QES Companion Series Workshops

*If your type of ticket is sold out, please join the waitlist or please contact us at esi@universityofgalway.ie

Dates:

21st January: Workshop 1 - Introduction, Formulating the question, Searching for Studies

13th February: Workshop 2 - Study Selection, Extracting Data, Quality Assessment

10th March: Workshop 3 - Synthesising Qualitative Data, Presenting Findings

9th April: Workshop 4 - Assessing the confidence in the findings - GRADECERQual, Dissemination

Times: 10.00am - 12:00pm

Places: 30 places for individuals who are resident on the island of Ireland

Skill Level: Introductory

Target Audience: Healthcare professionals, academics, researchers, decision makers, librarians, information specialists, and Evidence Synthesis Ireland fellows and teaching faculty who have commenced a QES or plan to do so

Prerequisites: Knowledge of qualitative research methodologies and methods

Background

This series of workshops will provide reviewers, at the beginning of their journey in conducting a Qualitative Evidence Synthesis (QES) with a comprehensive overview of the methodology and methods, including a Cochrane QES review. The series will offer insights into the development of a protocol, introduce participants to the methods of question generation, identification of included studies, data extraction and synthesis, GRADECERQual assessment of confidence in the findings, and presentation of the review for dissemination.

Aim

The purpose of these workshops is to familarise all participants with the steps involved in conducting a Qualitative Evidence Synthesis.

We have designed these workshops as a companion series to allow attendees to apply what they have learned, enabling them to gain practical experience before progressing to the next stage of the process.

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes for participants in this series should support them to:

• develop an understanding of the principles of QES and its importance in research
• define a research question suitable for QES
• explore methods for systematically searching and selecting relevant qualitative studies
• develop the skills to assess the quality of qualitative research studies
• gain proficiency in data extraction and methods of qualitative data synthesis
• learn how to conduct an assessment of confidence in the findings of a QES
• explore strategies for presenting and reporting the findings of a QES

Teaching strategies

The workshops will consist of a mixture of short presentations and discussions led by members of the ESI Teaching Faculty, covering each of the methods of a QES. Breakout rooms will be used for small group activities based around worked examples and exercises. These activities will provide participants with the opportunity to discuss and develop their own skills and understanding. Participants will also be provided with a reading list and additional resources.

Facilitators

Prof. Pauline Meskell, Head of School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Limerick

Dr Linda Biesty, Associate Professor (Midwifery), University of Galway