in the UK.Maternal & child nutrition · 2026Article
- Thinking-aloud methodology applied to health questionnaire development and validation: a scoping review.BMC medical research methodology · 2026Article
- Pharmacists' perspectives on medication therapy management training needs for chronic disease care in Indonesian primary healthcare centers: a qualitative study across 32 provinces.BMC medical education · 2026Article
- Perspectives on postpartum continuity of antiretroviral therapy care at Volta Regional Hospital, Ghana.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
- Article
- Nurse Leaders' Perceptions of Development of Their Own Interpersonal Communication Competence: A Qualitative Descriptive Study in Social and Healthcare Organisations.Journal of advanced nursing · 2026Article
- Expanding perspectives on reducing harms from drinking in college: A qualitative study.Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
aimTo provide a worked example informed by relevant literature and related studies that novice and early career researchers may use to reflect on, prepare and conduct a thoughtful and rigorous qualitative descriptive study.
designMethodological discussion of qualitative descriptive design.
methodsSeminal work and recent related literature were reviewed to situate the discussion and identify the concepts and steps to conduct a qualitative descriptive study.
resultsQualitative descriptive design is widely used in nursing and health science research. This design offers flexible use of qualitative methods, which presents a double-edged sword, posing challenges in preparing a well-developed study and achieving methodological rigour. The design often borrows methods from other qualitative traditions, which may need to be clarified for novice and early career researchers, wherein studies may be conducted using a mix and match of methods without giving justice to the heart of qualitative descriptive design. In this paper, we present a step-by-step guide, using a worked example, to demonstrate how to conduct a qualitative descriptive study.
conclusionQualitative descriptive design may be confusing due to its flexibility, which may limit the scope of research and subsequently, the quality and impact of the findings. With the appropriate application of research methods producing high-quality and relevant findings, qualitative descriptive design is a valuable qualitative method in its own right. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION: Novice and early career researchers may increase the impact of their findings through rigorously conducting their studies. Clarifying steps for thoughtful execution may inform novice and early career researchers, allowing for a rigorous application of the method, which, in turn, may contribute to impactful findings. IMPACT: A clear presentation of steps, supported by a worked example and related studies, may support novice and early career researchers in conducting a qualitative descriptive study with methodological rigour. REPORTING
methodNot applicable. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.
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