Process / pipelineReview / evidence synthesis

Meta-ethnography — Qualitative Evidence Synthesis

Meta-ethnography is a systematic method for synthesising findings across multiple qualitative studies by comparing and translating the conceptual frameworks and metaphors each study uses. Developed by Noblit and Hare in 1988, it produces a new interpretive account that goes beyond any single study, preserving the richness of qualitative data while generating broader theoretical insights. It is the most influential approach to qualitative evidence synthesis in health, social, and educational research.

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Sources

  1. Noblit, G. W., & Hare, R. D. (1988). Meta-ethnography: Synthesizing qualitative studies. Sage. ISBN: 978-0803930780
  2. Campbell, R., Pound, P., Morgan, M., Daker-White, G., Britten, N., Pill, R., Yardley, L., Pope, C., & Donovan, J. (2011). Evaluating meta-ethnography: Systematic analysis and synthesis of qualitative research on access to primary healthcare for people with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Health Services Research & Policy, 16(1), 10-19. DOI: 10.1258/jhsrp.2010.009082

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Referenced by

ScholarGateMeta-ethnography (Meta-Ethnographic Synthesis). Retrieved 2026-06-04 from https://scholargate.app/en/scientometrics/meta-ethnography