Table 4 Summary of quality assessment of 23 included papers (reporting 22 included studies)
Section and sub-section of tool | No. items | Item most often addressed (number of studies*) | Item least often addressed (number of studies*) |
|---|---|---|---|
Background | 1 | Is it clear what is being studied? (23) | N/A - only one item in this sub-section |
Research team and reflexivity | |||
  Personal characteristics | 5 | Is the gender of the researcher clear? (15†) | Were the characteristics of the interviewer reported (bias, assumptions, reasons and interests in the topic? (1†) |
  Relationships established | 2 | Is there evidence that the researcher/interviewer had any informal contact with the participant before the study commenced (i.e. ‘chats’)? (4†) | Did the researcher/interviewer indicate if there was a previous therapeutic or personal relationship with the participant and if so, was this described? (1†) |
Study design | |||
  Analytic framework | 1 | Was use of an analytic framework mentioned (e.g. grounded theory, discourse analysis, ethnography phenomenology, content or thematic analysis? (19†) | N/A - only one item in this sub-section |
  Participant selection | 4 | Does the study state how many took part in the interviews? (23) | Does the study state how many refused or dropped out and does it provide reasons? (10†) |
  Setting | 3 | Are the relevant characteristics of the sample reported (demographics)? (22†) | Does the researcher state if anyone else was present during the interviews? (8) |
  Data collection | 7 | Does the author say how many interviews were carried out? (23) | Does the study state if supplementary field notes were made during/after the interview or focus groups (9) and was data saturation discussed? (9†) |
Data analysis and findings | |||
  Data analysis | 6 | Does the author state if themes were identified in advance or from the data? (23) | Did the authors report checking back with informants over interpretation? (6) |
  Reporting | 5 | Were major themes clearly presented in the findings? (23†) | Are all participant quotations labelled according to participant? (12†) |
Ethics | 2 | Was informed consent obtained from all study participants? (17†) | Does the study report if ethical approval was obtained? (14†) |