BACKGROUND The Framework Method is becoming an increasingly popular approach to the management and analysis of qualitative data in health research. However, there is confusion about its potential application and limitations. DISCUSSION The article discusses when it is appropriate to adopt the Framework Method and explains the procedure for using it in multi-disciplinary health research teams,...

The paper argues that the systematic review of qualitative research is best served by reliance upon qualitative methods themselves. A case is made for strengthening the narrative literature review and using narrative itself as a method of review. A technique is proposed that builds upon recent developments in qualitative systematic review by the use of a narrative inductive method of analysis. ...

This paper proposes a theoretical method for qualitative trend curve analysis, supposing the situation that data quality is poor and the amount of data is very large. Here the ‘trend curve’ means, for example, a sequence of monthly temperature over twelve months at a location. The paper first defines ‘qualitative’ characteristics of a trend curve in terms of isomorphic relations. Second, these ...